Foreign Born in the USA
Posted by Robert Chambers
on Jul 10, 2012
Frequently we hear stories about immigration to the USA but they are general stories or discuss numbers almost incomprehensible; what about the individual stories? Each one of them is different and each circumstance is different. Terje Gunnar Heggem came from Norway as an Agriculture Exchange student. He comes from an agriculture family in Norway and grabbed the opportunity to learn new techniques. In Norway his family farms 140 acres and primarily now it is a logging enterprise. Both his mother and father are deaf.
The size of US farms was what initially struck him. In Norway a dairy farm might have 14 cows where as it is common for a Minnesota dairy farm to have 500 cows. He also found the weather very different with extremes of hot and cold in the Red River Valley. A cold day in Norway might get to 10 below Fahrenheit (occasionally even -20) but typically in the winter the coldest is about zero Fahrenheit. This is because their farm is by the sea which moderates the temperature. Another big difference are the taxes. Typically a Norwegian pays 35 % of their income as tax; as he makes more than the average Gunnar pays 45 % of his income in tax. With this money the government builds roads, provides elementary and secondary education and medical care ($ 400.00 co-pay). While post secondary education is not fully paid for the government does provide students with a stipend.
The size of US farms was what initially struck him. In Norway a dairy farm might have 14 cows where as it is common for a Minnesota dairy farm to have 500 cows. He also found the weather very different with extremes of hot and cold in the Red River Valley. A cold day in Norway might get to 10 below Fahrenheit (occasionally even -20) but typically in the winter the coldest is about zero Fahrenheit. This is because their farm is by the sea which moderates the temperature. Another big difference are the taxes. Typically a Norwegian pays 35 % of their income as tax; as he makes more than the average Gunnar pays 45 % of his income in tax. With this money the government builds roads, provides elementary and secondary education and medical care ($ 400.00 co-pay). While post secondary education is not fully paid for the government does provide students with a stipend.
Aside from the differences a challenge was learning English. He has done that very well and speaks with only a moderate Norwegian accent. One member noted that in the Kindred area people who have lived in the US for a lot longer speak with a much stronger Norwegian accent. The other challenge is trying to discern what to do: remain in the USA or return to the family farm in Norway. This is where his story become distinctive as he met Laura; they fell in love and subsequently (after a lot of paperwork to receive permission from the US government) married. He is now a Permanent Resident of the USA and could apply for citizenship. He is a volunteer Firefighter and a member of a Dive Rescue team; things he would not be able to do in Norway. He enjoys his opportunities and life here in the Red River Valley making their personal decision difficult.
His talk gave us a glimpse into the concerns and life of a foreign born person in the USA. We offer Gunnar and Laura the best of luck in their decisions.
His talk gave us a glimpse into the concerns and life of a foreign born person in the USA. We offer Gunnar and Laura the best of luck in their decisions.