BlindedIrony:
Ehmmm... Let me clear some misconception about the US that some people who have never been there believe. First thing first:
1) The number of homeless people in America is ACTUALLY 552,280, not 50 million like an idiot here mentioned earlier. This is exactly the data on whitehouse.gov. These data are accurate (unlike the numbers our Nigerian politicians throw around). American employment, social, disabled and other social data are gotten from social security and other records. An example goes like this: Say the American population is 350 million (twice Nigerian population, yet one of its 50 states called Texas is bigger than Nigeria), and one person gets a job, sick or disabled, the government track this because it is the only way people are helped. So there you go, folks, 552280 homeless people out of 327 million population. Not bad at all, right?! I was impressed too, so I took classes during my college years on how it happened to fully understand it.
2) There are so many jobs opportunities that they are constantly allowing hundreds of thousands of people into their country to fill the job vacancies. If you know anyone that moves to the US and he or she has problems finding a job, that is because they came with a visitor's visa. So, they overstayed and they wouldn't go back. You can't get a job (white or black) without a social security number (SSN). So, the jobless Nigerians you know here probably came with student visas or visitors. That's illegal when they try to work; when they do, it is probably shitty jobs like car washes where they are paid under the table (no tax). When they are discovered, they get in trouble along with the company that employed them. However, the Nigerians who came through the legal way- immigration visas are ALWAYS GAINFULLY employed. I have not met the so-called jobless Nigerians here, and I am yet to see one looking for a job. I know hundreds of Nigerians- all educated professionals or students.
3) There is NO SUCH THING AS OPEN DISCRIMINATION. This is not the pre-1960s. There is subtle racism or bias, but it is individuals. Mostly, few uneducated whites; not just afew whites, other races have afew people with bias and racism (Y'all have seen the videos). Americans revered industrious, educated and socially people. As long as you are these, Americans will LOVE THE SHIT OUT OF YOU. My first job here, my boss fired a co-worker (white) because he gossiped about my accent and African background. In college, I had many of the San Antonio College smartest students who adorned me because they taught I was smarter than them. God knows we were all in the same shoes. All my professors liked my Nigerian heritage. It got to the point where I got a scholarship (he was not qualified for) and a campus job for a warri student on student visa. I just talked to my history professor about the student's academic performance, and the professor was very eager to meet him. After a conversation to ascertain the young man's character, the professor was impressed. My warri friend got the scholarship. The campus job was later in his second year.
4)Most Americans have more than $1000 in their accounts, not less than $1000 like someone said here. I will tell you why. Most Americans have very good paying jobs. The population has very poor people in their midst, but most of these poor people are not like the poor people of the third world societies- they are trained technicians (some- not all). They can afford cars, meals and other necessities just like the rich and the middle class can afford. The only difference is that they can afford the cheap versions or small versions. In fact, there is an American joke that the poor can afford exactly the same things as the rich, just the smaller version. Example: A toyota corolla vs. a Mercedes benz. Understand?
Let me explain better. America has society classes (also called tax or income bracket): Upper class ($1,000,000 and above annual income), Upper Middle class ($80,000 to about $900,000 annual income), lower middle class ($30,000 to $70,000 annual income), lower class ($8,000 to $29,000) and poor (less than $8,000). The latter and former are usually confused, but they are not the same. Majority of Americans are middle class. They save a lot of money too. The reason why some may have less than $1000 in their account is because they have IRAs or other variety of retirement funds. When you have a job here, you set up a retirement fund where you contribute a TINY portion of their wages. The TINY portion is invested in stocks, mutual funds, trusts, and other financial packages. 64.8% of Americans own a house! Google it. That's 209,280,000 homeowners out of its 327,000,000 million people. I know people paint America as bad, but you have to be here to see for yourself.
5) Some said Chicago is bad. Well, it has a crime rate slightly higher than other cities in the US but not like the bad you see on movies. Every city has a low income side aka ghetto. However, the funny part is this low income part looks like the best developed part of Nigeria  . The only difference is that the crime rate is high and it is the low income part of town. They still have electricity and social amenities like the rest of the city. The difference is that it is the low income part of town lol You won't even know until someone tells you, and also perhaps the cheap-looking houses.
Well... I guess that completes it. This is the only country I know where citizens of the most developed nations are trying to get into. Germans, Japaneses, English, French and so on lol I can tell you this because I saw many of them when I went in to swear on citizenship ceremony. People keep saying Nigeria is not bad, but you don't know how Nigeria is until you move out of it. I had PTSD for afew years after I moved here because the only thing separating my house from my street is just an inch of glass. My Nigerian mentality kept thinking armed robbers were going to break in. This is my 6th year, and I still take 1am or 2am walk when I can't sleep at night. That's how secure the country is.
Also, in case of fire or emergency, it takes 4 mins for firemen or police to come to you. It CANNOT exceed 4 mins. It is the same anywhere in the US. Oh! Before I forgot, I made $11.25 per hour in my first year as a new immigrant with no friends or family. After tax, I brought home about $25,000. And it was a shitty job lol all I did then in 2014 was greet people from 9am to 5pm with 3 breaks! Pay was biweekly, twice a month plus federal law says no one can work 40 hours per week or else, the company will pay you your regular wage + half your wage per hour (back in 2014: $11.25 + $5.63 per hour). IMAGINE WHAT IT IS NOW AS A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL! You still think we regret leaving Nigeria??
What is there to miss in Nigeria? The Nigerian people are here- the restaurant (the better version), culture and cultural festivals. If we miss the culture too much, we come back home and flex , then go back home. Ever wonder why majority of American citizens (from all countries in the world never go back to live permanently in their native countries? Man abeg pack aside. Case closed. |
