Journey Through Family Heritage: from Immigration to Entrepreneurship

Introduction

Writing family heritage essays can be an effective way to understand and pass down important cultural values and traditions across generations, especially in multicultural families that may have complex and diverse backgrounds. Family heritage is a vital element in the family setting and a means to understand values, cultures, and traditions embedded in a family unit. This is also important in the understanding of our diversity as well as helping in the passing down of our family values across generations. It is also important to learn about our family history since it establishes and shapes our identity and brings forth a sense of belonging in a given family unit. My experiences through a diverse cultural setting in our family spanning different countries and cultural values provided me with insight into the complexities and intricacies of a multicultural family unit. The subsequent situations in life such as war or conflict outbreaks result to the disintegration of families, therefore, making it hard for such descendants to get full information on their family histories.

Immigration and conflict are factors through which family heritage is altered due to the disintegration by the adversities presented through wars. This was especially the case with our family when the conflict between India and Pakistan occurred soon after the granting of independence to India in 1947. The experiences among different people portray the harsh and cruel nature of life after the partitioning (BBC p2-4). This war was precipitated by the claim by Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir regions of India as its territories owing to a large number of Muslim inhabitants. The war, therefore, took place between 1947 and 1948 with a majority of Muslims fleeing to Pakistan including my grandparents Farida Bano and Quttab Hussain Siddiqui. The conflict led to their immigration and settlement in Pakistan where my grandpa took up a job working in the state bank in Pakistan with its headquarters located in Karachi. This is considered the Central bank of the state of Karachi and my grandfather’s entry into the corporate sector was marked with his education background having worked through the corporate sector in India before partition. This followed with my grandparents establishing their family in the outskirts from where they raised their two sons the first one being born in 1963 and my father Muhammad Farooq. Due to my grandfather's networks, while working in the state bank, my father was able to secure education and further advance by enrolling at college in Singapore, Malaysia. This was the turning point, and due to the exposure and civilization which had already taken root in the developed countries, the effects of the war and eventual partitioning had eroded over time with our families adjusting to the changes on a positive note. Soon after completion of his studies my father went to the United States in 1983 to further his studies at California University of Southern California. At the time, my father donned a big mustache which marked the adoption of a new look favored at the time among elites. The developments in early life and upholding family virtues as well as history are essential in understanding the family heritage (Blogger p.1).

My father met my mom in New York City after immigrating to the United States from Malaysia to further his studies. They eventually got married in 1995. At this point in time my father was contented with settling in the United States and being educated he was destined to establish himself and raise his family in the United States. My oldest brother Omar was born in 1996 followed by my sister Fatima in 1998 and me in 2001. Being raised in a modest and middle-class family back in their native Pakistan, my father was drawn to the business world and as such started making investments in the business sector soon after settling down in the United States. My father, Mohammad Farooq, had opened a factory during the family’s stay in Los Angeles between 1966 and 2001, which he later sold upon his decision to move us out to Oklahoma. My parents settled in Los Angeles which was considered a reserve for scholars and migrants, a situation that would later make it home to revolutionists against segregation, empowerment of all cultures, and labor movements among others. The events surrounding his business and a dire need to raise us in a serene environment led to his decision to move out of Los Angeles which was at the time buzzing with the pop culture, art as well as an escalating drug menace due to skyrocketing population and entertainment joints. The decision can be lauded since Los Angeles evolved to be the biggest entertainment haven in the United States, a status it still boasts of to date (Rothbard p.1). This led to our settlement in Oklahoma City which was homely and serene as well as provided my Dad with the flexibility of raising us as well as tending to his business interests.

The convenience of family life and business was achieved and my Dad having an understanding of the business sector, he bought his first gas station in 2001 in Oklahoma. The oil industry was thriving, and due to the industrial changes at the time, his gas business picked up and became highly successful. This led to his purchase of more than 15 gas stations around the city with each one being successful and offering high returns. However, the need for diversification, oil price fluctuations and uncertainties led to my father's closure and selling out of the gas stations in order to invest in another industry. My dad sold out all the gas stations in 2014 and begun buying a string of big hotels and restaurants. These have not only been successful but stand out as the most revered decision made by father. The hotel and restaurant business established by my dad still thrives to-date with expansions around different cities across the United States. In 2019 however, my grandpa passed away after a short illness and old age. He had retired a couple of years back and until his untimely death, we occasionally visited him during the holidays. Prior to his death my father paid him visits frequently and accompanied him to hospitals in Pakistan for his routine medical appointments. My grandfather's memory has been instrumental in our family and in honor of his life we often travel for family gatherings and other occasions in Pakistan. My grandmother is still healthy and despite old age, she manages to travel with other times staying with us in the United States for months.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, family heritage essays provide a great way to understand and pass down cultural values and traditions across generations, particularly in multicultural families. Family heritage is important as it helps to establish and shape our identity and brings a sense of belonging in a given family unit. However, adversities such as war and conflict can alter family heritage, making it difficult for descendants to get full information on their family histories. Despite the challenges, family heritage can still be maintained and passed down through storytelling and documentation. 

Work Citied

1. BBC. 'A Country Divided: How It Affected Me.' 2017.
2. Blogger, Guest. 'Why We Need Family History Now More Than Ever.' 2017.
3. Farooq, Mohammad. Personal interview. 25 Jan. 2019. Interview.
4. Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/Web. 25 Jan. 2019.
5. Fold3. Metropolitan Library Reference Center. Web. 24 Jan. 2019.
6. Rothbard, Sarah. 'In The 1990'S, Los Angeles was Both Heaven and Hell.' 2016.