Navigating the difficulties of immigration with Colombian immigrant Scarlett Freyre

 

Written by Divya Ramesh

Scarlett Freyre immigrated to North Carolina in 1992 from Bogotá, Colombia — she was 20. Colombia’s long tryst with political instability prompted her father’s decision to send his daughter to the US. The decision was a difficult one for many reasons, especially considering that Freyre had to drop out of Bogotá’s Los Andes University where she was studying Marketing and Merchandising Textiles, and put her education on hold.

More than a decade after she arrived in the US, in 2003, Freyre moved to New York City, where she’s lived ever since. With a captivating smile and a positive attitude, she struggled, survived and succeeded in the fiercely competitive city. And though Freyre had to juggle several odd jobs in those initial years, she eventually got a break in the fashion business.

The vivacious 43-year-old, who used to play as a child in her father’s textile factory, works as Executive Sales Manager for JEEL Corp, a men’s clothing store near Times Square. Here, she discusses the challenges she faced upon immigrating to the States, her love of NYC’s libraries and bookshops, and her advice for new immigrants in New York.

 

What were the biggest challenges you faced when you moved to the US?

The language. It was very difficult for me to understand. What you learn and practice over there is not the same. I spoke English and people could understand me, but I always felt that I was saying something wrong.  The other problem I found was the perception that people had at that time of us Latinos or people from outside the country. They thought I lived in a village. People don’t understand that we also live in a cosmopolitan city. That we have universities. That we have a bus system.

 

Was it easy for you to get a visa to the US?

It wasn’t if we applied on our own. But my brother-in-law was in the military here. So he got a letter from his General and that is how I came.

 

Did you find the immigration bureaucracy difficult to handle?

It was not that difficult. It was just the wait. I came here as a tourist and I stayed. We didn’t know how it worked. I came in 1992, I had legal status until 1997 by extending my tourist visa. But after this, an extension was no longer a possibility. I was illegal for about 16 years.  Then Clinton’s Amnesty law of 2000 came out and my lawyer asked me to apply. Finally, I got the notification in 2014 that my case had been accepted and I got my green card in July 2015. The only obstacle was in the interview. In order to give the approval, the person that interviewed me asked me to prove that I was physically in this country in 2000. So I had to show receipts from 2000, fifteen years later.

 

What issues did you encounter as an undocumented immigrant?

Unfair wages. I was taken advantage of. The employer knew I was not going anywhere to look for a job with my education. And as I learned and improved with experience in the company, it became harder to look for a better job because companies that were willing to hire me required legal documents and status.

 

What kind of jobs did you take up when you first came here?

A laundromat — that was my first job. Then I was hired to sell car insurance. Then I was hired by a deli. Those were my first jobs.

 

As a woman immigrant, did you face any extra challenges?

Because I was a woman I was a few notches under. I heard things like “You are incapable.” The fashion business has been my whole life. So, I know now that I was completely capable.

 

What’s your opinion on Trump’s stance on undocumented immigration?

Trump is reflecting the fear, the anger of a segment of the American population that feels threatened by immigrants. But I want to add that since 1998 I got a taxpayer ID and have paid taxes since. And because I had to file as self-employed I did not receive any tax returns. Not a dime. So in that respect Trump and his followers are wrong. A majority of illegals pay their taxes.

 

What is the biggest difference between the US and Colombia?

Till recently in my country, the state and church were not separate. So we were governed by religion. And in Colombia, if you have money, you are somebody. If you are middle class, you are nothing. I hate that. It does not resonate with me. I believe in education. I believe in the expansion of your consciousness and finding satisfaction in whatever you do.

 

How often do you visit Colombia?

I never went back. My parents died many, many years ago. The only reason I am thinking to go to Colombia is for business purposes. The South American fashion industry is growing. And that is the only interest I would have in going to Colombia.

 

Are you part of the Colombian community in New York City?

No. That is just the way I am. I am very independent. I do not practice Catholicism. Kundalini, Tantra, Buddhism — that is my interest. And I read a lot. My favorite place is the Namaste Bookshop, and I can spend a whole day in Barnes and Noble at Union Square.

 

What got you interested in Buddhism and spirituality?

I got acquainted with Buddhism when I had a breakdown. Somebody gave me a book and as I read, it all made perfect sense to me. Spirituality changed me as a person through awareness and choice. And these two things have led me to compassion, affluence and my very personal version of success.

 

You said you read a lot. What is the one book you would recommend?

That is a very hard question to answer. I love all my books and I prize knowledge. But if I have to recommend one, I would go with Memories, Dreams, Reflections, which is a partially autobiographical book by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and an associate, Aniela Jaffé. He is one of the wisest men that has lived in western culture.

 

What do you think makes New York City special?

Diversity. And because of the diversity, the freedom that we have. You are free to be who you are and do what you want within certain limits. I should point out something: the big difference between the United States and New York City — it is two completely different universes. My experience with the rest of the United States has not been pleasant. People tend to be polite, but not very tolerant. When they hear the word Colombia, the first thing that pops into their head is drug lord Pablo Escobar and cocaine.

 

Do you have any advice to give to a new New York City immigrant?

New York is a very hard city. In the beginning it might look cruel to you, because to me it was. People that have made it here sometimes feel they have the right to put you down. The only advice I can give somebody is to be true to yourself and not try to satisfy anybody else but to satisfy your own personal goals and dreams. In the land of opportunities, if you have a goal in mind and if you are daring enough to go get it, you can get it.

 

Divya Ramesh was a Senior Editor at Oxford University Press, India. Currently, she is a graduate student of magazine journalism at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.