Going into this interview project I was curious to learn more about the experiences that immigrants had to go through. My interviewee, Mario, is an 18 year old immigrant that migrated to America from Bolivia at the age of 10. I have known Mario since middle school and we’ve been friends since then. We have grown up around the same area too and now we both attend the University of Maryland. Being a 1.5 generation immigrant myself, I was interested to see if we shared similar experiences growing up in America especially since we’ve grown up around the same area. My interview with Mario has given me deeper understanding of the difficulties and challenges immigrants have to go through in their first few years in America. Through Mario’s experiences, …show more content…
they did not move around at all. He still lives in the home he first arrived to. After he had arrived he tells me that it was hard to accept the reality of having to fit in to American society. However, the diversity of the neighborhood made him feel more welcome. The area in which they settled was full of many people of different backgrounds. He was one of many of the immigrants that lived there. The challenge of going into a new territory without family or people of the same ethnicity can be intimidating and so many immigrants migrate into ethnic enclaves or place where there family is nearby. This can reinforce culture and make the transition into new land more comforting. The Hmong refugees settled into America in a manner where they are supportive of their own ethnicity and they built a community of Hmong in America to help other Hmong settle into America (Vang 2010:57). Contrary to how the Hmong settled into America, Mario settled away from people of his ethnicity and family and so adapting to the new surroundings was difficult at first but with little ties to his culture from Bolivia it made it easier for him to assimilate into a new culture. Living in a diverse community has many benefits when it comes to fitting in. With so …show more content…
Interviewing a friend did take off the stress of making mistakes and we had a great time. The whole interview went well aside from taking too long to take notes. The interview was interesting for both Mario and I. We thought that it made us aware about the struggles that we had to go through and at the end we realized the positive impact that migrating to America has made on our lives. However, we both feel that our experiences were not as difficult as how it was portrayed in the books and movies about the challenges that immigrants face. I did not feel as though this experience was an eye opener since Mario’s experiences were similar to mine. Perhaps if I had an interviewee with a much different background I would have more insight on the experiences of immigrants. What intrigued me the most was when Mario asked me “I wonder what more life has to offer if we migrated to more places. To think that simply moving to America can change us so much, think about what life would be if we moved to japan or something, would be become more Japanese than American after a few years? How would our background affect things like education or assimilation? It’s crazy that migrating has such a powerful impact on a
His mother could not accept that, so after his father left the family she decided to move to Pasadena, California with the children. First, they
By all means; the Imperfect Mexican-American When I was younger, I couldn't fathom what my parents meant when they said ‘‘Cruce la frontera para que tengan una mejor vida,’’ In other words, I crossed the border for my children to have the future they longed for; their American dream. I understood the troubles and sacrifices they went through and felt the pain they carried for leaving their motherland, yet I didn't understand what life they were looking for me and my sisters. Years later, one afternoon, my sister greets us with the news that she got accepted to college, I thought this is it, the better life my parents wished for us, the sacrifices they made are paying off, yet to my surprise what was suppose to be proudness turned out to be
In 2000, 36% of New York residents were foreign born. Today, the majority of New Yorkers have a close immigrant connection – if they themselves are not
Your authenticity of sharing this story has really come out during your presentation. You provided a social context that illustrates the reality of immigrant workers who have come to the United States and the sacrifices made for survival. I could tell that the artifacts used in your basket were very enduring to you especially the book belonging to your grandfather and the rich family history that connects us to your mother, Louisa. The climax of your story left me wondering if Louisa was going to get caught returning the dress and reminded me of a Cinderella story.
I believe the difficult journey for immigrants and all they had to do to start over in a new country was worth the hardships they faced. This is because after all their hard work, things slowly but surely, started to get better. The hardest part was getting started. Although many immigrants were leaving for a better life or trying to escape political injustice, these men, women, and children were leaving their old life forever. In “Shutting Out the Sky”, Leonard Covello remembered before leaving Italy, “The gold you find in America will not be in the streets…
Even though there were some people who were not too kind to be with, I have also found people who were trying to help me understand what they were learning. Being an immigrant can be a hard thing, but I got
Being a child of immigrant parents makes you appreciate life so much because everyday it’s an opportunity to be the best you can be to make everyone around you proud. My parents can’t got back to school and get an education so being able to see me succeed is worth their hard work. My parents have taught me to never give up. I know that some doors may be closed on me but that doesn’t mean other doors won’t open. I want to be someone who represents the Hispanic community.
Both my parents first came to the U.S illegally to find better work opportunities. They would cross the border and vist large American cities in states such as Kansas, Illinois, California, Texas, and Georgia. With the money they earned working in seasonal industrial or agricultural jobs, they would return back to Mexico and help care for their families. Eventually, my parents decided to settle down together and they permanently migrated to Georgia. They choose Dalton, Georgia specifically because of the abundant available work there was
One of the toughest adjustments, having been born to Mexican parents, is migrating to an unknown country where traditions and languages differ from one 's own. Though many pursue an education and strive for a better life, the purpose behind an immigrant, like myself, differs from the typical American. Immigrants strive for a life that was once impossible, going to school is not only to attain an education, but to better prove that we can also become successful regardless of our traditions and skin color. I lived in a country for over fifteen years, fearing deportation, not only losing a home, but potentially saying goodbye to a bright future. Although many feel empathy for Mexican-Americans, it is undeniably difficult to truly comprehend the immense trauma children and even adults undergo upon experiencing racism and prejudice.
Both his parents could not afford to live in a nice neighborhood and had to live in rough neighborhoods in Southeast Los Angeles. Things were not going well with the family, thus almost causing the family to go to Mexico, but his own mother knew that being a single parent with
The United States was a growing, prosperous nation in the 1800’s. They were the shining example of democracy and freedom for citizens. As people watched the US grow, they wanted to be a part of a great country. Immigrants flooded in from everywhere around the world to become American citizens as shown in Document A where the US was compared to Noah’s ark and shows immigrants escaping taxes, kings and opression. The American citizens began to express frustration with the overwhelming amount of immigrants coming to the United States.
Ten years ago, I immigrated to the United States and ever since I have been an undocumented immigrant. Due to my legal status in the United States, I felt like I was restricted from certain situations and possessions and would never be able to succeed. I was not living the normal life of a seven-year-old. Instead, I had to learn to cope and adapt to a whole new culture. Even though the drastic change at such a young age was a challenge, it has shaped who I am today.
Numerous stories are heart retching and devastating. Trying to imagine being in the shoes of those immigrants is almost impossible, as I have been blessed with a wonderful problem-free life. Unfortunately, I am unable to even relate to any of the several issues immigrants encountered daily, as I have never experienced anything they have suffered through. Although, I personally cannot attest to such horrible experiences, I can promote acceptance and equality among immigrants in America. Similarly, a quote by Carlos Ramirez suggests the same.
I interviewed my Dad he immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. he’s been in America for about 24 years and he’s 38 years old now. Question one #5: Is your life better here, if so, how, if not, how?
There are many challenges that immigrants face throughout their lives. Many immigrants are able to come to the U.S., but it is not easy as it seems. One challenge that immigrants go through is being able to have respect that the U.S. citizens have. Another challenge that immigrants face is being able to adapt to the new environment. People who arrive in the U.S. might not be able to speak English.