Carl Otis's Untold Story



The person I interviewed came from Jamaica during the early 80's from a small town in Jamaica called Kingston because his mother thought that they should have a better life and that her and her only child, the one I interviewed, named Carl. Carl was a young boy when his mother decided to take him to America. His mother thought that it would be a better opportunity to better herself and young Carl. And this is our interview.

What was the main reason or reasons that you decided to come to America ?

Oh wow there were a lot of reasons that I came to America. One reason was that my mother thought that it was a good idea to get me out of he slums and become something more hen just another kid who didn't amount I anything she wanted me to be something more to have and education and not end up just another person in jail or in the streets not doing anything with my life. Another reason she anted to move is because she always had the dream of going to America and starting new amd fresh. I always wondered if my mother thought about just being like maybe I should stay and be like nah.....hahaha she wouldn't do that. You know when people grow up and wanna be a singer? My mothers dream was to come and live her life in America. And what do you know she's living her dream how many people do you know that are living their dream......? Yeah not a lot right hahahaha.
I remember when my mom told me when I was 12 or 13 that were were moving to America in about a year or so I thought she was kidding until a month before we left she was like are you ready to move ? And I was like nah hahah. Alright. Little man next question.

What was your image of America.

My image of America was a positive one ya know? I didn't think that it would be as negative as it turned out to be as in the way I was treated during my older years but ya know it started off well I thought that it was good. The one I know for a fact that there are a lot of stereotypes aboutn America that are true. There are a ton of fat food places and a lot of heavier set people I'm not trying to be rude but its the truth hahaha. Alright little man next one.

Did America dur out to be better or worse then expected?

Turned out to be a a lot a better then I thought it would be ya know a little kid like me coming to America from a small town in Jamacia that a big and very scary change for a young kid to go through at that age. Most kids would be freaking out nah man not me I was embracing it and ready for every oppertunity that came at and so was my mother. Some of the harder thing too eat through was being able to adjust and drop everthing and start over like that a big thing to do for a mother and her 12 year old son. But over all it was pretty good I know I'm not complaining I know I have a better life here then I would be having in the streets of Jamacia.

Would you ever go back to your old country?

Yeah I think I would but I would never move back there I would only go there to vist I would definitely have a small house there to stay maybe a summer if I could but I can't because vi have my own life here that I cant miss out on the stuff going on right now is too important but I would go back and visit family members the only family that I have here are some cousins and my aunt and uncle that live here
but that's all.


If you had the choice to not come would you have still came ?

I most definitely would have came I knew being a young boy and thinking in this town I can never become anything more then a another kid on the streets not doing anything more then that I'm sure I would have had a job but nothing too serious I know that I wouldn't have gone to college like I did or anything to further myself like I did here ya know? I always think to myself that the decision that I made and my mother made for me was the best possible choice for me and her and I don't think I would rather have it any other way.

What were some flaws about America and coming ?

There weren't many flaws the biggest flaws were me having to leave everthing behind and start over but that wasn't like Americas fault ya know? Haha there isn't anything that they can do about it hahaha. They biggest flaw is when you Marist come is how the people treat you when you first get here that's a terrible the people are so rude and ignorant just because your an immigrant the people thnk they have the right to treat you differently like you are better then them it's truly terrible . I remember when we first got here with in like the first few months we had so many problems witht the other people living in our complex and them treating us differently because who we were now how was I a 13 year old boy able to know that you shouldn't treat people differently based on who they are but a grown man and woman aren't supposed too I mean that's just terrible. Ya know ? That's still a huge flaw that I still think is a problem today.

Was the decision to came her on the spot or was it planned ?

To me the decision to come was on the spot but for my mother she had been planning since she was my age when she moved but since I was young it all seemed to be happening so fast but for her I couldn't have been happening fast enough so it depending on who you would ask you would get a different answer but for me ya know it happened all so fast?

Are you happy here?

I would think that I am and that all things that I have been through that have given me all opportunities that I have gotten that I wouldn't have gotten in Jamaica so i would say that yes i am one of the happiest people you could ever meet. Because i got a chance that most others don’t.