Welcome to America

5

Samuel, who is 2 1/2, was granted American citizenship by the U.S. Central Immigration Service Sept. 15. The new status is not yet meaningful to Samuel, a native of Haiti, but it means everything to his parents, Jill and Joe Wilkins of Portland.

Samuel was among 81 children at God’s Littlest Angels orphanage in Haiti who were brought to the United States weeks after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. They were flown to Miami where they were picked up by American parents who had been working for years to adopt them.

The Wilkinses had focused on getting citizenship granted to Samuel since he arrived in the United States. Samuel had been in limbo until he was granted citizenship. The child could not be granted a Social Security number, passport and more until he was a citizen. Even worse was the lingering threat of deportation. Samuel theoretically could been deported after the humanitarian parole visa he had been issued expired in 2012.

“There were a lot of unknowns, it was scary,’’ Jill Wilkins said.

Samuel is one of the few children from God’s Littlest Angels orphanage who came to the United States following the Jan. 12 quake to already be granted United States citizenship. The reason is the Wilkinses were further along in the adoption process than many other of the American families trying to adopt children from the orphanage.

“We felt lucky,’’ Jill said.

Had it not been for the earthquake, Samuel would likely not have been able to come to the United States to be with his parents until about now.

“The last eight or nine months were a complete gift,’’ said Jill, a 1994 graduate of Linfield College.

It was much easier for Samuel, because of his young age, to form bonds with his parents nine months ago than it would have been if he was just arriving in the United States, Wilkins said.

To help Samuel with his transition from orphanage life, several steps have been taken by his parents. They established a consistent routine of meals, naps, playtime and walks because Samuel was used to a rigid schedule at the orphanage.

Noise is another issue the Wilkinses addressed. Samuel is accustomed to constant noise because his orphanage was a loud place. The Wilkins home is a quiet place so Jill and Joe had to boost the decibel level to make Samuel feel comfortable. They began playing music in the room he sleeps in and operating fans and a humidifier.

Samuel arrived in the United States in fairly good health but did have to be treated for two parasites he likely obtained from the poor drinking water in Haiti. The child was not injured in the Jan. 12 earthquake after being held by a orphanage staff member during the geologic upheaval

God’s Littlest Angels, about 40 miles from Port-au-Prince, the epicenter of the quake, escaped major damage but many things fell to the floor, creating a substantial mess. Fortunately Samuel was probably too young at the time of the quake to be haunted by memories of it.

“I don’t think he’ll remember it,’’ Joe said.

Last weekend was one of several firsts for Samuel, who visited his grandparents’ small farm.

“He had his first tractor ride and his first ear of corn,’’ Jill said.

Both of which he enjoyed with gusto and a continuous smile.

“He is a good kid who has a good heart,’’ his mother said.

He also has a high public profile, just like his parents. Their efforts to get Samuel to the United States following the earthquake were well documented in newspapers and on television. CNN’s Larry King interviewed the Wilkinses three times between Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 as he chronicled the couple’s efforts.

King’s producer has continued to be interested in the story and wanted to have the Wilkins interviewed on “Larry King Live” on the six-month anniversary of Samuel’s arrival in the United States. The Wilkinses were not able to be interviewed, however, because they were on vacation at the time.

The publicity the family has received likely spurred the United States government to make it easier for couples to get the Haitian children they were adopting to this country. The Wilkinses are grateful for the interest. Still, the national attention came with a price. The family last winter was recognized everywhere it went in Portland.

Once while they were walking down a sidewalk a man driving by slammed on his brakes, noted that he recognized the family from television interviews and newspaper articles, and began excitedly talking to them.

“We couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized,’’ Jill said.

She emphasized that the attention has been only a minor problem and that people greeting them have always been polite and encouraging. She said it is a small tradeoff for all the help the attention provided.

Jill started a blog last winter about her family’s experiences in adopting Samuel, one she continually updates and is receiving about 100 hits a day. The blog’s address is www.wilkinsstuff.blogspot.com.