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My little unhappy feeling as a CW2 housewife
Let’s talk about prejudice.
It’s the very first time I wrote to a newspaper in English, just after a couple of hours I got on Saipan. My English might not be good but I feel I should let people know the feeling when encountering prejudice as a CW2 holder.
The last thing I want to do is traveling hours and waiting hours to meet Immigration officials and customs, not because I did something illegal but I always feel people like me are not welcome.
As the visa shows in my passport, CW2, I am just a normal CW1 worker’s spouse. I left my parents behind and live here with my husband. Everyone knows CW2 can’t work here, I know it very clearly since the first day I quit my job as a purchasing manager.
Yet I am completely confused by immigration officials as I am always asked why am I not working or if I am going to work. Excuse me? Did I do anything wrong for not working as a CW2? I have parents getting older and older but I could not take care of them everyday. I have friends since high school but they are far, far away. I stay in a country that not my homeland, but I do not hurt anyone. My life is just like any other people who are here: Get up in the morning and sleep in the evening, sometime go to restaurant and compare prices for daily food. I understand it’s their duty to ask questions like these, but, frankly, not friendly attitude.
Perhaps there are lots of illegal workers who make bad images of CW workers and their families. However, many of them work so hard year after year, and after all, they are not intruders and will not stay here forever.
Sharon Feng
via email
