After the death of Sumyrah Khan’s father, she questioned her future in Ireland. But when she heard how proud he had been of her for moving away on her own, she felt encouraged to continue her studies at Dublin City University (DCU).
Growing up in Chennai, India, Khan attended an English-speaking school. “My mom was very particular that we would go to a school like that. So, that’s why my English is near to perfect.”
“A very strong work ethic was instilled in me from a very young age. I always knew that if I wanted something, I’d have to work towards it. It set my values very young.”
After graduating in 2020 with a degree in economics and political science, she had planned to pursue a master’s degree in Paris. But when Covid-19 hit, she instead decided to take a gap year.
Things changed when DCU offered her a scholarship to complete her master’s in Dublin in 2021.
“I had never really thought about Dublin as an option, but it made sense because everyone here spoke English, it’s a European country and well, it’d be a little bit of fun. So, I was like, I’m going to go there for a year, and I’ll finish my master’s, and then I will go back home.”
After living in Dublin for more than four years, she has fallen in love with the city in ways she didn’t expect.
“I remember the first day I came to Dublin, I was like – this weirdly feels like I’m home, like I belong here. I’ve never felt that feeling before, anywhere that I’ve travelled.”
The first culture shock she got was the temperature. Coming from the south of India, she found the Irish winter harsh.
While Ireland’s rental crisis was something she was aware of, she didn’t realise “how bad it was” until she struggled to find somewhere to live close to DCU’s Glasnevin campus.
Ireland’s cost-of-living crisis pushed her into getting a part-time job that she balanced with her studies. “I didn’t know there was a cost-of-living crisis as well. I would have to think a thousand times before I bought a Snickers bar because everything was so expensive.”
In December of 2021, Khan received a heartbreaking phone call informing her that her father had died. “I was doing my assignments and I got this call in the morning, that this had happened. It was incredibly traumatic and it was one of those things where it feels like your world’s broke and you’re trying to figure out what to do as you’re 22 years old.”
Later she returned to India and questioned whether it was right for her to go back to Dublin.
“I feel like I’ve missed such a big thing. It changes a person’s life. My mom would tell me how proud my dad was that I ventured out by myself, so young to a different country. That motivated me to go back and finish my degree.”
“Something just clicked in my brain, where I was like, ‘You know what? I think I’m going to try to make it.’ I felt that missing out on such a personal loss or not being there for such an event to follow my dreams, should have meant something. When I realised that my dad would have been so proud of me for finishing my degree, I stayed on.”
[ From Mumbai to Dublin: ‘Ireland has been cold, yes – but not the people’Opens in new window ]
While working part-time and finishing her degree, Khan started applying to other jobs. After applying to over 100 posts and conducting over 20 interviews, she secured a position as a youth and equality officer for the Labour Party.
“I went from cleaning toilets in a bar, the next week, I was in Leinster House,” she says with a laugh.
“Aideen Blackwood, the national organiser in the Labour Party, without doubt, changed my life.”
“I don’t really think people realise giving a chance to an immigrant means so much to them. Getting a barista job when you really need it, when you’re on your knees, could mean everything. It’s like your ticket to stay in this country. That’s why there’s such a culture of working twice as hard for immigrants here in this country.”
After her temporary job with the Labour Party ended, she had to search for work again, as maintaining a job is an essential part of her visa, and she needed one to stay in Ireland. She got a job with Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ) (formerly Union of Students in Ireland) as a communications manager.
I see myself being here for the rest of my life. I am completely in love with this country and I want to be buried here
For Khan, securing the general employment visa was one of the “toughest” parts of moving to Ireland. “The problem with this visa is that your employer needs to support you throughout that process.” She also explained the labour market test that applicants must undergo as “having to prove to the Irish Government that no Irish person can do your job.”
Immigrants “don’t having the luxury of a slow start,” she says. “Your Irish friend is already five years ahead of you because they have the networks, they know how things work.”
She wants to run for politics some day. “It sometimes feels impossible, but I feel I have people around me who really believe that I can do it. I don’t think I would have wanted to be a politician if I had not worked so closely with all these women within the Labour Party.”
She particularly praises the party leader, Ivana Bacik. “I’m just so in awe of her. She’s so brilliant and powerful.”
Her favourite thing about Ireland is the people. “Irish people are a special kind of people. There’s this unexplainable energy that Irish people have that you can’t really put a finger on.” She says the Irish know how to throw a party. “It’s great craic, the most fun I’ve had. They’re the most warm, inviting people that you’ll ever meet.”
However, she says the existence of the far-right movement has been the worst part of moving to Ireland. “When I first moved here in 2021, it wasn’t as bad. It is incredibly scary that you could be attacked for how you look. I think my communication style helps me most of the time because people are confused that I have an American accent or I speak perfect English and somehow I’m a little more socially acceptable to people.”
She wants to help “bridge the gap of misunderstanding that people have about immigrants.”
She finds the people of Ireland and India to be similar: being warm, having a strong sense of community and loving a good party. She also feels that Ireland and India’s shared experience of colonialism unites them.
“Every time I hear a traditional song or a harp play, something spiritually moves in me. I’ve never been able to explain it. There’s no trace of Irish in me. But I’ve felt so connected to this country.
“I’ve lived here for four years and I see myself being here for the rest of my life. I am completely in love with this country and I want to be buried here.”
“Maybe I’ll move to the west coast when I turn 40. Maybe I’ll win a cottage in a raffle or something,” she says, laughing.
We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish
