Life as a foreign national - lost in translation

THE old adage ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ isn’t always the case for immigrating families.

Zia Melda (not her real name) recalls the upheaval following her father’s decision to relocate her family as a child.

‘We were your typical Italian family with seven siblings. My father worked and my mother cleaned the house while looking after all the children,’ said Zia. ‘When we moved, life as I knew it changed. We had to learn how to speak English and adapt to living conditions. ‘Our family in Italy cut us off for the decision my father made. We were all alone in a new country, and not able to communicate in the mother tongue.’

She said it was an uphill battle trying to fit in at school: ‘I remember my teacher telling me to pull up my socks with my grades, so I literally bent over and pulled up my socks, as I did not understand what she was saying.’

However, over time the family adjusted, making friends and getting used to things that seemed so different at first.

‘In Italy, we lived on top of each other with small gardens, so living in a six-bedroom house with a huge garden took some getting used to,’ she said. ‘Over the years, my dad became successful and all of us were put through college and blessed with jobs.’

Time has given her perspective, and that one decision to move has made all the difference to herself and generations to come.

‘If we stayed in Italy, I would have married a different man and had different children,’ she said. ‘I would have experienced an entirely different lifestyle.’

Zia has since returned to Italy, re-connecting with family after her parents passed away.

‘As siblings, we make a concerted effort to get together at least twice a year, to keep that close family bond. Parents always want the best for their children and go out of their way to provide better futures, but these decisions have a lasting impact on those involved.’

I remember my teacher telling me to pull up my socks with my grades, so I literally bent over and pulled up my socks