A series of posts by Daryanani & Bland staff describing their own “immigration” stories, whether they themselves are immigrants or how they came to work in the immigration field. 

My immigration story starts out here in the United States. When people ask me about my ethnicity, I have always struggled in coming up with an answer. The most accurate answer is “American,” although I used to feel plain saying that. Originally from England and Ireland, most of my family has been in the US for many generations, in some instances traceable back to the 1500s. Through old records and photographs, my family has learned that my ancestors helped found colonies and cities in Connecticut, coexisted with Native Americans, ventured west and came back, and had streets named after them in upstate New York.