My Experience As An Immigrant From A Middle Class Family

About 13% of the United States population are immigrants. Most immigrants come to the United States due to the many opportunities that this country offers. The American dream is often referring to the ideal life that an immigrant might obtain in the United States. The American dream is different for everyone, some want to study, others will like to be homeowners, or become rich; whichever goal an immigrant sets for themselves once they arrive in the U.S becomes their American dream. There are several factors that stop immigrants from achieving their goals, for example the language barrier, a complete change in lifestyle, and even racism. However, the biggest struggle for an immigrant is not to adapt to their new ambiance; the most difficult

There were three lessons that my immigrant parents ingrained in their first-generation children: Work hard, never give up, and most importantly, give back. Among other life lessons they taught us, these three were the basis for everything. It would be the basis that would and will define me as a person.

The best advice I have ever given myself is to never forget where I come from. I am happy to acknowledge my family and my cultural roots. I am first generation born in The United States. My parents migrated from Mexico in hopes to look for better opportunities for my siblings and I. The United States for my parents represented the pathway to success, they wanted to start a family where education is offered to any student and no child is left behind. As well as jobs are easier to find. For that I am extremely grateful and have been positively influenced of living in a place where opportunities are offered.

“Mom, will I ever be treated as a regular person? When will I be like the others without people look at me in a strange way and make fun of me, when mom? When?” Those were the questions I did to my mom almost every day after getting home from school. Fourteen years ago that my parents brought me to this country offering a better life with better opportunities than where I was born. I was seven years old when came to the United States, but I still remember the happiness I felt when I first step in this country. Throughout the years, I have realize that not everything is easy and simple as I imagined. My parents worked in the fields because of the lack of a social security and not knowing how to speak English. Many Americans do not know how hard it is the life of an immigrant, they should have a consideration for us and not just blame us for the deviance of the United States.

Humanity is ever so much more complicated than one could have ever imagined. Humans can thrive on change, but ultimately look for something to declare as home. In search of this home people travel long distances and risk everything they have. When an American contemplates the word immigrant, one imagines the countless people from Mexico crossing into our country or the refugees that hope to make this country their home. What eludes most of us, however, is the reality that most people were, at one point, immigrants to this country and that our forefathers came here exactly the same as refugees come today. What is brought to mind when I hear the word immigrant is hope and perseverance. I remember the countless people who have traveled here

It is not uncommon to hear one recount their latest family reunion or trip with their cousins, but being a first generation immigrant, I sacrificed the luxury of taking my relatives for granted for the security of building a life in America. My parents, my brother, and I are the only ones in my family who live in the United States, thus a trip to India to visit my extended family after 4 years was an exciting yet overwhelming experience. Throughout the trip, I felt like a stranger in the country where I was born as so many things were unfamiliar, but there were a few places that reminded me of my childhood.

Living a good life as an immigrant in America is a big challenge. In fact, getting a reasonable life is not easy in many countries around the world, but as an immigrant in the United States that involves huge determinations. Thus, anyone who decides to move to another place or community should expect to face many challenges. Most of the time, an immigrant’s reason(s) for leaving their country is based on a hard life for some without figuring out that life in the USA might be harder as well as a better life for others who may have a good life in their motherland. Generally, they are all disappointed by what they encounter. Denis Hunt, a director of Multi-cultural Human Services, a Falls Church, Virginia-based organization that helps immigrants adjust to life in the United States, said “the issues immigrants face can be even more daunting. Most immigrant parents who arrive in new communities are faced with immediate challenges to their survival, including securing a job, finding a place to live, buying food, and enrolling their children in school" (“US immigrants face new challenges”). Despite this situation, it is conceivable for immigrants regardless their origin, to live a good life in America. However, it cannot happen merely by snapping their fingers; massive efforts are required, including working hard, learning English, resolving transportation issues, understanding of the culture, and getting

Based on my life I have seen many different things because I have two different cultural backgrounds. I was born in the United States, but my family is from Iraq and we are first generation immigrants to the United States. I am the first child in my family to be born in the United States I am the 11th child in my family I have 6 sisters and 4 brothers almost all, but two were born in Iraq. One of my older sisters was born in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia when my parent fled Iraq. I have been to many countries and have had my mind opened to many different cultures and the way it may affect each society and in turn changed my life.

When we think about the childhood, we think about everything we have passed through, the good and bad moments since we were toddlers until the moment we have grown up. My childhood and the form I was raised it’s what has shaped me as a person. The stuff I learned and I have seen in my family it's what I make part of who I am and for me to give away. I grew up in a Mexican family in Acuña Coahuila, Mexico, with 3 children and I’m the oldest child and we were a family chasing the American Dream.

I think that the immigrants will be treated very badly by the middle and lower classes because they provide tough competition for jobs. They would work for very low wages, therefore, giving them more jobs. This would mean all the other people that had that job would lose it in place of a cheaper

New York City is renowned for its diverse cultural makeup, exemplified by the various ethnic neighborhoods scattered within its interior. As a result, it has consistently been deemed America’s immigrant capital. Similarly, I grew up in a country with over 50 different ethnicities, each with a unique culture and set of customs. I attended a Muslim elementary school and a majority Christian high school, all while growing up in a Hindu neighborhood. Between friends and family I celebrated Christmas, Eid and Diwali. I took my experiences from navigating different Arab, Indian and African cultures and used them to further broaden my horizons while living in the U.S. By traveling and living various parts of the world, I have developed life skills

In my eyes showing a great deal about the experience of immigrant life in America would be when Americans can start loving one another and stop hating. Being an American is a wonderful thing. We are all free, and we have brave soldiers that fight for us so we can enjoy our lives. Not to mention, we have very beautiful places that could be visited here. However, is the experience of America all that it was before?

I am writing this to show the world my experience as an immigrant. Currently, my family and I have just moved to America from Europe. Millions of others have taken the same path. More than half of all immigrants in the United States were from eastern and southern Europe, including Italy, Greece, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Serbia. Statistics show that more than 70 percent of the immigrants are men who are either working to be able to purchase land in Europe or to bring family members to America. The reason my family and I have come to America is in hopes of finding better jobs that would let us escape poverty and the restrictions of social class in Europe. Others moved to avoid forced military service, which may last several years in some nations.

However, my joy is marred by the fact that I have to cope with significant financial problems. During all these years I was forced to take low-wage jobs and, as a result, I don’t have any savings. I live on my own. My amazing parents have supported me morally and financially throughout my life, but they are not young already and close to retirement age. As a 30-year-old woman, I realize that very soon it will be my turn to take care of them. I live alone and have to pay all learning and living costs and to support myself. My student loan will not cover my accommodation costs. These are the realities of my life. That is why receiving this scholarship means a lot to me. It will give me the opportunity to complete my education and subsequently will allow me to succeed in life. Therefore, any financial help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Since I have been enrolled into The University of Southern Mississippi I have enjoyed every aspect of the college. At the university, I have been given many leadership opportunities and became lifelong members of a lot of great organizations. However, being an out of state high school graduate I was forced to take out several loans in order to pay for my schooling. Also, while working different part time jobs while maintaining a 3.0 or higher each semester was sometimes a struggle for me. Until I was fortunate enough to receive an out of state scholarship to pay for school and still then still then I would work a part-time work study job. Unfortunately, as a first generation college student, I was unaware of all of the expenses that came along with a university. My mother tried to help as much as she could, yet she was only able to do so much, having only one source of income in the form of a disability check. Therefore, in order for me to get through school every year, I would take out more and more loans. Now that I have recently found out that I have exceeded my limit for subsidized loans. This means for grad school I would have to take out more unsubsidized loans in addition to the subsidized and unsubsidized loans I currently have. Such burden drags me back on my aspiration towards exploring my potential in many aspects that require financial