“We’re not naive, we know that all our problems aren’t going to be solved once we move out to New Zealand, but it’s difficult to stay in a country that doesn’t seem like it wants you here.”
Gregory and Ashley Rivara got engaged in New Zealand when they travelled here over ten years ago. Photo / Ashley Rivara
The Trump administration ordered extensive immigration raids in October last year, detaining and removing many immigrants of Hispanic and Latino descent.
Gregory also said the more relaxed lifestyle in New Zealand was very appealling.
“New Zealand culture prioritises work-life balance and from a kid who grew up in a single-parent household that’s grinded for the past 30 years, I can’t wait for a nice work-life balance.”
In another video, Ashley said she had been wanting to leave the US for more than 10 years.
“We fell in love with the land and the country and the people and I was like the dumb tourist on vacation that was like, ‘we should live here. Should we move? Should we just never go back?’ And that feeling has just really never left me.”
With three children, aged 7, 5, and 3, her fears about the safety risks of sending her children to school in the US galvanised her to rethink continuing with their education there.
“I mean, living through school shooting after school shooting and our Government doing absolutely nothing, as a mother, it’s hard to feel any sense of peace. I mean I worry every single day that that might be the last day I see my child,” she said.
“Nobody should ever have to live like that or have to think that in their brain.”
The family are in preparation mode for the move and have been looking for work throughout the country since having their visas approved two weeks ago.
Working with local recruitment agencies, they hope Gregory’s engineering experience will set him up with a job soon after their impending arrival.
Ashley said they have been “humbled” by the support and plan to continue sharing their journey through the rest of the immigration process.