William from Guatemala

George from Lebanon

George dreamed of coming to the U.S. to further his education as a young man, but Lebanese politics got in the way of a student visa. When he was married with children, a family health crisis brought him to the U.S. for 5 months in 2018. The catastrophic explosion in Beirut in the summer of 2020 caused him to leave his life in Lebanon behind and resettle his family permanently in Boston. They arrived in at the height of the pandemic. Their first apartment was one-quarter the size of their Beirut house. Starting with no furnishings save a mattress on the floor, George slowly made a new home and a new life for himself and his family. 

Milsy from the Dominican Republic

Open to adventure and romance, at the age of 21, Milsy decided to leave the Dominican Republic to join her boyfriend in the United States. “Why not?” she said, and got her passport and visa. Within a year of her arrival, they married.

 When the relationship fell apart, Milsy was left to support herself and her daughter to start her life over again. Even though she had volunteered to help her Spanish-speaking community, she soon realized she needed paying work. And a better command of the English language. From house cleaner to floral arranger, to restaurant worker to teacher’s helper, her fluency grew as she balanced work, parenting, and her continued commitment as a volunteer.

 Now enrolled in college, Milsy is pursuing her dream of becoming a paraprofessional/teacher’s assistant. She’s gaining experience managing the childcare program for children of parents attending the adult ESOL program at the Gardner. 

Rudi from Guatemala

Pay for teaching at a private school in Guatemala barely brought in enough money for Rudi to support himself. And certainly not enough to repay his parents for the sacrifices they had made for him. Instead, he decided to join his sister in the States to better his circumstances and be able to send money to his parents. Once here, he learned the plumbing and construction trades with dreams of starting his own construction business. Rudi is determined to find the best balance between career and family while improving his English. A devoted father and husband, Rudi is looking forward to using his recently earned U.S. passport to travel with his small family.

Irani from Brazil

With poor prospects for college or broadening her horizons, Irani left her family farm in a remote part of Brazil in 1994 to join her brother and sister in the States. Her initial plan was to earn money and return to Brazil to buy a home there. Plans changed when she met her husband and settled into a busy life in Boston, eventually starting her own cleaning company. Caring for three children and running a full-time business left her little time to learn English, but she persevered. Her homeowner dreams have changed continents, especially after becoming a naturalized U.S. Citizen, an accomplishment she and her family are proud of.

Remzi from Turkey

Since his elementary school days in Turkey, Remzi’s passion for history, geography, and meeting people worldwide has never ceased. In his early 20s, he befriended American GIs stationed in Turkey to practice his English. His career as a professional tour guide took off as he showed them the historical sites of his country. Lifelong friendships between Remzi and his tourists led him to visit and eventually move to the States in 2009. I consider Remzi an ambassador for peace because he brings together people from many different countries and cultures. Living in the U.S. seven months of the year, he spends his summer guiding tours in Turkey. I caught up with him for this interview while he was still in Istanbul.