Our Stories of Hope series is back for another installment and we are excited to share the story of one of our clients, Trevor, who is originally from Jamaica. This series aims to spotlight the real lives and faces of immigrants in the U.S., and we hope you enjoy learning about Trevor and his immigration journey.
Life in Jamaica
Originally from Jamaica, Trevor spent his childhood moving around due to poor living conditions, eventually settling in Spanish Town, Jamaica to raise a family. It was a childhood full of lovely memories. When asked what he cherishes most about his time in Jamaica, he thinks about his time in the scouts. “We would go on camping trips. We’d walk 10 miles and learn different stuff like cooking food in the dirt and boiling an egg inside a grapefruit. I also played in a marching band where I used to be the drum player. That was my favorite.”
Growing up, his life revolved around supporting his family: “I used to help my mom a lot. She would make stuff and I would go to the market to help sell it.” It was a lot of work to support the family and everyone pitched in where needed.
Eventually, he started doing security work, as well as cooking. Trevor spent his time in the great outdoors of Jamaica, catching and cooking fish. At one point, Trevor’s coworker noticed a spark in Trevor and told him: “Why don’t you go to a catering school?”
That’s when Trevor’s path started to go in a different direction. He signed up for classes and went six days a week. It was hard work, balancing his job with school, but he had a dream and wanted to make it work. After graduating, Trevor started a career in hospitality. With his new skillset, he was offered the opportunity to work at a hotel in England, which became his first taste of life abroad.
Even as a child, Trevor knew he was destined to leave the nest to see the world. “I was always saying to myself, you know, I’m gonna go places. I’m gonna travel. We lived in a tough neighborhood but eventually, I migrated to the United States.”
Coming to the United States
Eventually, in 2000, Trevor decided to make the move to the United States through a formwork proxy gram, which he describes as “one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
Although coming from England, it was still a bit of an adjustment making the big move. “When I first came to the U.S. it was different from England. I was just thinking to myself ‘I’m going to make a difference, I have to make a difference.’ There’s little you can do, especially when you make the decision that you’re not going to go back to your country and you don’t have your papers.” Originally, Trevor received one offer “to go on a ship to work and one was to come to the States. I didn’t like the water too much, so I came here.”
At first, Trevor would “commute” “back and forth, taking care of six children and my wife at the time,” working in the U.S. and traveling back home to Jamaica. “It wasn’t easy, but this is the Land of Opportunities.” However, once the [economic] depression hit home, there were no more jobs available. Suddenly, Trevor had to consider his options. “I had to take care of six children and there were no jobs, so I had to make a decision just to stay [in the U.S] because there’s nowhere in the world like America, the land of opportunity.”
Deciding to build a new life for himself here in the U.S., Trevor looked for a wide range of jobs to provide for his family back home. He first made the move to Michigan, working at Wendy’s in Petoskey. “I started to work whatever work I get, whether it be painting, construction, whatever I got to do.” But even with multiple jobs, the low wages made it hard to build a stable life. Thankfully, “God opened a door for me in Colorado. I moved there, and the company petitioned for me to come work at a ski resort.”
With this new opportunity, Trevor knew he had to put in the work. “I worked hard and got Employee of the Month for both the resort and the city of Breckenridge. I was even in the newspaper, recommended by tourists for the experience they had with me. I made people feel welcome, thanks to the customer service skills I learned working with my mother in Jamaica’s markets.” His hard work was paying off, so the company even petitioned Trevor, meaning he could work there regularly and remain in status. Although it was seasonal, Trevor’s dedication made a great impression and the ski resort continued to hire him back. Trevor then knew that he had to pay this luck forward: “Through my work, I was able to help others from Jamaica find jobs too.”
During his time in Colorado, Trevor was also able to experience one of his most cherished memories. While working there in the summer, he and a group of friends went whitewater rafting on the Colorado River. “I’d never seen hot water running out of a rock. We went down the river on a ride and at the end, all I did was just push my hands in there and feel the water coming out of the rock, that was a great experience. I also got to see the bald eagle… in the wild sitting on a piece of tree—it was awesome.”
Eventually, his visa expired and his time at the ski resort had to come to an end. So, Trevor made another move, this time to South Carolina, to start working as a landscaper. It was quite the adjustment from the cooler Midwest: “I didn’t think my body could handle the heat—110 degrees working outside, then riding my bike to the pizza place, where it was 3,000 degrees in the kitchen.” But, even so, Trevor said he was glad to make the move. “I’m glad I came to South Carolina because the cold was kind of getting to me in a sense too. I’ve experienced 48 below zero and I’m liking the weather here much more.”
When reflecting on his experience of moving to the U.S. and leaving his life behind in Jamaica, Trevor focused most on the sacrifice. “You leave everything behind. You had to start over again because you made that decision; it was a sacrificial decision. Most people don’t understand that. That’s why I tell them it’s good to travel, to know what life is like in other countries.” As many immigrants know, the decision to leave your home country is not one made lightly, even if those in your new country do not understand. “In the U.S., we are rich. It’s not like in Jamaica. After graduating from catering school, I was making $100 USD a week. Who can survive on that? I had to fast, no food, no water. That’s how I was able to afford my travels and get my ESTA to come here. I’ll tell you, it was a journey. The process you have to go through each time, it’s a sacrificial thing—having to move so much, not being in your home country, and leaving your family behind.”
Finding American Love
Once he moved to South Carolina, Trevor wanted to settle down. Through a stroke of luck, he soon met a woman who’d end up being his new wife. “One day, a friend invited me to his wife’s birthday party, and I met a woman there. I had been on my own for a while and thought it was time to meet someone.” With trying to balance his multiple jobs and providing for his kids back home, “We didn’t communicate for a week, but my friend encouraged me to call her back.” With his friend’s motivation, Trevor made the first move. This was the start of a loving new relationship, where they went on to spend more time together, traveling, cooking, and watching movies together. “That’s how it started, and I thank God for her.”
With his new-found love, Trevor had a stable way forward to his new life here. His sister Rose told him about a good immigration attorney she’d found online who was helping her with her own immigration journey and recommended he reach out to them. That attorney was Tracie! Although hesitant at first, “I saw what she did for Rose and I said ‘Man, that’s going to be my lawyer.’” He felt comfortable trusting Hope Immigration with his future to build a secure and stable life here in the U.S. “I realized how passionate she was about what she is doing.” Thinking about the complicated process of gaining permanent residence through his new marriage was overwhelming, but Tracie is “always willing to help.”
Becoming a US Citizen
When it came time for Trevor to apply for citizenship, Tracie was able to guide him through the process and help gather exactly what USCIS wanted in order to approve his case. However, when Trevor was issued his Oath Ceremony notice, he continued to face challenges. “When I got the letter, I couldn’t swear in… because my sister died. I had to write and tell them about it and send pictures to let them know that if I come to swear in, I’ll miss my sister’s funeral.”
Thankfully, USCIS was understanding and rescheduled the ceremony for after his return. “When I came back it was a painful and joyous moment. I got the swearing, finally, and I was there, trying to recuperate again.” Trevor remembers how he felt an overwhelming sense of hope at his ceremony, surrounded by all those who had made journeys similar to his. “I was observing everybody, a lot of people were there. I was seeing some from all different countries all over the world.”
However, Trevor did not remain in the U.S. for long as “a month after my sister died, my mother died.” Quickly trying to obtain an American passport in order to travel legally, Trevor made his way to Miami for an express passport. “I did that with all that struggle. I went there and I got an express passport to go down to Jamaica to get things prepared for my mother’s burial. I spent close to a month there before I came back up.”
Calling America Home
When asked if he feels at home and like he belongs here, Trevor was quick to answer. “Oh yes, I felt like I belonged here, especially when I got my citizenship. When I buried my mom and I was coming back as a United States citizen in the passport line on one side with all the other people on the other side, I felt it. I was like, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I felt good.”
Thinking back on his journey from leaving Jamaica to becoming a citizen, he notes how he felt a weight being lifted. “I’ve been through a lot, especially because I am not from here, as a person from Jamaica. In America, you will go through racism as a Black person, but you suffer twice. You suffer because of racism and because of your nationality. People would not like you because you are Black but also because you are from Jamaica.” But gaining his citizenship shifted that for Trevor. “After I became a citizen, I felt that difference. Not only that I was feeling good, even when I had my two-year and my 10-year Green Card, but citizenship is an even better feeling. I can work honestly, I can make a conscious effort, a difference, not because of where I’m from, but who I am and what I can contribute to making this world a better place.”
Community and Immigrants
When asked what message Trevor wants to share with the community about immigrants, he had an insightful answer.
“I wish the community would not be judgmental of anyone, especially immigrants, before knowing them. There’s good and bad in everything, and just because someone is an immigrant, [it] does not mean they are dangerous. Immigrants come from other countries to take care of their families, trying to work and do something better. We have to show love to one another because if people are banished because of a lack of knowledge, a nation divided by itself must fall. If we sow in love, we’re going to reap in love. And if we sow in hate, we’re going to reap in hate. Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you. That’s what I would say to the community about immigrants.”