Migration to the U.S.

There were several reasons leaving my motherland to migrate to the U.S. Lack of opportunities, corruption, instability, security issues and more important was the future generation of Afghanistan “My children”. I can live a life since I have been suffering this from decades but what about my kids. They were growing in a society where they had to learn looting, backbite, killing and even how to harm neighbors so, that they lie in your feet and you be the Boss; economically and physically.

The decision whether to move or stay in my country was hard. It really took me two years and the final decision was to leave for the U.S. Before making my final decision, I was in UK for sixteen months doing my masters, MBA and after completion I left back home in a hope to work in my country. However, staying there for six months watching the same channel, hearing the same stories- turned my mind and submitted my passport including my kids for the U.S. SIV visa.

I moved to the U.S. in November 2015 and it has been a year so far. Kids are going to school, I started working for the DOT as contractor and we are still fighting for a better life here. We do miss a lot about our country, even when I ask my kids including my wife – they would prefer to go back home. To be close to their grandfather, grandmother, uncles and other family members. Sometimes, kids do talk about their friends naming them one by one, their teachers and even the driver "Zargai" who used to pick and drop them from school.

Life in the U.S. is even tougher than Afghanistan. Raising children, given them enough time for school (pick and drop), making appointments (at school and for health check-ups), going to office - in short, raising five kids is not an easy job in the US. Even though, we are all physically here in peace but mentally we still are in our motherland.
Sometimes, while talking about Afghanistan I will have tears in my eyes -remembering the streets where I learned to walk, my father who taught me to be proficient in my life and I can hardly explain the situations to kids. I really want my kids to remember their childhood, the culture where we come from, get the educate for the prosperity and development of our country and we all have to bear this hardship.