Family comes first for Jeenal Mehta

Jeenal Mehta is my sister and we came to the US together in 1999 however we both had different experiences. She had a much tougher time because she was older and it was harder for her to learn the American accent. She didn't care about fitting in as much as I did as she always had plenty of friends back home in India.

I always looked up to my big sister because she never let anything get to her, for example she tells me a story in our interview that I had never heard before and I never thought that she had any trouble at school with someone not liking her or someone alienating her. It touched my heart to hear that story and felt an instant need to be there for my sister.

Her journey quickly turned to love and happiness when she met her husband, Amit. They dated for a year before deciding to get married and it was the best decision they ever made. They love each other a lot and its apparent to anyone who spends time with them.

 

1+1 generally is 2 but in these love birds' case 1+1 became 3 and his name is Aarav Mehta. He is the apple of their eye and a true joy in their lives. They are extremely happy as a family and hope to have another little one running around soon after! Jeenal wants to eventually go back to work and enjoy their family of four.

Learn more about her story and hear firsthand from her about her struggles in the following video.

 

Story of a Preacher and Devoted Father.

 Meet Mr. Rajni Bhatt...a man of many talents. I personally loved hearing his story and how he came to this country, the obstacles he had to face being the breadwinner while his wife handled the home, just how traditional women did/do! He came the US in 1989 with a wife and a 3 year old!

Because he was the only one working and earning money, he had to spend most of his time at work and missed out on seeing his daughter grow up, which clearly still pains him.








 However with the help of his wife, their daughter Megha grew up to be a beautiful and intelligent young lady who is currently working in the Health Care field.









Mr. Bhatt first began his career as an Engineer while working overseas in Iraq. After being overseas for many years, his wife's family in the US sponsored them so they could give their little Megha a better future with many opportunities.

 

After coming to the US, his cousin encouraged him to become a preacher on the side and it has now been over 20 years since he has been a preacher, performed ceremonies, married people, etc. As a matter of fact, he married me and my husband and even though my husband is not Indian, Mr. Bhatt made his scriptures and mantras in Hindi AND English so my husband could keep up! He is an amazing preacher and I every time I attend one of his "Puja's" I feel enlightened! He and his wife have done an amazing job, encountered obstacles, overcame them and their sole motivation is their only daughter, Megha. She got married last year and is very happy with her life, which makes Mr. Bhatt a very happy father!

Brave and Determined...The story of Amelia

Amelia Valentine came to the United States from Puerto Rico in 1989. Initially she came because her sister was already living in the US and wanted Amelia to bring her kids to her. After a few months her sister decided to head back to the Puerto Rico but Amelia wanted to stay. So without a job or a place to live she called her boyfriend from Puerto Rico and they both found jobs until one day the company laid off a bunch of their employees including Amelia and her boyfriend. She then got a babysitting gig where she was a live-in nanny. However a month into that job she found out that she was pregnant. When she told her brother about her new found pregnancy, he offered her a place to stay. Though small, Amelia moved in to his house and slept in the living room but soon after, her brother and his family moved out, leaving Amelia and her boyfriend the house. She was a stay at home mother until her son Eric was one years old. In 1992 she got her then job now career working at Chase bank. She enjoyed her life and settled into the American lifestyle and established her own American dream.

I think Amelia is really brave because without any friends, family, job, or a place to stay she made ends meet and accomplished her dreams. She had many obstacles but she overcame them because she was determined.

Motivated and driven for her family

Vibhuti Raja Came to the United States on April 11, 1999. She had a lot of trouble fitting in because of how different she looked and sounded compared to her peers.

As she got older she learned the American accent and learned how to dress like other kids her age. She is now a mother of two beautiful daughters, a part-time employee and a full-time student at the Academy of Art University.

She loves to dance because that is one of her fond memories from India and hopes to teach her daughters any form of dance. She's grateful to her parents because if it wasn't for them she would not have been in this country and never met her husband or had her kids.

I think that Vibhuti is a very hardworking woman that didn't let's a few bumps in her road stop her from earning her BFA. She hopes to someday work in a newsroom or an event manager. 

 

Traditional values and an American spirit

Pooja Muhuri came to the United States in 1998 when she was 11 years old. She immediately started middle school and didn't find fitting in hard. In fact, she made plenty of friends and even now as an adult, she has a large group of friends.

Pooja is currently working at a real estate law firm while going to school to finish her degree in Business. She believes that if it wasn't for America, she wouldn't have been able to find her niche and I totally agree with her because like her, I also changed my major multiple times until I finally settles into the one I love! 

I think Pooja is the perfect example for an Indian girl with the American mentality combined with her traditional Indian values.

As the only child, she aspires to finish her degree, get married someday, and always live close to her parents.

Episode 3: Loyan Warsame

Loyan Warsame came to the US in 1991 after the War in Somalia. His father is Somali and his mother is African-American. As a young child he had to witness the horrors of war and struggle without food and water for a day or two. 

                                       

Finally after hiding out in the US Embassy, the Navy Seals came and rescued him and his family. He immediately started elementary school and it was difficult at first to be around so many people of different colors. However, he grew up to be just like any other American teenager. 

 

Before starting college he visited Dubai, UAE where he fell in love with the country! In 2006 he started school in San Francisco where he met his wife, of Indian decent, and immediately fell in love. 

They decided to get married in 2010 and gave birth to their first daughter followed by their second daughter in 2011. He is extremely happy with his life and knows that the lessons he learned growing up in two different cultures and races, he can pass on to his children and possibly his grandchildren.

Episode 2: Nayelly Sanchez

Nayelly Sanchez came to the United States when she was 6, on July 4, 1996. Her mother had cancer and needed to get chemotherapy. Her tests and medications were too expensive which is what brought them to the US, to pay back the money. Her dad had to stay in Mexico for a few months while Nayelly, her mother, and her sisters left their home country for a new land. Other than language being a barrier, they all had to learn a new culture and traditions. Going to school, making new friends and not being able to see their dad was just a few of her obstacles. However she was happy with the way that everything happened because she is very happy with her life here in the United States, with a fiancee and a baby boy on the way she is ecstatic about this upcoming bundle of joy! Nayelly is currently a preschool teacher at Delaware Technical Community College while she is getting her degree in education. She aspires to become a pediatrician someday.

She wants to plan her wedding around the following theme:

 

Helpful links:
1. Immigration and the Class Struggle in the US
2. Behind the 'Model Minority,' An American Struggle
3. Struggle of immigrant students in the US
4. Struggle for a US Citizenship
5. Living in America