Kazakhstan: Interview with Saltanat Soliman
Kazakhstan, the world’s tenth-largest country by territory, has a population of approximately 19 million people (Central Intelligence Agency n.d.). Among them, 70 percent are ethnic Kazakhs, 16 percent are ethnic Russians, and 3 percent are ethnic Uzbeks (Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan 2021b). About 70 percent of the population of Kazakhstan identify as Muslim, while 17 percent identify as Christian (Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan 2021a).
According to American Community Survey data from 2016-2020, there are an estimated 32,786 immigrants from Kazakhstan living in the United States (IPUMS USA 2020). The most recent data from the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) indicates that the top three states of residence for immigrants from Kazakhstan are California, New York, and Washington (IPUMS NHGIS n.d.).
Primary occupations for immigrants from Kazakhstan are in the service sector (19%), with the majority working in the roles of personal care aides and home health aides (4.7%). Saltanat Soliman is an immigrant from Kazakhstan who currently lives in New York, working as a home health aide. On January 17, 2024, Saltanat shared her immigration experience with the Institute for Immigration Research.
Life before Moving to the United States
Saltanat was born in the Jambyl Region (also Dzhambul) in southern Kazakhstan and later moved to the region’s capital, Taraz. There, she worked her way through college and started a family.
“I was born in the Shu district of the Jambyl Region, in a village called Tole bee. I was the fifth child in a family of eight children. After getting married, I moved to Taraz city and enrolled in college to study psychology. My professional journey started in a school in Taraz, and later, I worked as a psychologist in a high-security colony. I lived in Taraz for five years, and my son was born there.
Following a divorce when my son was three and a half years old, I returned to my parents in Shu and lived with them for about two years. During this time, I worked for an educational institution as a deputy director. In 2008, I moved to Astana and continued to live there until 2014.”
Starting Life in the United States
The housing shortage in Kazakhstan led her to consider emigration, and in 2014, she landed in New York, where she has been living ever since.
“I was working in the educational industry in Astana and found myself on a 10-year waiting list for rental housing under the state program that regulated housing distribution. I then considered the possibility of going to another country to earn enough money to purchase my own place eventually. That is why I came to the United States as a tourist in 2014, landing in New York City.
About six months later, I met my second husband. Three years into my life in the United States, I was able to bring my 16-year-old son, whom I left with my parents when he was 13. Our primary mode of communication during that time was through WhatsApp. I lived with my second husband for six years and got divorced in 2021.
This July will mark 10 years since I arrived in New York, God willing. Throughout these years, I exclusively lived in New York, with no interest in exploring other places. However, now I am contemplating quieter and less expensive locations. In New York, whatever you earn is immediately spent.”
Working in the United States
Saltanat initially worked as a babysitter and later as a housekeeper before obtaining certification as a home health aide in 2017.
“I started working as a live-in babysitter approximately 10 days after landing in New York. I spent about a month and a half with that family until their original nanny returned. They then placed me with another family of a doctor and teacher on Long Island, where I worked for seven months.
Then, I decided to transition away from live-in arrangements because I realized that privacy was important to me and that I like to manage my own life. I found a job as a housekeeper in Manhattan with a Mountain Jewish family. [Mountain Jews originated in the Caucasus Mountains of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation]. They owned a vacation home in the Pocono Mountains, and I often traveled with them during weekends and holidays. I would travel with them and be away for 10 days or two weeks. My husband disapproved of my frequent absences, and I decided to quit that job. I recommended another lady from Kazakhstan as my replacement for the family.
For about a year, I took on various cleaning jobs until I secured a position as a home attendant, caring for an elderly man for approximately two years until he passed away. In 2017, I enrolled in a three-week home attendant course and became a certified home health aide (HHA). Since then, I have been working in this field, handling two or three cases [at a time] based on workload.”
Motivations for Entering the Home Health Aide Profession
Because of the large Russian-speaking community in New York, Saltanat found it relatively easy to enter the home health aide industry despite having limited English. It is noteworthy that there are an estimated 941,659 individuals who speak Russian at home in the United States, with 220,809 of them (23%) residing in New York. The remaining Russian-speaking population resides predominately in California (18%), Washington (6%), Florida (6%), and New Jersey (5%).
“I would say home health aide is one of the most accessible occupations for those who lack English language proficiency and additional academic credentials. To become a practicing psychologist in the United States, one has to verify academic records and be proficient in English for conducting consultations with patients. However, I’ve found that what I do now as a home health aide isn’t significantly different from my work as a psychologist in Kazakhstan. In both roles, my focus has been on working with people. My professional and academic background helped me here as well, teaching me how to connect with patients and engage compassionately.
Home health aides work with a range of individuals, and we choose whether to work with seniors or other disabled people. I prefer working with seniors.
Initially, I was apprehensive about working with clients who didn’t speak Russian. I was worried I might miss something important. Later, I realized there was no need to be afraid. You have to start somewhere, and now I'm very comfortable. The common language between my second husband and me was English, so I improved my conversational English. I understand my clients now, and they understand me.
I am working with three cases currently. One of them is an individual who speaks Russian and the other two are non-Russian speakers.”
Working as a Home Health Aide: Difficulties and Advantages
Saltanat enjoys the flexibility of choosing her patients based on her comfort level and appreciates the state programs in New York that take care of disabled people.
“The difficulty of this job is working with people with a wide range of diagnoses. For instance, some patients may exhibit inappropriate behavior, and you need to be silent and refrain from arguing. In other cases, you need to react and respond.
There are several advantages of this job. First, you work in a home environment. Second, you help people by doing good deeds and providing services, all while being compensated for your efforts. You help people who need your help. It's a fulfilling experience to assist those who need your help.
I also like that home health aides have the option to choose their clients after an initial meeting to assess their mutual comfort. Both parties should know they are a fit for each other. If I am comfortable with a patient, I notify the employment agency and express my interest in continuing to work with them. If the case is unassigned, the agency can then assign it to me.
At times, patients request the employment agency to have me assigned to them. Once, I went [to a patient as] a replacement, and the family liked my services and subsequently requested me for a permanent placement with them. This flexibility is something I truly value. As the saying goes, 'God Bless America.'
Through the HHA services that I provide, I witness how New York state cares for elderly people by creating comfortable conditions for them. It warms my heart. I am not familiar with the situation in other states, but in New York, these programs provide housing, HHA services through insurance, and food stamps valued at $300, all in addition to a pension. Some sick people receive continuous care around the clock.”
Difficulties with Integration in the United States
Saltanat shares how she struggled with limited English in the early months after arriving in the United States. While more than half of Kazakhstan immigrants (61%) have English proficiency (speak English only and speak English very well), the rest (39%) report not being proficient in English (don’t speak English, don’t speak English well, and speak English well). Saltanat was determined to learn English and self-taught herself.
“I had adaptation challenges for about six months, but a significant hurdle was my limited knowledge of English. Not only could I not speak the language, but I also struggled to comprehend it because American English is different than British English. In Kazakhstan’s schools, we are taught limited English, such as the alphabet and basic reading, but I still had my ears trained in British English. During those initial months in the United States, I struggled to distinguish spoken words from each other.
During my first job as a babysitter, I prioritized frequently-used phrases and worked on memorizing them. I turned to YouTube videos that self-teach English. I recognized the importance of reaching at least a conversational level, given my intention to stay in the country. My early phrases were about daily situations, such as directions and finding my way around when lost.
I also missed my home in the beginning. Everything tasted different, and the taste of meat bothered me - perhaps because I come from a meat-loving nation. Now, I feel very comfortable, and the reverse is happening. When I visit Kazakhstan, it is more challenging for me to be there since I have adapted to life here and even have a different mentality.”
Differences between the United States and Kazakhstan
Saltanat enjoys the respect for personal boundaries, politeness, and courtesy among strangers in the United States and is not bothered by infrequent communication among neighbors.
“I appreciate the respect for personal boundaries in the United States. Even when people line up here, people show respect for personal space – no one is standing too close to you and there is minimal physical contact.
People commonly smile here, say hello, and ask, 'How are you doing?' Additionally, there is a courteous gesture of opening doors and waiting for others to pass. I have fallen in love with all that and haven’t seen any disadvantages of American life.
In Kazakhstan, people interact often by visiting each other, but here in the States, there is very little of that. Even with neighbors, it is often limited to a simple “hello” and “goodbye.” For people who are communicative, this might be considered a downside of life in the United States. Personally, as an introvert, it's kind of okay. I am not bothering anybody, and I am not bothered.”
To the question of whether Saltanat would go back to Kazakhstan or stay here, she responded, “This is a great question…I don't know what other migrants think about it, but in my view, it is a constant dilemma for immigrants. There are times when I want to return to Kazakhstan, and then there are times I think I want to stay in the United States permanently. The paradox is that I am not a native here or there (Ya ne svoya ne tut ne tam).”
Advice to Immigrants from Kazakhstan
Saltanat highly recommends that immigrants from Kazakhstan learn English, both to expand job opportunities and to make their overall life in the United States easier.
I would recommend learning the English language and studying the culture and mentality of this country before coming. It will make settling in here easier. Even for those who come with limited English, making an effort to learn it, especially if planning to stay, is crucial. Unfortunately, I did not have that opportunity, as I had to work and support my child.
With proficiency in English, immigrants can access a different level of jobs and opportunities compared to those who don’t know the language. There are various opportunities to learn English. I attended free library courses and took their civic program when I was studying for my citizenship exams. Many things I learned there I still remember, including the history of the United States.
Saltanat also highlights the warm and welcoming reception she received from the Jewish community in New York City:
“I am grateful for them. Without them, migrants like me with limited English would have limited job opportunities. Jews accepted us, hired us, and entrusted us with the most intimate things, such as their children and their house. Therefore, when I hear somebody say anything unflattering about Jews, I always say we should be grateful.”
For those in the workforce, Saltanat advises leaving behind the expectation of managers telling every step and instead taking the initiative to complete tasks.
“I recommend that people change their attitude toward their job here. Based on my own experience and the experience of my friends who come from Kazakhstan, I see that those of us who worked in the public sector were accustomed to looking up to bosses who dictated orders from above and told us what to do. Our bosses would instruct us on what to do next.
I try to explain to them that taking initiative is welcomed here. I also tell people that interacting with and updating their employers is the norm. Here, one has to accept full responsibility, be in charge, and show initiative, even if working for someone else. Your boss or another person might not always be available to step in.
This change of attitude benefits you and your employer. It leads to more positive results for the company, satisfies the employer, and leaves you satisfied with yourself.”
To conclude the interview, Saltanat shared news of her son’s recent marriage and reflected on the past 10 years of living in the United States.
One last thing I wanted to share. Last year, my son married a girl from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, who is an ethnic Tajik. I threw a big wedding party for 60 people in Queens, New York. Reflecting on my life in the United States, I realized how things have changed since I arrived here in 2014. Back then, it was just me and my friend, and now my network has grown to 60 people.
Note: Unless noted differently, all statistics here come from IPUMS USA: Version 12.0 [American Community Survey (ACS) 2016-2020 5 year averages and the United States, 1850-2020]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V12.0
Bibliography
Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan. 2021a. “National composition, religion and language proficiency in the Republic of Kazakhstan: Results of the National Population Census of 2021.”
Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan. 2021b. “Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Results of the National Population Census of 2021.”
Central Intelligence Agency. n.d. “Kazakhstan - The World Factbook.” Retrieved February 28, 2024 (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kazakhstan/#geography).
IPUMS NHGIS. n.d. “National Historical Geographic Information System.” Retrieved February 28, 2024 (https://www.nhgis.org/).
IPUMS USA. 2020. “2016-2020, ACS 5-Year Sample.” Retrieved November 17, 2023 (https://usa.ipums.org/usa/sda/).