As a passionate photographer, Richard captures the beauty of Sonoma County in photos such as this one of Healdsburg. Photo courtesy of Richard Sarkar Cipriani. © Richard Sarkar Cipriani.
IIBA client and permanent resident Richard has long considered himself a citizen of the world. Born in the Caribbean island country of Trinidad and Tobago, he grew up in a multicultural community appreciating the many different races, ethnicities and religions of his neighbors. Richard’s own background is so diverse that he says it’s a “mix-up” that can’t be captured by a single race or ethnicity checkbox. He has lived in several countries across the world, and his family recently made the move to the U.S. after living in Panama for more than three decades. Richard’s wife Maureen, a U.S. citizen who had always wanted to live in California, accepted a job in Sonoma County and Richard soon followed. They now live in Santa Rosa, where they enjoy the farming community atmosphere as well as being nearer to their two sons, who also live in California.
Richard, who is a passionate photographer now enjoying the Northern California area, found out about IIBA through word of mouth while applying for permanent residency. He appreciated that IIBA made the process much more manageable: “IIBA took away the angst of having to face all this paperwork by myself. My caseworker made it very, very easy for us to move from one step to another.”
How did IIBA reduce the burden of the green card process?
They basically broke down the steps: go do this first, then this second, and so on, so the mountain didn’t seem so hard to climb. I had been through the green card process in the U.S. 35 years previously, but I gave up my green card when I moved back to Panama. So when I came back to the U.S., I was starting again. My wife and I were really happy that IIBA took the pressure off of us having to worry about it on a daily basis.
What do you like most about living here?
This is a place where there’s opportunity. In California there is such a mixture of ethnic backgrounds that I don’t feel as though I’m an outsider — it is as though I’m just like anybody else, just another bloke. What really does it matter what my ethnicity is? It doesn’t make me a better or worse person. There’s been a stigma that has been stuck on immigrants for so long. But there are so many different cultures in California. You see it in the colors, the food, the dance, the music, the way people speak. That to me is so beautiful. It reminds me a bit of my home and how I grew up.
Tell us more about your upbringing in Trinidad and Tobago.
I grew up in an ethnically, socially and culturally diverse community, and I thought that the whole world was like this. Then I found out it wasn’t. In my neighborhood growing up, we had it all. Many of us went to school together from primary school through graduation, played together in the street, enjoyed each other’s food and music and celebrated each other’s holidays. The way that I grew up taught me a lot about respecting other people and acknowledging that you are no different from them. That is what makes you who you are. I don’t care whether you’re the president or you’re the garbage collector, your duties are just as important and so should be the respect shown.
Who were the main influences in your life growing up?
My parents were my main influences. Both medical professionals, they taught us to respect everyone. My mother’s father came from a well-known French plantation family. He would later become known as the “Champion of the Barefoot man” in the Caribbean as he broke with the then-ruling British establishment and stood alongside underprivileged workers. My father’s more humble background in the East Indian community was a scholar and a successful doctor. Together they always reminded us never to forget that we were first and foremost servants to those in need.
What’s next for you?
I’m looking for employment opportunities here. Most of my working career was spent in administration in different fields like farming and mining, inventory management, and data consulting. I think I should also pursue citizenship. The fact is my wife and my two kids are both American citizens, and I’m the odd one out. It’s worth it — I don’t see there being any downside to it.