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Business & Tech

Immigrant Gets Early Upgrade to the American Dream

To some the American dream may be owning a Harley, but for Nas Hadjiat it's the opportunity to own his own computer repair business.

Young Nas Hadjiat got a call from his family while he was studying mathematics and computer programming at a Parisian university. They told him to come home. They were moving to America.

Hadjiat packed his belongings and rushed back to his native country of Algeria, located in northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea from France, to immigrate with his parents and younger brother and sister. The family had been awarded Green Cards through the United States’ Diversity Immigrant Visa Program which gives about 50,000 permanent resident cards a year in countries with low immigration rates.

Although Hadjiat lived in a foreign country for school, France had not been a culture shock for him.

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Since Algeria was ruled by France for a more than a century until it declared its independence in 1962, “there is still much French culture in Algeria," Hadjiat said. "We watch French TV and our language is similar.” 

Hadjiat spoke little English and had only taken one class in it. When he arrived in Pasco County at the end of 2008, he enrolled in free ESOL classes.  

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“ESOL was a wonderful program," he said. "Not only do they help you with English, but they teach you about American culture… like what to do if there is a hurricane,” Hadjiat laughed. Hadjiat studied with ESOL for a year and now, after only four years in the country he has only the hint of an accent.

Hadjiat loved computers as a kid. As a teenager, he began to teach himself how they worked. In November, he began working for A+ Computer Repair on Main Street next to . Then the opportunity came for him to buy the company.

“I always knew I wanted to work for myself, to be an entrepreneur and when this opportunity came to the door, I took it,” he said. 

The arrangements for Hadjiat to become full owner finalize in June. He intends to change the company name to Florida Computer Solutions.

While Hadjiat’s ambitions are becoming true, his parents building their own version of the American dream.

“My father always said if he ever got to America he would be a truck driver and own a Harley. Now he is a truck driver and he’s saving for a Harley. My mother owned her own pharmacy in Algeria. She is now a pharmacy technician and is working on her pharmacist’s certification,” Hadjiat said.

Florida Computer Solutions (or A+ Computer Repair for a little while longer) serves all your computer needs including adapters, upgrades and virus removal. The shop can speed up sluggish computers or upgrade graphic cards to allow for gaming. It provides a three-month warranty on all repairs and offers remote support and onsite repair. Hadjiat’s a patient teacher and cares about customer service.

Bring that pokey desktop in for a speed boost or buy a refurbished laptop and then  on Patch!  

Want to go?

  • Where: , 1274 Main St.
  • Contact: 727-734-2153
  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, closed.
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