On June 18th 2000, Filipino-American entrepreneur Reagan John Rada arrived in the United Sates. It was supposed to be just a few months of vacation. But his experience with the immigration officer who questioned him upon arrival was shocking, unpleasant, harrowing – which included being interrogated for hours, and all the contents of his 2 small suitcases were carefully examined as if he were a criminal.
The ironic thing is, this was what convinced him NOT to go back to the Philippines anymore. “If I make it out alive, I told myself, I’d never want to go through this #immigration process again; so I might as well stay put here in the U.S.”
He first worked as a private caregiver, working for an old couple who called him “dog”. But after a few months, he said he couldn’t take their abuse anymore – verbal and physical. So he left, even without another job.
While he didn’t have a job, he started cooking food to sell to others. And during this time, one of his family/friends told him of a job opening in a jewelry store in downtown Los Angeles. It was for a cleaner and runner boy. And because money had been tight, he took the job. But that proved to be one of the best decisions he ever made in his life.
From janitor, he rose to become a jewelry designer. And when Dame #ElizabethTaylor fell in love with one of his designs, that was it! She would eventually buy the small store he worked for; and hired him to be one of her jewelry designers. She even took care of his U.S. visa and subsequent citizenship! And when the Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s company went public, Reagan was set for life, in his 20s.
But life had another twist…
When the U.S. stock market crashed in 2008, all of Reagan’s dreams crashed along with it. No more shares. No more employment. No more money. He said all he had was his green card, so he just used it to go back to the Philippines which he hadn’t see since he left in 2000.
Reagan goes on to talk about being called to New York by one fo the jewelry shops he’s worked with. They offered him a job so he want back to America. And it’s been an even wilder ride since!
Reagan is now one of the most esteemed Filipino-American entrepreneurs in New York — now producing concerts like that of Philippine celebrity Vice Ganda; opening a jewelry store; and have even opened a grocery story during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this segment, that originally filmed in November 2019 and aired on TV in January 2020 – Reagan traces his immigration story from the Philippines to America where he chased and fulfilled his American Dream!