My Relatives Immigration From Trinidad, West Indies

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My Relatives Immigration From Trinidad, West
Indies

• By Nicholas Brunson

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The Start

• It all started with my maternal grandfather and
  his new wife in the early 1960s. James Mc Phie
  and Undine Mc Phie came to the United States by
  way of New York City. Undine, who was a nurse and
  midwife was recruited by New York Hospital to
  become a full time Head nurse. There was a
  shortage of nurses in the 1960s so many large
  city hospitals went to other countries including
  the Caribbean islands to fill the vacant
  positions.

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Why they immigrated

• Undine was my grandfather's second wife. She
  got her nursing degree from England even though
  she was born in Trinidad. At first my grandfather
  did not want to come to America, but after he
  lost his job working for an American oil company
  in Trinidad, he decided that it was not such a
  bad idea.

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What they did when they immigrated

• The oil company he worked for was accused by the
  Trinidadian government of stealing all the
  profits and not giving the people a fair share.
  Granddad saw the offer to live in New York as a
  big blessing. He had heard that America was the
  Land of Milk and Honey. He was sure he could
  find a new job there. So he and Undine came to
  America. She worked at New York hospital and he
  became a master welder and worked for a major
  airline.

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My maternal Grandmother

• My maternal grandmother, Valerie Mac Leod, was
  still living in Trinidad with her three children
  when my grandfather immigrated to America. One of
  these children was my mother, Jennifer.

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• Picture of my mom with her family before the
  divorce.

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More Immigration

• My grandmother remarried a few years after my
  grandfather came to the United States and she had
  more children with her new husband. Her oldest
  daughter, Joy, always wanted to go to America to
  live with her dad (my granddad). She soon got her
  wish because my grandparents decided that there
  were more opportunities for education and jobs in
  the U.S. Grandma said that it was the hardest
  decision she ever made when she sent Joy,
  Jennifer (my mom), and my uncle Gary to live with
  their father (my granddad). My mom said she was
  very sad at first, but soon she learned to love
  her new home.

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A Whole New World

• My mother remembered how difficult it was at
  first to adjust to living in New York. She missed
  her mother and Trinidad, from the sunshine to the
  beaches, her friends and her mothers good
  cooking.

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Back to my Grandmother

• My grandmother migrated to America when her
  second husband died in 1983 in a car accident.
  She was only 47 years old. She came to work so
  she could take care of her children. Unemployment
  in Trinidad was high and it was very difficult
  for a 47 year old woman to find work. My
  grandmother moved back to Trinidad three years
  ago. She said she was older now and all her
  children were married so she wanted to go back to
  spending time with her old friends and her sister
  who still lived there.

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My mom and dad

• My father said he is glad that my mom came to
  America because if she hadnt then he would never
  have met her and would not have had me and my
  brother and sister. My mom said shes glad she
  came for the same reasons and that she loves
  this country for all the great opportunities and
  the wonderful people.

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Today

• We plan to visit Trinidad this Christmas. My
  grandma made my mom promise. This will be my
  first visit. I heard a lot about life there from
  my relatives and I cant wait to go