Immigration - From Iran to the U.S.
- Orin Zahraimasihi
- Glendale
- IRAN, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF, july -19-1996
- 17
On July 20, 1991 my Mother, Katrina gave birth to my parents first child, me. I was born in the Capital of Iran, Tehran where most of my cousins and relatives lived for years. My mom and Dad were both born and raised in Iran, Tehran where they both finished high school and got married wanting to start a family.
My grandparents escaped Armenia at a young age to come to Iran hoping for a better life. Once they moved to Iran, they had six children. My mother, the last of six, got married to my Father and gave birth to me. After the Revolution was over in Iran, life was hard. There was no freedom and no opportunities. My parents always dreamed of owning there own business and home, they wanted to be free and not be told what to do.
When i was about two years old, my parents decided to move to America for a better life with more opportunities for me to grow up and become succesfull and independent. We became refugees to come to America. We moved to Germany to find a way to move to America. In Weilburg, Germany we lived there for two years in different areas. There, i enrolled in preschool where i learned how to communicate with other German kids around my neighborhood. After one year, my mother became pregnant.
After two years of residency we were accepted into the United States. We packed our bags and flew to Burbank California where a few of my relatives lived. A month after we arrived in the U.S. my Mother gave birth to my sister, Pauline. After a few years my Father saved up $80,000 and opened up his first restaurant with my uncle. Unfortunately it was not successful so they closed it down, after working for my uncle for about 5 years, he opened up another restaurant. It became successful so he expanded it into a catering business. After my mother realized her children where old enough, she went to school where she received her A.S. degree, then her Bachelor degree. She found a well paying job, after a few years she took her job home and started doing everything from home.
We bought our first home in 2004 and another condo in 2006. We sponsored both my Grandparents, they came to America and moved into our condo. In 2007 my Grandpa, Arshak Navasartian passed away. After his loss, my grandmother moved into our home in Glendale where she lives today. In the last two years, my parents have made there dreams come true and have decided to permanently live here forever. My family and i became citizens and my parents took place in the 2008 elections. My parents went through a lot of change and gave up a lot to bring me and my sister to America for a better life and more opportunity for a greater future. They where always there for me from thick to thin, they always supported me and never gave up on me.