Tag Page ImmigrantExperience

My Landlord Started a War With Us—Because We’re Immigrants

My family is from Pakistan, renting a two-bedroom apartment in New Jersey. Right after we moved in, the landlord became picky about everything—our cooking “smells too strong,” our relatives are “too loud,” our shoes at the door look “messy.” But the real conflict began after we asked him to fix the heating. The temperature in our unit was 58°F in winter. My sister was shivering in her sleep. When we asked him to repair it, he said, “Buy a space heater yourselves. Not my responsibility.” We looked up the law—it is his responsibility. When we sent him the legal requirement, he replied: “You people don’t really belong in this building. Maybe find a place that fits your… culture better.” At that moment I realized this wasn’t about noise or heat. It was about us being immigrants. We’re looking for legal help now, but what scares me most isn’t the lawsuit— It’s getting evicted simply for asking for our rights. #TenantRights #ImmigrantExperience #HousingJustice