Albita is a Pediatric Psychiatrist in El Salvador. Fifteen years ago - right before 9/11 - she immigrated to this country. Albita knew she would be putting in work to become a Doctor here as well. As soon as she was more stable and wasn't afraid of her surroundings (aka. became legal) she began the process of becoming a Doctor in this country. She put in the work to learn the language and she took the tests and passed.
Today, Albita is unable to work with her passion of Pediatric Psychiatry. Simply because Doctor positions are filled first and foremost by individuals who graduate from American Universities. So even though she did everything right, she is a Doctor in this country, but she has not been hired. She has applied all over the nation. She has organized with other Doctors who have immigrated to this country and passed the tests and are in the same situation. They meet once a year and discuss their rights, how to forward their careers, as well as their lives. But its been ten years and she is still stuck. Albita hasn't lost hope though, she believes she will be a working Doctor in this country.
Until that day, she is a top Mary Kay consultant / seller. Everything Albita does, she does it to the utmost degree. She will always come out on top because she is one of the hardest working people I have ever known. She has become a homie as well as an adopted tia. She lives in a very pink house with her dog, Dustin.
This is an immigrants tale, of which there are so many..
It seems I am collecting them.. much more to come..
for now.. this is Albita:
“This is not the American Dream, this is the American Nightmare. Go to sleep late, wake up early, go to work.. from work to home, home to work. Thats your life, live to work.
The American Dream is idealistic, like a Cinderella story; You meet the prince and everything is going to be right and colorful.
But its not that way. When you come here you find different barriers. First of all, the language is the most powerful barrier. Then you have technologies. I remember the first time i arrived and I saw a highway… What is a highway ? We don’t have those in El Salvador. People were angry because I would get lost but, “I’m sorry I’m late, I got lost, but we don’t have beltways there in my country.”
The barriers are different for everyone. You come here and you don’t have friends. You have to look for what you believe, look for your principles.. The first thing I did when I came here is I came to the church. I believe in God and myself and nobody else.
..In my country when you buy your house, you know that’s it. But here, no; it’s another system, you have to pay rent and it’s very high. And if you buy a house you have to pay mortgage until you die and then you have taxes! We didn’t have taxes in my country. O my God, even the car needs an insurance !? So many changes.. You need to go little by little, with time.. plus the paperwork.”
