This isn't life. I cannot speak to people when I need to.

I cannot be polite the way I usually would be. Months ago there was kids who didn't have enough money to pay in a supermarket and I couldn't say I'll pay for them. I knew if I tried to pantomime this shit, I'd make the already awkward stressful situation of theirs worse. There's been so many awkward cases where I couldn't help someone because I couldn't say I would, and if I randomly approached them and grabbed their stuff I'd freak them out. I had old ladies ask for help, but no longer want it if I tried to communicate through body language, because I don't speak the local language.

I am incapable of learning a language. I'm one of those people, yes. I learned useful phrases before moving here, including local slang for welcoms and farewells, but anything remotely off script and I'm lost. Learning a language is extremely hard. Even for children. Bilingual people struggle (I know very well: I am bilingual, but one of my languages sounds machine translated and lacks vocabulary, so I cannot even express myself), children struggle, and learning a language as an adult may be impossible - for me it is. I give up. I don't even want to be here. I never did.

People act like immigrants are there out of choice. Fuck, I'm very much not. The only "alternative" I had was going homeless - when the only other option was to lose one of fundamental necessities, it's not a real choice.

I don't have anywhere to go. I only have my best friend, but she lives in a really tiny apartment, and I had friends lose housing when they'd let newly homeless friend sleep on their couch, because landlords are literally fucking evil. I don't want to inconvinience her, yet alone lead to potentially her losing housing.

I also cannot find a new job. I've desperately been trying to, but no one wants me. All the companies are going through layoffs. No one wants to invest into a worker anymore. The only time they post Junior positions is to offer an unreasonably low pay - they still require shitload of experience, frequently very niche. Many jobs I feel like I'd have a super easy time doing don't allow people without experience in at all.

I need to be able to afford my monthly medical debt repayment and to live alone. No, I am not spoiled. I get suicidal from living with strangers and develop such massive anxiety I am literally incapable of existing. I am very introverted and have health problems. I suffered injuries from living with other people, because I couldn't adjust the housing to my needs (not wants, mind you - needs), e.g. I got skin burns and would be unable to breathe (I have extremely sensitive skin and allergies).

I really need to move. I am waiting for this Friday to know how much acceleration I can do. Thankfully it should be warm in 3+ months (this is my resignation period btw for both work and housing), so I could maybe even get a tent and sleep in the wild if I cannot find housing.

  • MeowZedong@lemmygrad.ml
    ·
    5 months ago

    That's how it is for every immigrant in America except for a minority of them.

    The majority of my coworkers are in the US on work visas and the struggles they go through compared to US citizens is insane.

    Just this week, one of my colleagues broke down crying to me after work expressing this very thing you describe. At home, they had a good life, people they loved, and they were happy, but they were forced to look outside their country due to US imperialism. Forced to settle for an insecure job despite being extremely well educated and having a wealth of technical expertise. Now they feel they have nothing. No friends. No family. They hate their life here, but they also can't leave.

    Not the first time I've heard someone express this, but what they said next really showed just how bad this situation is:

    "How is this not slavery?"