Meet Jefferson, a Haitian immigrant who decided on July 4, 2015 to come to Boston because his life was at risk.
But his journey has not been easy. In Haiti he employed his two master’s degrees for the country’s Interior Ministry:“I [advised the prime minister’s office] on immigrant rights, immigration. If someone wanted to open an orphanage in Haiti, they had to see me in person, and I would talk with them and give advice, that was my job.”However, Jefferson’s safety was at risk in Port-au-Prince:“In Haiti, to be honest, so many bad things happened to me. At the time, I thought maybe if I stayed in this country, I would be dead one day. I remember I was attacked twice, and I said, well, I don’t think I should stay.” When he arrived in Boston the only job he could find was working nights as a security guard.
“My English was not okay. I remember even if there was a shift in the morning, the manager told me that because of my English I had to work overnight because people would not be able to understand me.”
Jefferson knew he needed to learn English if he wanted a better life.“That was the reason I went to EDG [Educational Development Group for English classes]. I went over there, and after six months I would say that I was able to have a conversation with real everyday English speakers.”
“I go to Bunker Hill for liberal arts, but I’m trying to see if I can enroll in the nursing program. I don’t know because they said it’s very challenging. I said to my advisor that I’m not even afraid. If it’s challenging, it’s better.”
As of 2018, Jefferson was working as a human rights officer in the state’s Department of Developmental Services where he advocates for people with developmental disabilities and their families. He also attends classes at Bunker Hill Community College.
“The first thing I would tell other immigrants is that you cannot just live in this country if you don’t know English. That’s the only thing that will take you to a higher place,” said Jefferson.
