“Migration opens your vision of the world”

Story #16

Barbara Pederzoli & Luis Lample

Interviewed & Written by Noor Mchallah

Edited by Madeline Humphrey 

Barbara Pederzoli and Luis Lample met when they were just teenagers in Caracas, Venezuela, and eventually went on a journey of migration together. Barbara was born into an Italian family in Caracas and moved to Italy when she was three, then returned to Venezuela when she was nine years old. Luis was born to a Dominican father and Venezuelan mother in Caracas as well. Their lives in Venezuela eventually led them to a very fruitful migration journey. 

Barbara and Luis came to San Jose, California in 1996 to take a break from the conditions in Venezuela, in hopes that they could return once circumstances improved. They felt very unsafe in their home country, regularly looking behind them whenever they left their homes, and they were tired of having to be constantly aware of their environment. Leaving behind their family, friends, and lives, they went on to a fresh start – which they thought would only be short-term. “What we first thought would be a temporary break from Venezuela’s circumstances, became a new life for us both,” Luis said in an interview.

They chose to migrate to San Jose for several reasons. The first reason being Barbara received a scholarship for an Environmental Science Master’s Program at San Jose State University. She had noticed how environmental causes were taken more seriously in the United States, and she wanted to be able to pursue this passion of hers. As for Luis, he wanted to be close to Silicon Valley given his experience with computer science and desire to continue with it. However, what initially sounded like a great endeavor soon became unexpectedly difficult.

There were many changes that Barbara and Luis had to confront, and it took them a while to overcome them. “The difference in cultures between a Latin country like Italy and Venezuela where people are more inviting and close, and the United States where invitations are necessary, and people are much more distant was very shocking,” Barbara said in the interview. “Every street and neighborhood looked the same, the weather was too hot, and it was very frustrating.” 

Barbara and Luis left most of their things behind, bringing only necessities and valuables. Their first week in California evoked many emotions for Barbara, and she couldn’t help but miss home. Everything felt wrong: San Jose was too dispersed and empty with long distances in between places, as opposed to Caracas where everything is within close proximity. “I was worried about very basic things like where we were going to live and how we were going to make things work, but Luis assured me that we would figure things out,” Barbara said. Once Barbara started school, things began to look up. She was starting a routine, making friends, and things were falling into place. 

The couple saw this period of time in California as a “break,” in which they could breathe and live freely away from the situation in Venezuela. Unfortunately, the situation in Venezuela never improved, and once Chavez won the presidential election, their dream of going back was over. They recognized that they needed to continue their lives elsewhere, and ended up migrating to the United Kingdom, and then again back to the United States – finally residing and raising their child in Miami, Florida.  

Barbara and Luis said that migration changed them for the better, and if they could, they would do it all over again. Countries like the United States offer so many opportunities with different kinds of lifestyles, and the two wanted to take advantage of these opportunities, even though that wasn’t their original plan at the start of their migration journey. Barbara mentioned that, “coming from a country that is limited, like Venezuela, [it] opens your perspective to a whole new different way of thinking, acknowledging the values of other people, and appreciating them.” Luis then added, “you learn to grow and mature faster than anticipated because of the circumstances around you, which is uncomfortable at first, but very helpful when you look back at it.” 

When asked what their greatest sources of joy were, Barbara and Luis expressed gratitude towards living a safe life. Coming from a place where danger was more prevalent, they felt that peace was finally restored, as much as joy, once they left Venezuela. “I had always gone with the flow, having an open mind and seeking a safe, happy life, which is exactly what migrating gave me,” Luis said.

Barbara and Luis faced many challenges, yet persevered. Two determined individuals overcame and created a better life for themselves, and for their child. With Luis running his own hurricane shutter and hurricane proof window company and Barbara working as an architect in Florida, they have created a very successful life for themselves. Migration is a journey that provides individuals with opportunities that otherwise would be unattainable, and Barbara and Luis are very thankful for their experience with migration.