Colombian Journey #Amilikey

 

   

Hola Amigos mios mas o menos!!! So, I am going beyond the usual story telling of personal bios and diving into more general overall perspectives and topics. I know it's hard not to talk about my own experiences and how I have dealt with so many different things, but I guess it's also good to talk about things I know about and have seen as a third party spectator. Everyone has a story to tell when it comes to race and their ethnicity, my personal journey is unique and overall I can talk about what I have seen and experienced as a Colombian- American. 

    Every immigrant that has left their native land to venture off to a better tomorrow here in America, has a unique journey to travel. Whether they had all the resources for the transition or they struggled like the majority who came with little to none sustenance. All have come to experience racism and discrimination of some kind. I was fortunate to start the transition process unwilfully by the age of just 4 and given my naive childlike mentality didn't realize what I was signing up for, for a lifetime. I had to endure the constant backlash of, "Why don't you speak English, you are in America?" Apart from having to deal with being a burn survivor, acclimating to a completely different culture on top of it was no breeze in the park. I recall hating having to go to school because I couldn't communicate with peers and the constant bullying from kids on my appearance didn't win me over either. As I got older, the language barrier started to crumble and I became an asset versus a liability. I became the help that so many around me needed and that has always given me such a heart-warming satisfaction. 

    To this day, I see my fellow Colombians suffer from the discrimination they receive for the very exact reasons I once struggled with and it hurts my heart. Just recently I had the opportunity to connect briefly with a native Colombian who has been in the states for less than a year for reasons that are out of his control. He was so happy to have me there assisting him in the hospital as I could and it also made me happy that I could make them feel a bit more welcomed. I throughout the years hear the same rhetoric about how Colombians are prone to drug dealing and being bandits. It is an unfortunate well-known fact that there is a large (if not the origin) production for all drug trafficking throughout the world in Colombia. Despite the horrifying drug dealings and corrupt politics that are directly tied to the drugs, Colombians have the same desire to be good citizens and carry on a normal happy life. We are hard working people that never give up on making good progress. In the past decade I would say the tourism has skyrocketed because it is a beautiful scenery to admire and delight in for all who come. 

    I discovered a Russian-German entrepreneur who currently resides in Colombia, he is named Dominic Wolf on social media. He has built his little empire promoting Colombia to the world and it makes me happy to see the great positive influence my country has had on outsiders like himself. He claims to be a real Colombian now and it's so endearing to see that he truly fell in love with Colombia and is doing something good to bring about change. I miss my country each and every day, but I know God's plans for my life had to be developed and nourished outside my native land. The sacrifice we make to live a life without being surrounded by the majority of our family is a high price to pay. During these holiday season, make the effort to connect with your loved ones, because there are many of us out here wishing we could just drive up to see them and that's not an actual possibility for us. 

    Fun fact to today's current day, I no longer struggle for the language, yet, somehow many people are surprised to find out I am Colombian and I do speak Spanish fluently. They say, "well you don't have an accent" and I am like, that doesn't take away from my origin and I am grateful to speak properly. Overall, Colombians have to overcome the same barriers other immigrants endure except with an added negative connotation to the mix. But believe me, Colombians want nothing more than to be seen for the good-quality people they are and that we don't want hand me downs but the opportunity to succeed through non-crime hard work. 

    I hope I gave enough insiders that don't necessarily talk alone about me and what I have lived. Feel free to comment, like, share and follow along for more. Anyways it's my favorite part moment.  “You are not a mistake, because God is perfect and He cannot make mistakes.” You are here for a reason and a purpose, so let Jesus show you the way. Thank you for your support and remember to view my YouTube videos using the best hashtag #️⃣ amilikey

Xoxoxoxoxoxo,

Ana :)