The Mills community is known for having an extremely diverse population, with people from a variety of different backgrounds and ethnicities coming together to make up the student body. This diversity exists in part because of the family members that left their lives in foreign countries to move to America, facing the hardships of immigration as they integrated into this new country. Many people from around the world have immigrated to the United States in search of a better life, to escape difficult circumstances, look for more opportunities, and many other reasons, each story varying from person to person. But one of the main motivators that pushes people to migrate, or make life changing decisions like these in general, is the hope of building a better future for themselves and future families, which applies to many of the parents of students at Mills.
Dan Cedric Delima‘s journey is an inspirational example of how immigrating opened doors to new possibilities for his family and children.
Dan Delima, father of sophomore Derek Delima, comes from a Filipino family that first moved to Tokyo, Japan, before immigrating over to the United States in 2012. He shared some of the major differences between Japan and America regarding security and transportation.
“It was a big change [leaving Tokyo]. Tokyo felt very safe and urban with everything accessible by train, [but] the Bay Area is a lot more diverse and a great place to raise kids, which is better in this regard.”
Delima mentioned what the immigration process was like. “We started with a Company Transfer visa for the first 5 years and a work visa for the next 3 and now on a green card,” he stated, explaining that he didn’t have to wait long due to the process being a company transfer, taking roughly a month to process the papers after deciding to move.
Delima expressed his emotions around the change, explaining how he and his family “appreciate the better work-life balance here compared to Tokyo,” as it “allowed us better family connections and a happier lifestyle overall.” Additionally, he also shared how career opportunities were more abundant after he moved, especially in the Bay Area, and how this was another thing he was grateful for. He finished, “When we compare our children’s lives to our own upbringing in the Philippines, seeing them enjoy free education and a wide variety of sports and activities – opportunities we didn’t have growing up – makes it clear that we chose the country that provides them a better environment for them to thrive.”
However, not everyone immigrates to the US solely for work and education. Some come over to the US for protection. Leonela Avendano, the mother of Chirs Torres (10), came to America to get her and her family out of the dangers of her country’s political persecution.
Avendano’s immigration journey was far from easy, as many of these stories are. “It was sad having to leave the people that we know and love and our culture behind and having to start again in a country with a completely different culture,” Avendano shared. “All of this [was] due to political situations that were completely out of our control, but with our trust in God, we were able to gather the necessary strengths to continue and never give up in the process.”
This Mills parent faced many difficulties in order to end up in the US, such as the challenges faced while obtaining a VISA and the hardships of leaving a country you called home. But Avendano was content with the decision, stating, “I’m glad [I came] to the US with my children. I think my kids have a better education now and are safer in this country. I think since they’re exposed to a different and safer environment [as they] grow up, they’ll have a different view of the world and have a different approach to things as they grow older and more mature.”
Soumitra Mishra, father of Kyra Mishra (10), shared his immigration story to the United States from India in 2003. He decided to move to America for “economic [opportunities] and a better education,” and described the immigration process as “very painful and long drawn,” as permanent residency took eight years.
As for emotions around the uprooting of his old life and moving to the states, Mishra shared, “Leaving India felt bittersweet. I was sad about leaving family behind, but excited about all the opportunities.” Mishra explained the satisfaction with his decision, stating, “I am very glad I came; my daughter [has] a better education and opportunities because I came here,” sharing how she was also able to have more economic security as well after moving.
It is clear that because of the sacrifices and struggles of parents, our students at Mills are able to live lives full of opportunities, safety, education, and more. Even though we aren’t able to fully understand the challenges they faced nor experience their hardships firsthand, it is important that we don’t overlook the perseverance, effort, and time it took our parents to create the best lives for us, their children, by moving to the United States. Our parents’ immigration journeys and sacrifices are the reasons many of us are where we are today.
