This post I've been holding onto just because it makes me so angry my words get all muddled and stop making sense after awhile. They just become one long rant, which isn't very interesting to read- or to write. Time doesn't really make it easier however and so, after an incident with my favorite little brother, I've decided to try again.
It begins with
Article 13.
- (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
- (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Aside from issues of national security, the article focuses on the ability to leave an area or country and does nothing to ensure there will actually be a place to go. Because countries are completely free to limit who can enter. There are a range of requirements upon entering a country, based, it seems, on how 'desirable' it is to live there. The more desirable, the harder to get in. Impossible, in fact, if you happen to be born in one of the 'less desirable countries' and are hoping to exercise your right to movement and travel around a bit.3. The above-mentioned rights shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which are provided by law, are necessary to protect national security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others, and are consistent with the other rights recognized in the present Covenant.
Of course, the determination of which countries are more desirable, versus less, is calculated by cash- how much money do the people living there make? Is it enough to compel them to return. As if economics were the only way to determine satisfaction with life.
It may sound preposterous to some, but it is possible to live in a third world country and be completely enamored with your life. To have no desire to start completely over, leave everything behind and set up shop in a country which you don't even speak the language. I suppose this may be the stereotypical immigrant dream....but that's where stereotypical comes in. I would venture to say plenty of people value the work they can accomplish and the family they have created, the small steps toward their dreams over beginning anew with nothing. It is not an adventure for the faint of heart.
Not to mention the whole 'big fish small pond' syndrome. Many Congolese have reached a status here in the capital that they are not ready to give up. Being successful is not such a small thing, but when compared to heading off to the US for an ordinary life of merely scraping by......there's really no comparing. They are practically stars here- validated for the time and effort and talent they give. I'm sure I am rambling here....but I really haven't witnessed anywhere else the kind of patriotism I see in Congolese artists. They want to stay.
They give their time freely, invest their own money for costumes and uniforms for their students, and volunteer to teach the youth of their neighborhood in order to instill a sense of pride and personal value. They do it because they are committed to their art and to their country. And they don't aspire to live in France or the US, though they may like to broaden their horizons by experiencing the world.
Try explaining all of that to the consular.
I imagine conversations begin casually, as did mine. With a feeling of gratitude and generosity. A feeling of wanting to reciprocate the goodwill that has been offered to you by inviting someone to your home country. But if you happen to be American, you need to pick your friends carefully. Because not everyone can visit the US.
I plan to be traveling to the US in late July and thought it would be a much better trip if I had a friend to accompany me. We followed all the rules and regulations outlined by the embassy. We collected all the paperwork (including two work contracts, examples of events organized for the benefit of children and students living here in Kinshasa and proof of family ties.) Visa applicants must conduct their interview alone and so I am told it went fairly quickly. All the papers were presented and the interviewing officer said, "Thank you, sorry you haven't proven beyond doubt that you will return" and handed a pre-printed form letter outlining the denial. Except it didn't really provide any specific information, just that he wasn't convinced.
The US Embassy clearly states that the burden of convincing the consular you will return rests solely with the applicant. But it seems very apparent the only thing they are looking for is a lot of cash in the bank. Which kind of seems contradictory to me because if you have a lot of money, you are more likely to be able to set up shop in a new country. I understand the concern isn't so much staying in the US, but rather it's about not becoming dependent on the state to support you.
The whole process is simply frustrating, however, when you think you've gathered all the required documents (did I mention the 2 work contracts for the coming school year? Actual jobs that pay well above what the average Congolese is earning...) only to be told it's not enough.
Of course, I am too well acquainted with the other side of immigration. The desperate immigrant who only wants to find a way out of his trappings and into what he believes will be an easy, carefree life paved with gold. My little brother falls into this category I believe.
Just yesterday he showed me a link to this site which advertises a public health conference in Canada. It has all the signs of a very fake site, a scam to lure in hungry people who will part with their money in hopes of a dream. The site suggests that by paying $395 you can apply for the conference, and shortly after receiving the money, the regional director (located in Benin) will send you everything you need to gain a visa, plane ticket, lodging and entrance to Canada. I know my sweet brother isn't remotely interested in public health, AIDS prevention or other causes humanitaire (he's got only soccer on the brain) but he is clinging to the hope that flying off to another country will be, not only possible, but the answer to his drifting life.
Another source of endless frustration for me, trying to guide and counsel him into making decisions that will lead somewhere. I guess this is not so different from what many parents go through as their teenagers turn into young adults and begin to make their way in the world. Except in this case, choices are severely limited. And it's not really about following your heart's desire, but about finding something you can do that will bring in some money and may be pleasurable too.
Ousmane hasn't really arrived at that point yet. He is young, single and dreaming of professional soccer. But it does remind me of my own youth, working in a restaurant and feeling frustrated at my inability to arrive at the life of my dreams. I had asked one of the dishwasher/general cleaners (who eventually worked his way up to line cook and occasional daytime head chef) if he was happy with his job. I have never forgotten his quizzical look. Happy? As if such an emotion could be all tangled up in the pursuit of supporting his family- which he did. Our restaurant legend had it that he and his older brother had walked from El Salvador and somehow ended up in our northern New York bistro. He might have been all of 15 at the time I knew him and he was certainly proud of every moment he worked. Yes, he finally said, he was happy to have a job even if it was in a country he didn't know, a language he didn't speak and hours that never seemed to end. It allowed him the chance to send money home and be a provider for his mother. That's the part that made him happy, nothing to do really with washing the dishes or cleaning up tables.
And so I feel I have seen all sides of the immigrant dream. Those who aspire to flee their home country and work tirelessly to provide for their family back home, those who find themselves by happenstance in a new place, decide to stay and make a meager go of it and those who never really arrive at finding the dream ( who then find themselves "stuck" unable to admit defeat to their friends and family back home and unable to move forward in their new lives.) BBC has an entire series devoted to the subject.
None of it is helpful to Ousmane, who most often laughs when I try to explain the realities. He doesn't believe me at all and wants only to experience for himself the wider world. None of it is helpful to my friend, who truly does want to stay in his country but only hoped to travel a bit, experience the best Miami has to offer in salsa dancing, and return all the more enriched and in love with his culture (which seems heavily infused with Latin rhythms, movements and fashions. Not sure how that all managed to get over here via Belgium, but there definitely seems to be a sister element linking Kinshasa with Latin America.)
For now, we're all staying put- having been denied in one form or another our right to freedom of travel.
