Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite
Hello,
I am Dr. Marie Beatrice Hyppolite. I hold a doctorate in Health Science with emphasis on Global Health and master’s degree in social work. I have over 14 years of experience in the field of health and human services.
This podcast is primarily focused on mental health and the quality-of-life elements that affect it such as divorce, death, domestic violence, trauma, toxic relationships, and single parenthood to name a few. It is no secret that mental health challenges continue to profoundly impact modern society although not enough discussion is given due to stigma. Research has shown an increase of 25 % in mental health crises after COVID-19. It is important to have honest, uncomfortable conversations about mental health while being supportive. Although we are interdependent, change begins with the individual, hence “your world.”
I welcome you to join me on my journey and look forward to your responses.
Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite
Immigrant Integration and Community Support
Discover the intricate journey of immigration integration with our special guest, Mr. Villarson, a seasoned Licensed Social Worker with extensive experience in the field. Throughout our conversation, we unravel the complex layers of cultural, social, economic, political, and psychological adaptation that immigrants face upon arriving in a new country. Through heartfelt anecdotes and expert insights, we dissect the Haitian experience to shed light on the broader challenges of adjusting to unfamiliar cultural norms and legal systems. Mr. Villarson provides invaluable advice on forging community connections despite language barriers and the tangled web of settling into new environments.
Education stands as a cornerstone in our discussion, where we explore its pivotal role in successful integration. We delve into the essential steps for immigrants to establish themselves, from obtaining a GED to pursuing ESL classes for English proficiency. Highlighting the potential of entry-level careers like CNA or HHA, we offer practical guidance on achieving financial stability while advancing in one's new homeland. Additionally, we address the varied requirements across states and the importance of navigating these with accurate information to avoid pitfalls and misinformation.
Our episode concludes with a deep dive into the array of support systems available to immigrants. We emphasize the power of mentorship, community resources, and digital literacy in aiding newcomers' adjustment. From mastering public transportation to understanding healthcare access, we provide a comprehensive guide to thriving in a new country. We also underscore the supportive roles of organizations like the International Organization for Migration and the National Immigration Forum, urging immigrants to rely on these invaluable resources for empowerment and success. Join us for this enlightening episode as we equip listeners with the tools and insights needed for a seamless integration journey.
Hello everyone. I'm Dr Beatrice Ippolit and this is your World. Today we have the privilege to have on the show with us a very special guest, a longtime friend. So we have with us Mr Villersonan. Mr Vilosan is a licensed social worker. He runs his own personal business. Maybe you know you will have some time to talk about his business, you know, throughout the show, but today he's here to talk about a very, very specific uh topic. We're gonna tap on uh social integration, right?
Speaker 2:yes, but social integration.
Speaker 1:There are so many different ones. You have health integration, you have uh hospital integration, you there are so many community integration, mathematical integration you have so many types of integrations, but today we're going to tap on immigration integration, so walk us through that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have to say thank you for having me this evening and it's a great opportunity and it's a pleasure to be here. Opportunity and it's a pleasure and inclusive community and within social integration. We are talking about immigration integration. Immigration integration is the process where people coming from other countries, different other countries, where they live everything they have and they come to a new country.
Speaker 2:To migrate and find other countries Exactly, and when they get there they have different type of situation that come to them. So they have to understand what's going on in the culture. For example, you have five type of immigration integrations. That one of them is cultural integration, the culture of the country, the new country, where they.
Speaker 1:Before you go to end that specific time, can you tell us what are the five types of?
Speaker 2:You have cultural integration, you have social integration, you have economic integration. You also have political integration and psychological integration. Okay, so let's talk about the cultural integration. The cultural integration you know when you leave your culture, you move from your country to another country. You leave your culture to go to a new culture where you need to adapt and learn different way of doing things, Because the way they used to do things in your country is not the same way they're doing it here, For example, one of the things that we have as a culture is we have couple punishment, for example. It's one thing that in the United States, when you say we have, you have.
Speaker 1:So who? Are you referring to. I mean, I'm talking about this, I'm talking.
Speaker 2:In Haiti we do not have that, but in the United States, which is totally different, If you can't weep a child because the child is not listening to you, you have to talk to the child until the child understands exactly what you're saying. But that's not a good way to correct or fix a child and to make a child do what you want the child to do.
Speaker 1:Basically, co-punishment is a law in Haiti, but not in the US, that's correct Over here those kids.
Speaker 2:they have law policies that help them, so parents don't take the advantage of them. In this country, for example, they have law policies that help them, so parents don't take advantage of them. In this country, for example, we have what we call parent patria. Parent patria. You know, in the United States, you're as parent, you have half of the child and the other half belong to the state. So, if, in case, you cannot take care of your child and the state will take the child from you and take care of the child. That's a part of the culture. So, when it comes to traditions and values and you know, for example, let's say that this week in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving, which is part of the culture and also the value and tradition of the United States, which is not our culture. In Haiti, for example, we haveuary 1st, which is, uh, the day of our independence, and we also have other things that in our culture, which is total difference, but sometimes people are very resistant but we're talking about immigration, integration in general.
Speaker 1:So you do you want to be specific on the asian culture or you want to talk about it broadly?
Speaker 2:That's a good question. I want to talk about it broadly, but because I'm Haitian, I know the culture of Haitian. That's why every time I say something, I go back to my culture. To pick one thing as an example. We also have social integration. For example, you are new in a community, so nobody know who you are. For example, you can stand in front of your building. Nobody know who you are. They can even call cops on you and you say, oh, I see a new face on the on our neighborhood.
Speaker 2:But how you integrate yourself so people know who you are in that community. You have to sometimes and maybe talk to the neighbors. Try to talk to neighbors, but I know that might be a problem because the language barrier can prevent you from speaking, because you don't know if that person will be able to understand you. And also, you have to make friends on your neighborhood. You have to make friends in the new culture. Let's say that you come, you, you come here, you you still want to stay connected to your friend back home, but you don't want to make friends in america. So how you will be able to find somebody to help you when you need a job, when you need to do something when you need help with your homework or something like that.
Speaker 1:So mr villasun, as an immigrant, you know, coming from Haiti to this country, what would be the first thing for me to do as an immigrant.
Speaker 2:We cannot forget that in this country we have different types of immigrants. We have people we can call them documented, and we also have undocumented people who do not have a green card, do not have a social security. So let's say that you come here legal, let's look at it legal.
Speaker 1:Those who came legally with a green card and those who are undocumented. So it's either they came by you know different ways or they had a visa. They came and the visa expired.
Speaker 2:They kind of like overstay their visa Overstay. So possibility resources are not available for everybody, for example. Let me give you an example. If you're legal right, you come with your green card. Once you got here, the first thing that you're going to have your green card. With your green card, you will do your social security. You will receive your green card. With your green, card.
Speaker 1:With your green card, you're gonna do your social security with your social security and your green card. Now you can do after you get your green card, you reply for your social security.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, after you get your green card, you get your green card first. With that, that green card and also with other documentation, like a letter with your address on it. And because they need six, they need wait right for your social security. You don't need that, but to apply for identification card or driver license you will need that. You will need six points after you get six point. Now you can move to learning permit or identification card if you want to just have that.
Speaker 1:That's down the world. Yeah, but I'm new to the country. Yes, I'm not gonna think about you getting a car or getting a driver's license because I won't be able to even buy the car to begin with, but as an immigrant, you know if I said it Language is the first thing. That's what I taught.
Speaker 2:Yeah, language is the first thing. So when you just got here, you need to speak. If back home you knew English, it's okay, but if you didn't know English, you need to look for a school where they can. You know some schools. You have to pay. Some of them are free. You need to look for a free school. Go to a library ESL, Look for ESL class where they offer free ESL classes, which is English as a second language. That's the first thing in reality you really need. After that you can move to having your. You know all the documents that I just talked about and you can move to that. But in reality, the language ESL is the first thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, whether you come here illegally or illegally, whatever the you know. So it's vital that you learn the language. I'm not saying that you will be able to speak it like fluently or you know, but hey, you will be able to have a conversation to communicate. Myself when I came to this country, so English is my third language. You know I speak, you know like, of Creole and French, so I had to learn English, though I never really made it to a ESL class. I don't even know how I've learned English, but you know, throughout I've learned. I remember I was, you know, my other city was that high. I didn't know how to speak English, but I'll buy New York Times.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Journals. The way that I taught myself is like if I see a word, I will not know the meaning of it, but I'll go home, type it and do a right click on it to see all the synonyms.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And from the synonyms I'll know what the word means. So I agree with you it's very, very, very important to try to learn the language, and I've seen people who say, oh, I don't want to go to school because I'm too old. There is no such thing as being old or you know what? I will speak it with an accent. It's okay, that's not your language.
Speaker 1:That's why they call it English as a second language and for me, it's my third language, so, and when I came to this country I was already 30 years old. My accent will not go anywhere.
Speaker 1:And I should not be afraid, when I'm expressing myself, you know, to feel that, oh, he's gonna judge me, she's gonna judge me. Who cares? As long that I'm able to communicate, to have a solid conversation, as long that I'm able to go to school and earn a degree, as long that I'm able to go to the doctor, go the lawyer office, everywhere I go, and I don't need an interpreter, that's all matters. So it's like, don't fall for all of you out there who think that you do all, or people may laugh at you if you say, uh, thanks, wrong or not the right way, if you speak with an accent, it's okay, you know yeah, so um not only include friends and neighbors and colleagues, and you also, when it comes to economic integration, having access to education and employment, real estate investment and open your own business, what we call entrepreneur.
Speaker 2:So to integrate in this society as a new person, there's a lot of steps. You need to go to school. Like we say, go to school, take a GED, start with GED.
Speaker 1:If you didn't have it.
Speaker 2:If you didn't have it, if you didn't have your high school.
Speaker 1:I didn't need one when I came to this country.
Speaker 2:Yes, If you didn't finish your high school, you can still In this country, one of the things, for example, in the United States. If, for example, in the United States, if you didn't finish high school, there is no such you to hold in here to continue. If you really want to do that, if you really want to do that, you can go to school, get your GED and if you plan to go to college, you can go to college and meet your dream right there. Not only that, the GED for those who need to go to school, and also they have ESL classes and you can take ESL classes so that ESL classes will help you to get a CNA training. Get a CNA training. With that CNA training, now you get a job. You will get a job now. You'll be able to speak and you will be able to apply online.
Speaker 1:You will be able to navigate the system, navigate the culture of this country after you, kind of like, you go to school, you learn how to uh, express yourself in in in english. So if you didn't have a ged, so you go and take the ged class and those skill trade like cna, hha, what have you exactly? And so you start with those.
Speaker 1:I've seen people who sometimes believe that, oh, you know what, I'm not gonna do this, I'm not gonna do that, it's beneath me. But what you may point as being beneath you, if you were to do it, that will let a one give you some financial stability. You know to grow. So it's like from there and later, one if you opt, opt to go to college, then you can go to college. But don't ever think that you know what I'm not going to do that because it's been at me, because you know, while you may choose not to do a CNA or a home attendant or a janitor, whatever the position, you know you choose not to do it. You know what's going to happen to you. You're going to be financially dependent.
Speaker 2:That's great.
Speaker 1:If you were to live in my house. I would not like for you to depend on me financially forever. After I give you at least a six, seven or up to a year, I want you to be able to move on on your own, that's correct.
Speaker 2:That's why, when you come here, you need somebody to give you orientation, to tell you what you need to do first, what you need to do second, and you need to take those advice. Don't take them for granted, but they're very important. But one thing I'm gonna I gotta say you will find a lot of people come to you to give you advice. You need to to assess them, process them and see which one is the best for you and see which one is because some of the people they will not give you the best advice. That's correct, because they will feel like if they give you the best advice, you will pass. You will surprise them and they don't want that. They want you to stay at the bottom and they want you to stay with that's pure jealousy, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:So I know people, um, who came from their country, for example, and they come with a high school diploma. But other people tell them no, you need to go back to school to get a ged. No, you don't need a ged, you already with a high school diploma. But other people tell them no, you need to go back to school to get a GED. No, you don't need a GED, you already have a high school diploma. All you got to do is just go to college, not going back to school to get a GED.
Speaker 1:Hello me. I'm not correcting you, but I want to point something out. This country has 50 states, that's correct, and each state move differently. The state that I'm living in, which is the state that I went to college. When I came here, you know, I went to one of the city colleges to inquire about how to get into college and I was told about how to get into college and I was told I have to be a resident in this state for a whole year. If I didn't graduate from high school here, I will need a GED, but if I graduated from back home and I already have my high school diploma, then TOEFL was required okay so you don't just go to college when you came.
Speaker 1:When you come with your high school diploma, you have to take TOEFL but if you feel that you don't want to take the TOEFL and you want to hope to take the GEG instead of the TOEFL, then that's by all means. So. It's like always go and inquire, because information it is technical, it is very technical.
Speaker 2:So, like we said before at the beginning, not all immigrants are qualified for this type of services. So when you are international students, it's different. International students, they will make you take TOEFL, but you don't need to take GED. Once you have your high school diploma, you need to take TOEFL. You didn't need that score. But once you are legal, unless a the legal, you're not international student. They used to take me to get in into a city. I take a CT. There was a exam for us. Now I don't know if they still have it now today, but private school acts for ACT, sat, the public school acts for ACT. It depends if you are international student or if you are a local student, like if you have green card or if you are American, but even, for example, going to school, if you come green card or if you have, you are American, but even, for example, going to school, if you come from New Jersey, you're not gonna pay the same thing as someone who resigned in New York State. That's this to defend.
Speaker 1:To defend you, you're gonna pay more. You pay more because you out of state student, so they make you pay more not making you pay more in jersey or not, you know so or new york, or what no?
Speaker 2:no, if you, if you live in jersey, you come to school in new york. If you live in jersey, you want to come to school. For example, let's say that you want to go to your college, for example, you want to go to Lehman college, you want to go to hunter. Because you reside in new jersey, you will pay more than me, who resigned in New York so I had the experience between both Jersey and New York right yeah uh, I remember, you know I started college in Jersey but I was always a New York resident right.
Speaker 1:So our day I enrolled as right so I would day I enrolled as I would say, out of state student, whatever the amount you know so that I used to pay. I don't even remember, yeah so, but when I collected my 65 credits and transferred to new york, I was still being treated as undocumented yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So yeah, because not only you see that, like I said, it's very technical in order for the school to consider you as a resident of this country, the United States, is, when you have a legal immigration status, that saying that you're your resident or you are American.
Speaker 1:Okay, so now let's stay at the bottom. Because I understand college is not for everyone. Not everyone will embrace college, not everyone wants to do college, but everyone wants to have a job, wants to be financially independent, wants to be able to express the you know uh, him or herself in in english.
Speaker 2:So let's, let's, let's, let's be practical you know when you come to this country, you know, so you look for there is a resource that just pop up uh, workforce one, workforce one is a is a. Workforce One is a city or state agency that help anybody who want to pay for training, who has no money, and they help you with job placement. They help you also with building your resume if you don't have one, and they help you even look for training and they pay for the training for free and you don't have to pay them back. Yeah, they're very good. Workforce one.
Speaker 1:But after you speak the language.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but one thing I have to say you will never be able to speak the language the way you really want to speak it. You have you still. It's a process, of course. It's a long process, of course. So, even today, today, I'm still learning English.
Speaker 1:Even myself, you know, with a dashboard degree in health science. I'm still learning. I'm learning every day, so, each and every day. So it's like I'm improving on my accent. I pick up more vocabulary words, so it's like, but I'm comfortable so and I'm not I never ashamed when people say, oh, she has a strong accent. Yes, I came to this country. I was 30 years old. That's correct, my accent will not go anywhere.
Speaker 2:And I'm glad I haven't you know, but you know so.
Speaker 1:but do I want to speak the language you know, like you know more proficiently? Yes, Am. I working on improving myself daily. Yes, and and that's one thing, you know, when we talk about language barrier people, the way they treat people I've seen it in my culture, you know, and where people come. So it's like I never understood the mentality. So just because you come, you had your green card and I'm undocumented or I may be under the tps status, now you feel that you're more superior than me yeah, that's a human mentality.
Speaker 1:That's human mentality and so now for that person who has a us passport and you have your green card that person with a us passport feel that he or she is more superior than you Because, at the end of the day, you always have a group who try to tear another group down.
Speaker 1:You know, I've heard it when people. I remember I had that experience where somebody when I first came to this country but didn't know that I was a woman with gold. I was a woman with dreams, you know, but I was just like new to the country. I was trying to find my way around when the person told me to make me that you know, that you know we were not the same, that I was beneath her. So it's like telling me you know the type of degree that she had and on top of that, to let me know that she was a US citizen. In my head I just laugh because I said to myself lady, you don't know me, you just see me, that's. Do you know my goals? You know my dream? Do you know what plans that I have for my life? And look at me today. I don't want to brag about it, but God blessed me with everything that I needed. That's great, you know. And I have the US passport.
Speaker 2:You don't even know where you put it.
Speaker 1:I don't even know where I put it.
Speaker 2:You don't even know. There's a time for everything, yeah there is a time for everything.
Speaker 1:So what I want to know immigrant people, because I've seen many immigrant people from other cultures, so it's like they have their own challenges and language seems to be like the most prominent one.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:Because it's not easy to you know to speak a different language. And one thing that you know, I've seen in my culture too, people you know who came, you know who already had a profession back home. So when they come, it's like, oh, I'm not doing this, oh, this type of job is not for me. Back home I was an engineer. I was a doctor, I was this and I was that and I'm like, okay, I got it, but what are you in this country?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's correct.
Speaker 1:Because what you used to do, what you used to be back home, it's something. But how are you going to make it in this country? Because what you used to be back home is not going to feed you in this country, it's not going to pay your bills, it's not going to take care of your family, it's not not gonna put clothes or shelter you so what you wanna do with your life. Yeah, leave that.
Speaker 1:Take the chip that you have on your shoulder you know, shove it off that's right because, at the end of the day, if you stick with this mentality, you will not amount to anything no, no because you know and you don't understand that you are your own threat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, to you, to your own self. So that's very important, that for people to kind of like hey, you come, you know, to a brand new country and the country is a great country, a country with a lot of opportunities. If you want to take advantage, there are many doors that can open. Don't get yourself stuck in one place just because you had some type of degree from whatever country that you came from.
Speaker 2:Yes, we also have political integration. They have political systems. That who I mean who designed for us and? But we also need to be part of that choice. And what are they doing? We know that they also have the voting system. If you become a US citizen, for example, if you become a citizen of the country of the new country, now you need to participate If the law allows you to do that. It's what we call a civic engagement.
Speaker 2:And there are also the census. There are the senses. When they come, they knock at your door and they ask you a question. They ask you how many people you have in your house. They just need to know how resources in the community will be used, because if you don't give them the exact number, you give them fake number. They will not provide.
Speaker 2:For example, let's say, let's look at it this way If you have a classroom with 25 kids and you have another classroom with 10 kids, it's not the same thing If the community has a lot of kids going to one school and that school and the teacher will not have enough time to go through the homework of every single. You're going to need more resources. You're going to need more resources. You need more teachers. That's why they're doing the census. They need to know how many teachers they need, how many police officers they need for their neighborhood and everything. So that's why census is important. It's not like to know if you're legal, if you're not legal. They're not checking on that. They're not checking on if you're legal or if you're not legal.
Speaker 1:Knowing the law of the new country. Oh yeah's, that's, very important you know because you come from a different country. Wherever that you may come from, you know china, uh, canada, france, you name it haiti yeah now know that, hey, this is, this is the us that that's right, so know the law of the country.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you bring that up, because some immigrants, for example, they keep doing things they used to do back home, for example, cross the street anyhow and if you need to use the bathroom there's no bathroom available. They just try to hide behind a tree or something you know, dump trash anywhere. So whatever they have in their hand, they just dump it on the floor. So that's also. They don't really care about the cleanness of this street. They don't really understand the policy that's come with it. So that's very important. Or you?
Speaker 1:may come from a country where, oh, it was okay, Like Mr Viloson mentioned earlier, so where corporal punishment is a law. So back home. So it's like you do something you not behave. Your parent told you to go left and for whatever reason you choose to do, right, Of course you're going to get a beat up, but it's okay because nothing will happen to your parents, that's in your country.
Speaker 1:In your country. So that's the way the country. But if you were to come here, you know in this country you cannot put your hands on your kids. Yeah, they do something. You tell you told your kid to do to go left. They went right, you know, sit them down and have a conversation. You know there are other ways that you can punish them. That phone that you know they want to be on all the time, you know you take it for a few days. That tablet, you take it for a few days. That tablet, you take it for a few days. Nobody watching television for a whole week. So they make them feel it in a different way because that's the way that they want you to move in this country. Yeah, that's good, not your own way. Another thing you may come from, from a country you know where you. Hey, you know it's okay, you put your hands on your partner or your wife.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so nothing happened to you yeah not in this country no, this country, you know you know, you put your hands on your partner or your wife, you know.
Speaker 1:So I I'll have you as a resident at my work.
Speaker 2:I wish your husband is not listening.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, I give him that he's decent. Okay, so psychologically speaking, I just don't want to welcome any of those people in here at my job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, psychologically speaking I don't know if you heard that before Some people who are living here they don't like where they live, but you got to make the place where you are your own. You got to make a sense of belonging, make it like you have to have that sense, like you belong to the community, to the new society. Exactly, you know Some people they feel like they're even talking bad about the countries. If you don't like the country, go back home, you don't have to stay. Nobody forced you to stay here. So you, you left home. Because of what? Because of better opportunities. Okay, so now you come here, you get that better opportunity. So now you don't embrace it, or you embrace it but the country that provide you that you don't even embrace that.
Speaker 1:yeah, I don't, I don't get it. Don't get me wrong. I understand, you know, as we human beings, we are entitled to get angry, to be frustrated. There may be certain things you know that are going on in this country that don't align with your vision or the way you want things to be, yeah, I understand that.
Speaker 1:But to talk in a way that you hate this country so bad, you know, and you want apparently some people, the way they talk about the country, it's like, hey, is that even a country? If you? I know this is not my country, I should not be talking about that way, but this is the country that welcomed me.
Speaker 1:You know the country that make you the person you that sheltered me for 20 years, yeah, and the country that gave me so many opportunities yeah, to even have today. I understand there are a lot of things that need to be changed in this country.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:There are a lot of things that I don't, like you know, in this country, but at the end of the day, the same way, I love the country that has, that had given birth to me, the country that I love dearly, the country that I call that, I love dearly the country that I call my Haiti. I am Asian. I'll die as being an Asian woman. I always do whatever that I can to participate, to contribute to better my country, but at the same time so the same way I love Haiti, I should love this country as well.
Speaker 2:Because that's become your second place, your second country, by the way. So now let's talk about the five factors that influence immigrant integration. So, first of all, let's take a look at language Language proficiency, ability to communicate in the host country's language. We talked about it before, we talked on it before. But if you refuse to go to school or to a training where you can a training school where they offer free classes for GED, you will end up staying this exactly the same way you came. And also, you will always need somebody to escort you to any agency where you're going to, and you will need someone to to read your letters.
Speaker 2:You will not be independent. You will always be dependent on someone to tell you what the letter says, Even moving in life. Okay, you probably let's look at it this way Because you don't speak English, you can do this, you can do that, you can go to school. There are certain jobs you can do, but that's limited, very limited. In case they send you home, it will be very difficult for you to get another job, and when you just got here, a lot of people are available for you to help you. But after one year, two years, it's not the same thing.
Speaker 1:So you're not going to find everybody, and it should not be the same thing if you're not a child. That's correct.
Speaker 2:So the language is very important. That's one of the factors and also education and skills. We do know that a lot of young people coming from places like let's look at it, let's take a look at from Asia, europe and some part of Africa, for example, they come. I can give you an example. There's a Chinese guy who came to my house to install one of the AC. He doesn't speak English at all. He used Google and used his phone and talked to me, but when I asked him, how long have you been in this country, he said, oh, I just got here. But you know what that job he's doing. They pay him $75 an hour Because before he got here, it's's true he doesn't speak English, but back home he went to trade school. He went to trade school. He know how to do all these things. When he come to this country and since they need his value, whatever skills he now he can sell it for what he wants and he can do it and do it well.
Speaker 2:A lot of young kids I don't want to be too specific about places where they come from they come here with nothing. You know, when you come here with nothing, no skills, no ability to do anything, that's exactly you will get the lowest job. That's exactly you will get the lowest job. Yes and no, okay.
Speaker 1:When you come here with nothing, it's okay. You know it depends on the child's age. If they came here, you know they were like 15, 16, 17, 20. I got that Certain countries, you know. So you may not have it. I was privileged, you know, back home to be working, as you know so is. You may not have it. I was privileged, you know, back home, to be working, as you know, for for the city. I was a city employee. I work for both the national and the TV station. I was a accountant assistant, work as a secretary and I was a show host. That was the privilege. I had a degree back home. So when I came here and knowing that, you know, like the mentality for Asian people wherever that we go, education is, it seemed to be the only thing that we know.
Speaker 1:That's why even according to research, nearly 84 percent of Haiti, like most likely the second generation, have a higher degree because it's like that's the expectation. Your parents, you know, the people around you you know, even when those who came here were married, so despots will force them to go to school. I've seen couple whose husband say you know what, you go to school, I'm gonna taking care of. Husband say you know what you go to school, I'm going to take care of the kids. And after the wife completed her degree, the husband now will go to. They want it. So it's like we value education. We know education, you know, in our culture is the only game that we can gamble with without losing.
Speaker 2:That's correct, not only Haiti, some other places in the Caribbean also, but those kids that you mentioned, who came without nothing.
Speaker 1:so it's okay to come without nothing, but it's not okay to be 30, 40, and 50 and still don't have anything in a great country like the US. So when I came, I basically had to start all over. My first job in this country, Mr Villerson, was at a dollar store for $3.75.
Speaker 2:But what I'm saying, what I'm trying to say, is that some of the skills that you have back home, you can trade them when you come here. So let's say, if you're a mechanic, for example, you know how to change a tire in Haiti. That's not, it's not different here. It's change a tire. You still need to know how to change a tire. If you know how to fix a Motor of your vehicle, you can change a brake, for example, but you know how to change the brake. You come here you still can change the brake because the brake is still the same brake.
Speaker 1:But what I'm saying is some of the staff, but you cannot just go and have a job, because no place will hire you, just by having faith in what you said, that you know they will train you. You know, so it will be much easier for you to get it, but they still will train you, because any mistake that you make is going to fall on them and nobody wants to get sued.
Speaker 2:That's true, but it's easier for you once you have a trade. For example, I have a guy who came from Haiti. He was in this country with no green card. He has a TPS, but you know what he can do. He can repair your kitchen, your bathroom and he can fix the electricity. He can build anything for you, right? That's what he used to do back home. He does ceramics. So when he came here, he got a lot of jobs Like you need to fix, to do your, the kitchen. You just call him. You give him a call. He come in and do your kitchen for you and mr v, and and you don't have to, he doesn't have to have, he doesn't have to have a social security for that, mr v.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I understand that yeah but bear with me, you know. So all the stuff that you say the guy is doing you know.
Speaker 1:So all the stuff that you say the guy is doing it's not. There are some places you know where you live. He may not be able to do that and it's still not appropriate. Because let's say, for example, you have that guy, you have some electricity issues going on in your house. You call him, but he's not licensed in that domain in here. So you have a plumbing issue, you call him, he can fix it, but he's not licensed, you know.
Speaker 1:So we want to encourage people, whatever skills that you good at, even if you knew it back home. But when you come here, you know, try to get a license into it. Like where I live, for example, you know it's like I may live in this town and you live to the town, 20 blocks or 20 minutes away from me. If I need a plumber, I have to have it, a plumber who has a license for my town. So it's and the plumber from my town. We, even with the license, cannot go. We were talking about rules and laws. So it's like, let's stick to rules and laws, we cannot violate them.
Speaker 2:That's correct. That's correct. I like that. I like that. But they still can work with somebody who has a license. Still can work with somebody who has a license. Okay, so, um, also social, um, you know social support network, for example. You have family, you have community, um organizations, let's say churches, for example. You know, churches is the really big one. I always advise everyone who just got here, it doesn't have got here, it doesn't have to do, it doesn't have to be church. If you don't go to church, I can't force you to go to church, but it can be any religious organization find a community that you can belong to.
Speaker 2:So that's gonna help you, because they always ask you to stand up if you first time coming here, and when you stand, you you know, tell them your name and they're gonna sit with you after you know to get your information, and that will help you. That will help you. You tell them how long you've been here, so where you will live and who your family is, and you make new friends too. You make new friends and I don't say that if somebody needs a boyfriend or girlfriend, get in there, but that, but that happens sometimes.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, no church. You know group in the church, so, believe it or not, so it's like we deal with people. Everybody is different, but you tap on a very important point. All my life I've always been a church person and back home. So I used to be big on church and I used to get involved, like all the time when I came to this country, not only because I was looking for this social support or what have you, but faith rise. You know it's always good to be in community. You know to be around people that can lift your spirit up.
Speaker 2:That's great.
Speaker 1:To be around people, even when you don't need anything from them financially, but you know that you can have a solid conversation with, like you mentioned. You know from them you may get a reference. Some of them may know somebody who have a babysitting job or a job that does not require no skills for you to do as being a newcomer in the country.
Speaker 1:So, it's very important. I'm part of a choir, so I hope that my story is not washing right now because they always say I don't know how to sing, we didn't show. But I love my choir. I love the people in my choir, of course, and I'm pretty sure that you know. So it's like I have my own personality. Some of them may like me, some of them may love me, some of them may not, but it's okay. But at the end of the day, when I'm around them, I don't really care. You know who love me, who like me, who doesn't like me. I just embrace everybody as a family because I love them as a family and, believe it or not, I may never express my gratitude to them, but I know they have played a major role into the Beatrice that I am today or not to use the title, into the Dr Ippoli that I've become.
Speaker 2:So yeah, it's a good thing. Yeah, I mean, like you say, even going to a birthday party. If you just got here, your cousin, your friend, people you know, actually let's go to have a birthday party, I'm going to, you go with them. That's how you meet. You never know, you're probably gonna meet one of your old friend there. So a go to a barbecue, stuff like that you do, you do, you go and you meet with new people, you exchange numbers and stuff and you make friends, because you will need those friends, you will need them in your, in your yeah, in your.
Speaker 1:But the most important thing, always try to connect with people who can help you grow. That's correct, you know not with people who can help you grow. That's correct, you know, not with people who constantly invite you to party. This weekend, you know you were invited to a party. The next weekend, another party. You know all the bands. You know that are being played. No, because you came to this country not to party. You came to this country to grow.
Speaker 2:To grow, yeah, to improve yourself.
Speaker 1:It's very important to also keep in mind.
Speaker 2:And also we do have government policies and programs. Like you need to know also the policies and services that are available for you in the community. So you know where they have, for example, health insurance, where you you can agency any agency who can help you with those services HRA, for example. You know where those locations are and also you know where they offer this training, that training and also even the school, like public schools, for your kids. You know that's one of the thing you need to do. You need to know where those are and also policies and you need to know, if you are qualified, what you qualify for. Once you know the policies, you know what you qualify for. For example, I know some people who are qualified, actually right now, to go to school, even though they don't have a green card. You know, because they have a TPS, they can go to school.
Speaker 1:What school when you say school, public school, public school?
Speaker 2:Yes, you know, private school is private school. Even though you're a citizen, you still need to pay that school amount.
Speaker 1:I don't know for all the states, but in New York, when you come, as long as you are a child, you are entitled to go to public school.
Speaker 2:Yeah, until 12th grade, yes, but going to college is different. If you want to go to college now, it's different, because I have my own cousin, for example.
Speaker 1:She, after she graduated from high school, she couldn't go to college yeah, you always can go to college in New York, whether you pay for it out of pocket, international or you know under the TPS statutes, then your tuition will be different than they won with the title of under and even the loan you.
Speaker 2:You will not be qualified for every type of loan.
Speaker 1:Because I remember my all four years of college. At your college. I was undocumented at that time. My tuition used to be $5,555.55. I've always remembered that amount For one semester, while all the students were paying half of it. That's right, you know. So it's like sometimes, you know I feel it, but I never regretted, you know, investing in myself that way.
Speaker 2:And also you know, as immigrants, you're facing some type of challenges. For example, you got a language barrier and you know that's a big problem when you, when you come here. That's why we were talking about it and we were advising every immigrant who come here go to school for ESL classes. It's very important not only go to school for ESL classes, which is English as a Second Language.
Speaker 1:It's very important Not only go to school, but learn the language to the best of your ability, because it will never be perfect. So every year, every day, every hour, you're going to learn something. Hang out with people that can lift you, people that can help you grow, not people, you know, like you know, that will tear you down. Like I said, be around people that have goals, people who have determination, people who have visions. You know, so it's okay, you know, if you choose the group of people you want to mingle with, because myself, if you don't have vision and I'm around you, you're not going to encourage me with my own visions. You know if I want to go to college and you want to party all the time, so of course, you're not going to encourage me to go to college, because at the end of the day you gonna say oh, oh, what's for?
Speaker 1:oh, no, oh you wanna act like when you? No, no, I'm not acting like when you. I know what I want and you know it's like by kind of like elevating yourself to some level. You don't know how many people you can empower, I don't know, you know. So it's like how many people are empowered, empower I don't know, you know. So it's like how many people I empowered with the Beatrice that I've become, because I know I braved so many storms in life to be where I am today, so I may empower people that I don't even know you know.
Speaker 1:I may empower people that I don't even know. There are a few people who often time come to me and say, girl, you know, yeah, I may empower people that I even know. There are few people. You often time come to me and say, girl, you know, I was able to do this or accomplish this or accomplish that because of you, because I've seen the god that you have, I see the other city and the bravery that you put along the way to accomplish all of this. And because of that and I know you had limited opportunities, you had limited resources and you did it so because of that I said I can do it too, and I did it.
Speaker 1:So it's like it's always good. You know, you know to be something, do something, be able to empower others. So at the end of the day, you come to this country wherever that you come, I it does not matter, but you can improve yourself, you can go, you can get a great education if this is what you want. I respect those. There are people who don't want it. There are people who say school on college are not for me. There are people who want to do it but cannot do it. So it's like, whichever way that you want, but all I want from all immigrants- is to be able to be financially independent.
Speaker 1:You cannot be 40 years old, 50 years old, and still depend on a brother, on a sister, on a mother. No, go out there, find something, do something, be productive. You live in a country when you choose not to work. By the time you're 65, who's going to take care of you?
Speaker 2:That's correct.
Speaker 1:Good question. And even Medicaid you have Medicaid, not Medicaid, medicare. You have Medicare at the end of 65, right, but in order to get Medicare you have to at least work 10 years yeah.
Speaker 2:And now let's tap on the cultural differences. Like we said before, culture is not the same. There's a new culture. You need to embrace the new culture.
Speaker 2:But we know there are so many people out there ethnocentric, which is thinking that your culture is better than the new culture or your country's culture is the better culture period, so that can prevent you from advancing Because even the food, the way they cook, advancing because even the food, the way they cook over here is different. Well, the way you cook back home maybe you use to put, for example, when you cooking you put oil at the beginning, over here to put oil in the at the end, so that you think your way is better, because maybe you wash your eyes before putting. You know, and over here they don't write it, maybe they don't or they do, but you always find something that's different and also exists to the culture. To embrace the culture, the music you used to listen back home, the music you're listening now, when you open the, even watching TV, when you watch TV, you open the TV, you're going to hear English channels.
Speaker 1:All the channels are English, you know, while you you open the TV, you're going to hear English channels, all the channels are English. You know, while you're mentioning the music, I was not used to Rap music.
Speaker 2:Rap music.
Speaker 1:So until today, it's still hard for me to listen to some of them, especially the ones that use a lot of profanity. I'm not comfortable around profanity like that.
Speaker 2:But I don't say you need to embrace that.
Speaker 1:No but at the end of the day. I still need to embrace it Because you know what, like you mentioned, it's part of this culture. I cannot reject it. On a personal life. I may not implement it into my own life, to listen to it in my own household, but I should not. That should not be bother me if I go to somebody else house or other places where they play those type of music. That's part of the culture. I have to respect it.
Speaker 2:That's correct, and discrimination and racism. Be aware of that, because I think it's going to happen.
Speaker 1:Are you preaching to the choir? It's going to happen.
Speaker 2:I remember myself, there was an apartment and I went to see that apartment and the lady said, oh, yeah, you're going to get it, you're going to get the apartment. And I said, okay, and when I get home, my, my wife the next day called her to say to, to ask her okay, so can we come and pay, since you said that we're gonna get it, blah, blah, blah, and the lady said, um, I still have somebody else to come and see it. The next day we called. She said oh, somebody has get it, so there's no more apartment for available available. So, um, my wife took another phone and called the lady. She said when you? When are you coming? She changed her voice. She changed her voice and she asked her when are you coming to see the apartment?
Speaker 1:she investigated to find out no, because we're black. What's really going?
Speaker 2:on because we're black're black. So she doesn't want to rent that apartment with us because we are black. So the racism is something you need to be aware in this society. And economic hardship Economic hardship as an immigrant when you come here life is not, you know.
Speaker 1:when you mention racism, I don't know for other cultures, but for my culture it's something that we deal with.
Speaker 2:Every day.
Speaker 1:You know in our own country, Because remember what we call the mulatto back home. Compared to people with my skin complexion, you know they will not mingle with people with my skin complexion and I think even in today, in this 21st century you still have men in Haiti.
Speaker 1:It's unfortunate, you know, when you see people get into relationship with people with lighter skin complexion, just for validation. So that may bother me, you know, to some extent, but at the end of the day, what can I do about it? I think you know because I've seen it. I lived on it. Bear in mind, I live in my country for a whole 30 years, so I was not a child when I came here, so I had a life back home, so and I know that's how you know so it's like it was kind of easy for me to embrace the racism of the racisms and all of that to understand it to, to understand it and embrace it as well as all other shenanigans.
Speaker 2:You know that I have experienced okay, um like, uh, we're talking about economic hardship and when you got here, if you didn't come with money, money will run after you and you will run after money because you will not come with money no, I mean exactly unless you were. You were a millionaire back home or you had money back home, so you bring it with you. It's not easy To make money here. You have to work. So, like you said before, if you let your pride.
Speaker 1:Not only here, Mr V, everywhere.
Speaker 2:I work back home Exactly. If you let your pride too high, you know you have a high self-esteem that make you feel like you're all that you're not going to get any money, because in this country people don't give money. They pay you for what you're doing. If you come and you clean my kitchen, I'll pay you for that, and if you come and you stay with the kids, I'll pay you as a babysitter. But they're not going to just give you money. You will find some friends, some culture, some, some people. They still doing it, but it's not a country where you can find somebody, come and give you 500, give you a thousand or two thousand, no, that you have to go and work to for it. And for that, for that reason, all pride that you have like make you feel you all, that you can do this, you can do that.
Speaker 1:You have to take that out I agree with you 100 and I told you, you know, uh, earlier you know things that I used to do back home. But when I came to this culture, you know being undocumented. So when I first got my first job, for three dollars and 70, 75 cents, it was a blessing. I took on that job. So it's like, you know, like 12 hours a day. So I walked my way out. After seven months I left.
Speaker 1:I left that job, found something else and I got to a point I remember there was a semester that I was really I was tight, I could not find a job. So it was like, oh Lord, what am I going to be doing? And I found somebody. Found that lady who needed somebody to clean her house and they call it day walk. And I didn't even know the term. And the lady said, oh, somebody needs somebody. I'm like, what is day walk? And when she explained, she broke it down to me and I'm like I'm in. And the lady look at me like if I was that important and I'm like, please, I'm not that important, I just need to walk and I need legal money. That's right, I need legal money. So, because I know the law, you know, like we mentioned very important to know the law. I said I need legal money. So she took me to that place, to that eddy place, keep in mind I used to have a maid back home.
Speaker 2:To come here.
Speaker 1:To become one here to become one.
Speaker 1:To become one, that's not easy you know that was not easy, but I didn't let that get into me because at the end of the day I I said to myself I rather go into somebody's house and clean that person house and collect my money, the $3,000 that I needed for my, you know, to pay for that semester. I was able to collect that money and, boy, if I tell you, when I look at myself, I look at my degrees, and I'm proud of myself. I don't know, you can say whatever that you want to say, but I'm proud of myself because I know the storms that I braved to get them, and also homesickness and isolation.
Speaker 2:Homesickness is, let's say that I said, oh, dr H, let's go to the mall. Oh, no, I'm not going outside. And you stay home. You don't want to go outside to meet people. You always believe that, oh that too much people at the at the mall, too much people at the party, too much people at the at the park. You isolate yourself from other people, and now you also isolate yourself from opportunity. Once you're doing that, you isolate yourself from opportunity. So now let's move to best practices for immigrant integration.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we're going to have to wrap up too. I think that's the end of it. Oh, that's the end of it, okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so best practices for immigrant integration. So you know language training, like we said before, cultural orientation, job training and placement, mentorship and body system. Like you always need someone, you always need someone to guide you because you just got here, you don't even know how to take a bus, how to get on a train or something, how to buy a metro card. It's a training, it's a training.
Speaker 1:It's a training. You know that's why they call it integration. Integration Because you are being integrated into something new and you mentioned the MetroCard.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So it's like you don't know how to get there. It's a process.
Speaker 1:Wherever you came from, they didn't have probably the same system.
Speaker 2:This system in your country.
Speaker 1:In this country.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you have even laundry.
Speaker 2:Doing laundry.
Speaker 1:Even doing laundry.
Speaker 2:Exactly, you need to learn how to do laundry. You know Laundry.
Speaker 1:If I tell you, until today, I still don't know how to do laundry.
Speaker 2:Because you pay. You pay somebody to do it.
Speaker 1:I just dropped off and I got comfortable, Because by the time you know so, the first time I went and they were trying to teach me and I'm like, bear in mind, I had three jobs plus being a full-time student I didn't have time to stay at the laundry room. I just paid the $20. But it was cheap too. That's why.
Speaker 1:I was able to do it. But it's skills, because there are people who have been in this country for a while don't know how to do laundry, don't know how to take the bus, don't know how to take the train and all of this. So it's like you need orientation to kind of like to fully integrate into this culture. It's like the weather, you know wherever that you know exactly what to wear yeah, for those who came from you know like the AA culture, with the same class as here so, hey, more power to you.
Speaker 1:But for those who came from a country like mine, tropical back home it's summertime.
Speaker 2:We have only one, it's summertime, throughout the year.
Speaker 1:So when you came to this country, so now you have to kind of learn how to dress properly To different culture.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and access to health care and social services. So that also you need somebody to help you with that. You need someone to take you to that agency, to take you to this agency and also help you to know how to apply for services, apply for those type of benefits, because you you don't get used to not only the language, also the cyber form. So and also some of them, they actually do them online. If you don't know how to do it online, it's another problem because you don't get used to English and the computer. Now you have two problems.
Speaker 1:So but you know one thing. You know for those who may be computer illiterate I don't know for other states, I'm only speaking for New York the public libraries, they offer computer classes for free. Yeah, you know, and Take advantage of it. And even you know some information that you may not know. You don't need to be a church member. That's one thing. That's one beautiful thing about church. You don't need to be a member of that church?
Speaker 2:No, you don't have to.
Speaker 1:The minute that you step in, they embrace you and whatever information that you need they may not be of assistance to you at that moment, but they will guide you to the right place. Use the church next to you. Even the present. There are some things that you may need. Don't be afraid because the cops will not. Are some things that you may need. Don't be afraid because the cops will not just look at you and shoot you.
Speaker 1:No, when I used to live, you know, in the city, I needed information. I nicely enter a police station and I'm like oh, officer, how are you? I need this and that. And you know the the good thing, the minute that I opened my mouth and they heard my broken english, they knew that I needed help, you know, and they were. And they were, you know, and they made themselves available to be of assistance to me. So we have a lot of resources around, you know. So it's like, you know. Use one another, you know. Don't make it like you too big or you too, you too low or you too no. Use one another, use the people around you.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying if somebody is trying to make you feel less than you're supposed to be, to stick around, just because you, you have need for certain things. No, I'm not saying that if you go. You know somebody is trying to put you down. You know call it a day, but at the end of the day they are. Help available. Look for them. You come to this country, know that you are an immigrant and as immigrant, you came to this country for better opportunity. Work hard, you know to succeed, because if you work hard enough, trust me you will make it so, Mr V.
Speaker 1:It's a pleasure, you know, in every good thing, there must be an end.
Speaker 2:And that's the end to our show.
Speaker 1:But before we even leave, I want to leave people with two or three resources. We have the International Organization for Migration Check them online, see what they have to offer. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees check them online, see what they have to offer. And the last one is National Immigration Forum Check their website and see what they have available. So, mr Lawson, I know you forever now, so thank you for coming. I really appreciate it. You look good. Stay blessed.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker 1:It was with you, Dr Beatrice Ippolit, with your world.