Israel Gomez Estrada, like thousands of other Cubans and millions more immigrants from around the world, left his home and family in search of a better life in the US. Now he is legally settled in Grand Island, Nebraska — a small city with a population of 50,000, and one Cuban restaurant. Tornadoes are frequent and winters can be harsh.
“Some of my friends have suggested that I move to another state, but I’m not leaving,” Gomez Estrada, 46, told AFP recently. In March, he received a coveted green card, entitling him to work. Cubans can apply for one just a year after setting foot on American soil, while other immigrants must typically wait years before they can do so.
Despite difficulty with English, he quickly found a job in a food processing plant. He hopes to soon be joined by his wife and children. Immigrants come to America, “with the aim of succeeding, and with a dream,” he said.
“For us, it’s not difficult, because we know how to work hard.” Nebraska is short of labour, so immigration is a solution for employers. Before taking the plunge, Gomez Estrada said he had consulted online job offers from Cuba and spotted “lots of opportunities.
” “I decided to leave my country, my family, a very difficult situation, because my father has a prostate condition and the medicine doesn’t exist in my country,” he said. Gomez Estrada flicked through pictures on his phone to show his parents, his wife, his teenage children, and the parties he has missed sinc.