The death of his father jeopardized his chances of a successful career, so he immigrated to the United States and became a naturalized citizen, changing his name to Henry Conrad Joannes Heusken. However, he found that life in New York City was difficult as well, and was forced to move from job to job based on his contacts with the local Dutch community. In 1855, these same contacts introduced him to Townsend Harris, who had been appointed for the first United States Consul General to Japan, and who was looking for a personal assistant and interpreter in the only European language the Japanese were familiar with.[3]