First generation Gen Z’ers are moving abroad for a better life

>> I THOUGHT I WOULD FALL IN LOVE WITH AN AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN DREAM OF LIKE PROGRESS IN MAKING SOMETHING OF YOURSELF AND FEELING HOW I CAME TO THE REALIZATION RECENTLY THAT I ACTUALLY DIDN'T WANT THIS LIFE IN SOME WAYS. IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING. BUT IN OTHER WAYS, I'M VERY ACCEPTING OF THAT DREAM BEING DEAD. AND I'M JUST READY TO MAKING YOUR DREAMS. >> RANIA SAW IS A FIRST IN AMERICAN. SHE WAS BORN IN VIRGINIA. HER PARENTS ARE PALESTINIAN AND LIVED IN FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO THE U.S.. SHE SPENT HER CHILDHOOD IN JORDAN BEFORE COMING BACK TO AMERICA WHEN SHE WAS 15 WHEN HE ATTENDED AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ON A FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP AND GRADUATED IN 2022. WITH A DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH. AFTER STRUGGLING WITH JOB SECURITY AND HER HEALTH, SHE'S DECIDED TO PACK UP HER ENTIRE LIFE AND LEAVE THE U.S. FOR GOOD. >> I GRADUATED IMMEDIATELY STARTED WORKING, BUT I HAVE LUPUS. SO MY GOGOGO WAS KIND OF FORCIBLY STOPPED. I HAVE TO QUIT MY JOB JUST BECAUSE OF MY WITH THIS WAS GETTING REALLY BAD. AND I WORKED A LOT OF LUPUS PATIENTS AND THAT WAS VERY AFFECTED BY MENTAL HEALTH. >> THE UNITED STATES IS KIND OF THE HUB OF AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS. THERE WERE 10, MANY YEARS AGO AND JUST IN AMERICA, WE'VE DEVELOPED OVER 100 KINDS. SHE SHARED HER STORY OF LIVING WITH AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE ON TIKTOK. AND IT DREW OVER 2.5 MILLION VIEWERS. GUYS, I KID YOU NOT. I WENT TO MY RHEUMATOLOGIST TODAY. HE >> WAS ANTICIPATING THAT. A LOT OF MY STRESS WOULD GO AWAY WHEN I MOVE ABROAD AND THEREFORE MY LUPUS WOULD GET BETTER AND ALSO THE QUALITY OF FOOD. >> SHE KEPT SAYING I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU. I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU. EVEN WITH HER DEGREE IN CERTIFICATIONS. >> RANIA SAID SHE COULDN'T LAND A PROFESSIONAL JOB. HERE I AM UNEMPLOYED. >> PURSUING MY MASTERS. I HAVE MANY, MANY, MANY CERTIFICATES ASIDE FROM MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND I CAN'T EVEN LAND LIKE AN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION. WHAT MADE YOU REALIZE YOU NEED TO LEAVE? I THINK THE PAST 5 MONTHS WHERE I HIT 500 JOB APPLICATIONS. I GOT SO DEPRESSED BECAUSE I BLAMED MYSELF. I FELT VALUELESS. I FELT LIKE MY EXISTENCE DIDN'T MATTER. YOU KNOW, ONE DAY I WAS JUST SPEAKING TO MY FATHER AND HE ACTUALLY SUGGESTED HE'S LIKE YOU'RE NOT STUCK THERE. YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? SO WHERE ARE YOU GOING? AND WHEN LEAVING? SO I AM MOVING NEXT WEEK. I'M GOING TO END UP IN QATAR TO HAVE MY SISTER THERE. SHE MOVED THERE A FEW YEARS AGO FROM LONDON AND HER LIFE GOT SO MUCH BETTER. SHE'S VERY, VERY HAPPY, VERY FINANCIALLY STABLE. AND SO IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT OPTION. THEY CHECKED ALL MY BOXES. >> RANIA SAYS IT WAS HARD TO MAKE ENDS MEET IN DC. >> RENT IS ALWAYS A HUGE STRESSOR. MY CAR PAYMENTS ON A DAY-TO-DAY. IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR FRIENDS ASKING YOU OUT TO EAT AND YOU SAY ACTUALLY I CAN. IT'S GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE AND LOOKING FOR THE DEALS. >> NO INFLATION SHOWS SIGNS OF COOLING FOOD PRICES WENT UP 3.3% FROM MAY 2023 TO MAY 2024, ACCORDING TO THE USDA, RENT HAS STEADILY INCREASED SINCE THE PANDEMIC. ONE STUDY BY THE NEW YORK FED ESTIMATES A GEN X'ERS ON AVERAGE HAVE ABOUT $21,000 OF STUDENT DEBT. AND WE JUST AREN'T WORKING WITH THE SAME SET UP AS OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS. INCOMES HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH HOME PRICES. THE AMERICAN DREAM AS A PROMISE THAT. >> WE SEE YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL WORK HARD AND YOU WILL PUT ALL YOUR EFFORTS INTO MAKING IT OUT IN THE UNITED STATES. THE OUTCOME IS GUARANTEED. WELL, THAT'S NOT THE CASE. ALMOST 20% OF ALL IMMIGRANTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE IN THE >> STATES THAT ALL OF US AS THE EXACT NUMBER OF AMERICANS LIVING ABROAD IS HARD TO PIN DOWN. BUT THE UN ESTIMATES THAT ALMOST 3 MILLION AMERICANS LIVE IN OTHER COUNTRIES, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF OVER 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE SINCE THE 90'S RANIA SAYS SHE'LL BE KEEPING HER AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP AND WILL CONTINUE TO PAY TAXES WHILE SHE STILL HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE. SHE'S NOT PLANNING ON IT. >> I THINK AMERICAN POLITICS IS A JOKE. EVEN IF I HAD STAYED, I WOULDN'T HAVE VOTED IN THE ELECTION. I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT NO MATTER WHICH PARTY IS IN POWER, NO MATTER WHICH FACE IT, IT'S IT'S KIND OF THE SAME SYSTEM. I THINK THERE ARE ANY RIGHTS THAT YOU'LL BE GIVING UP. ONCE YOU MOVE TO QATAR ON THE OUTSIDE, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE I'M GIVING UP MY RIGHT TO THE DEMOCRACY INTO THAT KIND OF FREEDOM TO SAY WHATEVER I WANT TO DO, WHATEVER I WANT, I THINK WE HAVE THE LUGE AND FREEDOM IN AMERICA. >> I AM GOING TO A SEMI CONSERVATIVE MONARCHY. THAT BEING SAID TO GIVE UP MY RIGHT TO VOTE AS A TRADE FOR A SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE. >> I'M SO LUCKY AND PRIVILEGED AND I WILL REPEAT TEST BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST PICK UP AND DO I DO. >> I'M AN AMERICAN WHO LEFT AMERICAN. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE VERY RANDOM THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT HERE IN AMERICA. I WAS MAKING AN ACTIVE EFFORT TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE I REALIZE THAT I WAS ALWAYS FRESH ING TO DO EVERYTHING AND GO EVERYWHERE, EVEN IF I WASN'T AND A BRUSH. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS IS CLOSER TO WHAT HUMANS SHOULD BE LIVING LIKE. THEN AMERICA IS SO AS AMERICAN LEFT AMERICA, I CAN CONFIRM THAT I DO NOT REGRET IT.