Trapped

By Godfred Mensah, Lawrence Davis and Kofi Quaye

In the beginning, most immigrants from Third World countries look at immigration mainly as a trip to another country specifically for the purpose of pursuing higher education, seeking employment, or both, saving most of their earnings and returning to their native countries where they would enjoy a better life as a result of the funds they bring with them or the higher education and professional credentials they had gained overseas, that can get them better jobs in their native countries. But it doesnt always work out that way. Many get stuck in America, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world. They are trapped, never to return to their native countries. Ultimately, they have to deal with the worst nightmare of most immigrants from Third World countries: their lives end before they can go back home. This book analyses the underlying factors that create the conditions that force men and women to live in overseas countries with cultures they are not used to or dont like and what can be done to avoid becoming a victim.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514413654

Godfred Mensah

Based in Accra, Ghana, Godfred ‘Goddy’ Mensah is a teacher-educator and entrepreneur. His research was the source of important data and information from an African perspective. He is a coordinator for New Generation, a US-based NGO that focuses on programs and activities geared towards bridging the digital divide in underprivileged and disadvantaged communities. Kofi Quaye is an internationally recognized author, journalist-editor, publisher, and producer. He has written extensively on immigration related issues for various publications. His published books include Jojo in New York (MacMillan Publishing) and Superstar. He produced A Day of Absence, a documentary on the immigrant experience, which won the Telly Award in 2007. Publications he has edited include CNY Vision newspaper and Heritage Newsmagazine. Lawrence Davis, an immigrant himself, is a community activist who has an unending desire to uplift people the world over. He has lent a hand to countless movements for change in America since the early eighties. This book is his first foray into writing to help others see some of the struggles ahead and a possible new path for others.

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Copyright © 2015 by Kofi Quaye: Lawrence Davis: Godfred Mensah

ISBN:            eBook                978-1-5144-1365-4

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Rev. date: 10/20/2015

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter One: Returning Home: Reasons Why Immigrants From Africa, The Caribbean, Asia, The Middle East And Other Third World Countries Feel Compelled To Return To Their Native Countries: Why Some Do And Others Don’t

Chapter Two: What ‘Trapped’ Is All About

Chapter Three: The Victims: Who Is Likely To Become Victimized?

Chapter Four: How To Avoid Getting ‘Trapped’

Chapter Five: What Defines Success In Third World Immigrant Communities And The Role It Plays In Making Third World Immigrants Feel ‘Trapped’

Chapter Six: Suicide And Depression On The Rise In Third World Immigrant Communities As A Result Of Immigrants Feeling ‘Trapped’

Chapter Seven: Sources Of Misinformation That Mislead Third World Immigrants

Chapter Eight: Illegal Immigration, A Major Cause Of Getting ‘Trapped’

Chapter Nine: How The ‘Trapping’ Process Begins In Their Native Countries

Chapter Ten: How Relatives And Friends Contribute To Getting ‘Trapped’

Chapter Eleven: Seeking Solutions To The ‘Trapped’ Problem: Guest Worker Programs And Other Proposals That Have Not Been Tried; Why Not?

Chapter Twelve: Other Problems That Can Be Avoided By ‘Trapped’ Victims

Chapter Thirteen: Why Immigrating To Europe Or America Is Not Always The Solution

Chapter Fourteen: How Immigrants From Third World Countries Start The Process The Wrong Way And Get ‘Trapped’ Overseas As A Result

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Yaw Kyeremateng, David Abbam, George Mensah, formerly of Newark, NJ,. Nana Yaw Sarpong, Newark, NJ, Victor Atta, Frederick Amoyaw-Duah of Accra, Ghana, Ali Aden of Syracuse, NY, Peter Wynn, Rudy Shaw, Regina Gilbert, Vicki Frederick, Frank Wellington Quartey, Patricia Blankson Akakpo, Robert ‘Robby’ Quaye. It is also dedicated to those who find themselves trapped in foreign countries for one reason or another and to all others planning to immigrate to overseas countries. Our advice to you is; focus on its core message, plan to take concrete and real action to make sure you can go back home when you want to.

FOREWORD

MAJOR CAUSES OF THE ‘TRAPPED’ PROBLEM

A major setback for many Third World immigrants in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and other countries and continents around the globe is the lack of information on what is actually involved in the immigration process. Most seem to be unaware that there is more to it than just getting a passport, securing a visa, getting on a plane and disembarking in a foreign country. Others don’t think anything else is important besides securing an entry visa that will enable them to immigrate overseas. Until recently, many immigrants from Third World countries, who immigrated to other parts of the world, had the tendency to be either uninformed or misinformed about the immigration process in terms of what is actually involved, besides securing an entry visa to a foreign country.

They viewed immigration mainly as a trip to another country specifically for the purpose of pursuing higher education, seeking employment, or both, saving lots of money and returning to their native countries where they would enjoy a better life as a result of the higher education and professional credentials they had gained and funds saved from working overseas.

Knowing about the country to which they are immigrating and potential problems they might face is not deemed to be necessary, or even useful. Indeed, seeking information about foreign countries by prospective immigrants isn’t a priority to most of them. It’s not a big deal as far as they are concerned. If others have done it, so can they. The most important thing is to get out, by any means necessary. At that point, it’s about getting out of their native countries as fast and as hassle free as possible. Never mind if they know little or nothing about the country to which they have gotten a visa to travel to.

Thus many end up with little or no information and knowledge about the country they have immigrated to, and not being adequately prepared as a result. They are not interested in knowing about anything else except what they have to do to make it possible for them to get out of their native countries. So compelling is the desire to immigrate that everything else doesn’t really matter. They assume that whatever happens during the process, after they have immigrated, can be dealt with. They figure their determination is an adequate substitute for knowledge, preparedness and expertise. No matter how daunting and challenging life in an overseas country presents itself, a determined would-be immigrant simply operates on the assumption that he or she would manage to survive.

And that has proven to be the wrong approach. Like everything else, immigration has to be undertaken by people who are prepared in more ways than one. Sheer determination isn’t enough. People seeking to immigrate have to know what they are getting themselves into in terms of the risks involved, not just the potential benefits to be reaped.

Problem is: it is not easy, impossible really, to try to convince a desperate man or woman bent on immigrating from anywhere in the Third World to embrace the notion that the immigrant life overseas is less rewarding or glorifying than they think it is. Once the mind is made up, nothing can change it, it seems.

As a result, most are not able to, or are not in a position to know how to deal with the cultural, social, and quite often, legal changes one has to go through in order to be able to travel to the country of choice and continue to reside there once they have gained entry.

INTRODUCTION

Immigrants Worst Nightmare: Not Being Able