Going back "home," how bad would it really be? - Page 2

I think that for many of us, the image of our country of origin is created by the media (the news, specifically) and society. There is no way for us to really know what it is like, because we have either forgotten or we simply do not remember at all.
I think that it is important to keep this in mind when considering the question of how bad would it really be. If we are to truly come up with an aswer to this, we must form our own image of the situation back home..because we simply cannot take somebody else's words for it.

I made a thread a while ago about how I'm most likely returning to my country of origin sometime next year. It hasn't been an easy journey to reach that decision - one just doesn't pack up the bags and say good bye. But I have found it helpful to do my own reasearch. I have talked to cousins living over there, people my age who are experiencing what I will encounter in a few month's time. I have talked to my childhood best friend. I have talked to my mother. She recently visited to Guatemela, by the way, and took pictures of the most incredible skies I have ever seen. I have gone online and looked at pictures. I have searched government websites and looked at the economic growth of the country, at its stability and have been amazed to see just how much it has improved in 8 short years.

I am not in denial. Latin American countries are poor countries, they are developing countries. But in my haste to truly discover where I came from, the one thing I have learned is that whoever wants to make it makes it. And they work damn hard at it. This, to me, doesn't differ much from the American Dream we idolize so much. Here, or there...you're gonna have to work your ass off to get anywhere. They many opportunities that are available will probably decrease if we go back, but there always trade-offs.

For me, the fundamental question was - Do I want to continue existing (simply existing) in a shiny country full of things I can't have, or do I want to be a human being in a not-so-shiny country with few opportunities I know I will take full advantage of?
It's all relative. I am not saying you should all go back, but I am just saying that this is a topic worth thinking through carefully before jumping to quick conclusions.
Truthfully, my biggest fear is that I will leave just as some sort of beneficial immigration reform is passed, but I've learned that I cannot control the world. You can only take chances. And at the end of the day, you win some and you lose some more.

Sorry for the rant. But I feel like maybe some of you would understand.

It does make sense and I agree some points of yours.

We live in the shiny country but what's the point when we cannot take full advantage of?

So when 2010(or maybe2011) DA doesn't pass, you may have to rethink that "is living like this really worth for another at least 2+ years for DA pass?"

I think somebody mentioned(dreamact09 I think) that she has set deadline for her. I sorta agree with that. Waiting for something that has kept failing for last 8 years might not be really worth. Wait till I become 50 years old living like a rag and still be desperate to pass DA? Think again. Maybe it may be worth going back and try to immigrate to different countries if the country of origin is very poor. I am sure there will be many chances to take advantage as a citizen there.

My deadline would be about August 2009. Could be extended or shortened. At least I am getting AA degree, which I know isn't useful at all but maybe I can start as junior in my native country and eventually immigrate to one of the countries of my dream. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have such a backup option.

I see that many people look at the worst aspects of their home countries either because they have not lived there long enough and go by what the media shows, or because maybe they came from poverty. I dont know.

i was raised in Peru til i was 12, so i remember alot from there. My life was awesome, my parents thankfully went to college and had careers so they were able to give me a good life. We only left because my parents wanted a "safe" economic future for me and my brother...ha...the irony. My dad left his job and all. Back then (aka before 9/11) getting legalized was a thousand times easier so they didnt count on being here illegally for this long.

Now we are almost sure that we might be going back to peru if a cIR doesnt pass by 2010. Im not willing to wait and waste my youth. If my parents made it in peru, so will I. I wont earn the big bucks people make here, i wont be able to easily afford a laptop or an ipod like we do here, but i will live a pleasant life im sure. And who knows, maybe someday when im older i will emigrate to Australia if things dont go smoothly.