“This Whole Journey Shaped Me into Who I Am and Who I’m Supposed to be”

Story #17

Interview conducted & story written by Lara Werneck

“I remember being scared of the unknown, because I didn’t understand what was about to happen. All I knew was that we were going to meet with my dad and be reunited again.”

At the age of 6, Paula, together with her mother and older sister, migrated from Itanhomi, a small town in the southeast of Brazil to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Despite her fear of what was to come, she was thrilled to meet with her father once again. She shared that he “came to the U.S. in 1998 because he saw the opportunities that were available” for their family here.

As the only Portuguese speaking student in her ESL class, Paula described how at first transitioning to school life in the U.S. was “a scary process.” She elaborated on her challenges by mentioning how she had to “roll with the punches without helpful technology such as google translate which didn’t exist at the time.” 

“The lack of knowledge and ignorance from other people” who looked at her as “a foreigner speaking an unknown language” is what shocked Paula soon after she arrived in the U.S.. She specifically recalls a time where she “got a letter sent home from school asking if she along with her sister needed clothes donation because their attire was deemed as inappropriate by administrators.” She explained that “it was simply the clothes that people wear in Brazil” and a custom “that can be found in pictures and other forms of media showcasing Brazilian culture.”

As she grew older, Paula gained the confidence to educate those around her, starting with her classmates and friends by doing things like “teaching them different words in Portuguese and responding to their questions about her Brazilian food by allowing them to taste a bite of it!”

“I used the fact that I am not an American to push my way through”, said Paula when describing how she found her inner strength. She elaborates on how she “always used [her] languages to [her] advantage” and “has never been afraid to tell [her] story as a DACA recipient.” Her bravery has paved the way for her career as a Victim Services Coordinator for the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance.

The community support that their family had was something that Paula still cherishes to this day, as she recalls that “there was a huge fruit basket which family friends had dropped off for them as soon as they arrived at their home from the airport.” Additionally, she reflects on the tremendous help that her dad received from “friends and family” in Plymouth who he “knew from Brazil.”

When asked about her greatest sources of joy, Paula answered with the words “my sister” in a heartbeat. With tears in her eyes, she proudly proclaimed that Karla, her older sister, “has always been the go-getter and a hard worker, always inspiring [her] and showing [her] that [she] can do whatever [she] puts her mind to.” She continued to appreciate her sister's support by stating that she has been “her rock” and that if “[she] didn’t have Karla that [she] doesn’t know if [she] would have been able to do all that [she] has accomplished thus far.” 

Paula also described how her “parents always worked hard day and night” and were also a motivating factor. She’s “very thankful that they decided to come and pursue the American dream as now they are each pursuing their own.” Paula states that “it may not be the white picket fence like the actual American Dream but that it’s [their] own special version of it.  A version that is much better than the reality they would be facing if they had stayed in Brazil.”

Despite all the challenges she faced, Paula stated that she “wouldn’t want it any other way.” To those who are new to the U.S.. She encourages them to “be prepared for the tough times but also be prepared for the reward.” She continues to give her advice by saying that “the U.S. is the land of opportunity, where you can literally do what you want if you work hard.”

“Everything I am today, I wouldn’t have become if I was still in Brazil”, Paula states as she looks back at how far she has come. “Here I was able to get everything I wanted, I graduated college, and bought my own house all at 26 years old”, a life that she didn’t even think was possible before migrating to the U.S.. 

“This whole journey shaped me into who I am and who I’m supposed to be”, Paula shared proudly.