Nothing in my life so far can ever be compared with the powerful and life-changing experience of my entry into the United States. This is a country I have come to love and respect and has now been my home for last eleven years but it is not my native land. I was born in Cuba and eleven years ago some people of our family who were in the US at the time arranged for our migration. Cuba was not a bad place and since I grew up there, part of me will always love Cuba but when we moved from there, political and social conditions were not very favorable. The political climate in Cuba has always been rather troubled and our financial situation was not good either. At that time, some members of our extended family had already made their move to the United States and we heard that for some of them, it had been a very positive experience. America was the land of opportunities for people like us who wanted a better future for themselves. So naturally when the opportunity presented itself, my parents were quick to grab it.

             However moving to the United States wasn't that easy a task. For one, it was not an easy proposition since it involved great deal of money. My parents had to pay $8000 for each member who wished to cross into the United States. But this was an amount that they were willing to spend if it could bring their children the possibility of a better and brighter future. Secondly, once you decide to move, it means you are burning all your bridging. Going back to your country is not an option if you fail to make it in America. This is because when we moved, we had to sell off property and everything that we had in Cuba. It would have killed us if we had to go back. For this reason, we knew from the very beginning that we had to stay in America and make it our home- not that we have ever regretted that decision. .

             The entire journey of moving from Cuba to the US was an experience of a lifetime in itself.