My First Day Of Elementary School

1.Contact with members of the lower castes always reminded him painfully of this physical inadequacy

I loved Mexico so much, but after suffering a kidnap attempt my parents decided that the best thing to do was to immigrate to America. Our life in Mexico was set and coming to the states was like starting all over again. Learning a new language, trying new foods, and adjusting to the American way of life was very difficult, but I fell in love with the country that witnessed my birth. During the migration from one country to the other, my family went from having everything to having nothing. I never thought that I would go very far in my academic achievements because I was always the kid who didn’t know English. I was that child who was once called a “Mojado” or “Wetback” only because I didn’t speak the language that everyone else did. Growing up in a neighborhood where drug smuggling was an everyday thing, I came to realize that the only way out of this cycle was through education. As a young boy, I decided that I was going to be bilingual and show everyone who made fun of me that I was capable of being educated in

I was born in a small ranch in Mexico, and raised in Oregon .My first year and a half I grew up with only my mother and grandmother, my father in the US trying to raise enough money to send to my mom and me . I came to the United States with my mom at the time in only understood Spanish. The Spanish language stayed with me up until I was 3 , I was the only child but my older cousins taught me a new foreign language. From the moment I learned to speak English to almost 14 years later, being a year away fro graduation its been a big struggle. Fighting against the "I cant's" and "failure" it's been a bumpy ride. Something that has really shaped my life is, as I grew up I didn't quite understand the meaning of immigrant, my 7 year old mind didn't

Coming back to the U.S. for the second time in my life after nine years was perhaps one of the most challenging obstacles I have ever had to face. Not only did I have to accustom myself to the language but also to a newer, differentiated culture. Also, with that came some bullying and taunting that did not pull me down but instead opened my eyes to see what a strong and enduring person I could be. With help from my teachers and my supporting family as they helped buffer my experience and transition to a different world, I was able to overcome the typical immigrant challenge that thousands have to face.

When I entered middle school I once again felt I was outsider, the friends that I had in elementary were all gone so I began my journey once more. Since Spanish was my first language whenever I spoke in English It sounded like Spanish to me. The older kids in my class would make fun of me and joke when I wasn't around. I felt I had no self-identity, esteem, or respect. As a result, my grades dropped and I felt as if there was no place for me in this world. I still remember crying kneeling in front of my mama telling her "por favor mama vamonos a Mexico para nuesta casa". My mother would respond that this was my for my advantage and that we had to scarafice what we had so our lives could be better. From that day on I promised myself that I wasn’t going to cry or put myself down for any reason.

Coming to a new country is hard, especally when you don’t know the language- up until I started school, it hadn’t been a problem for me. With the help of my parents, I was abe to overcome the challenge and become a great student. When I was in 4th grade, I was blessed with the opportunity to go to a better school where I’d recieve better education for

My mom brought me to America in 2002. This move was difficult as I had to leave my family behind. Up until then, I grew up in the midst of a large, extended family. I had cousins to play with and multiple adults to spoil me. Furthermore, moving to an entirely different continent where the culture and environment was different from what I was used to, did not help. I experienced quite a bit of culture shock and language became a problem. Those first few months when I could not communicate with my new classmates were lonely. On top of that, seeing my parents work so hard to build a new life in a country where we had no family to rely on, made me hate our situation. However, being an immigrant taught me some valuable lessons and shaped who I am today. At an early age, I learned to become more independent, more responsible. I had to learn to do certain tasks, such as making my lunchbox, doing my homework, by myself. I had to learn to adapt and to appreciate what we had. Each new place we moved to, I experienced something new. In Ohio, I learned what chicken tenders were. In New Jersey, I experienced my first snowfall. In Texas, I bought my first pair of cowboy boots. As I grew up, I learned to treasure what the United States had to

Our first year in the United States was one of the most difficult and challenging years of my entire life. I remember watching my mother cry every single day in the closet of that small one-bedroom apartment. Cried, because she missed home. Cried, because everywhere we went, she would feel the intense racist stares and mugs of people towards the new "immigrant family" in the neighborhood. Cried, because our way of life in Mexico was worthless here. My father struggled to find a job as his electrician certificate in Mexico was nothing more than a piece of

I was born in Kerala, India and was raised in Chicago, IL. I came to America at the age of three hoping for a better future. My father came to America first, and he lived with my Aunt who had three sons. After two years my father saved enough money to bring my mom, sister, and I to the US. During this time he would work as a dishwasher at a nursing home to support my family. After a month of living with my Aunty and her kids my dad found an apartment to rent. Eventually, we moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment with my family. That was the hardest time period for me due to language barriers. My sister and I started to learn English. However, my parents were struggling to learn a new language so we would have to go everywhere with them to translate. Another, difficulty that we faced was financial issues. At that time we were making ends-meet and we were scraping every penny that we got. Afterwards, my mom got her CNA license she started working two jobs when I was only four years old. Even till this day she is still working two jobs to support the

When I entered school my parents refused to place me in the Spanish-speaking classroom. They feared the discrimination I would face as an immigrant segregated from Americans, a complexity that they combated everyday in their lives. No matter what my parents tried, they could not shake the feeling that they did not belong here. So much so that I was forced into an English speaking class with barely any knowledge of the language. Although I was scared at first, I was an obedient student and thus able to blend in like any American child, just like my parents wanted. After a couple years, I even began to give my father basic lessons in the English language during dinnertime, explaining to him the difference between hot dog and perro caliente. Somewhere between my effortful pronunciation and accidental commentary in English, I lost him. He exclaimed that he didn't need to know English, that I knew it well enough for the entire family. As the reality hit me, my

My family decided to immigrate to America when I was a child, wanting to give my brother and I the opportunity to obtain an education here and lead a better life. However, coming to America, I struggled a lot. As an “outsider,” I did not understand American culture and it took me awhile to learn English. Everything was so much more spacious, so much more modern. Though, despite being a “foreigner” in this new land, my classmates and teachers were very accepting of me, welcoming me with open arms. With their help, and with the help of my family members, I began adapting to life here.

I was brought for the advantages America offered. In Mexico I saw how people tend to live with only 600 pesos a week, I witnessed how dropping out of school was seen as normal, and I saw how people are expected to marry young. I saw how 12-year-old were already acting like 20 years having boyfriends after boyfriends. To make it even more controversial they had boyfriends that were around 6 to 10 years older than them. School in general is not as supported as it is here. The government has no involvement in school expensive. The parents are expected to pay school tuition, uniforms, supplies and etc. Not being able to finish school, are the small details why my parents came to this country. They were in hope that their children would not live the life they once had. They wanted and expect better education for their children, an educated that would obtain them the opportunity for them to avoid jobs that they had. I still remember when I told my parents that I got accepted a university, the tears in my mother’s eyes and the pride in me fathers face made me realize that I was making them proud. I was making their sacrifices worth it. Once the three other acceptance letters came in, that was the conversation they would have with everyone they would see. As the first generation to attend a university, everyone supported me when my parents could not take me to the orientations my older cousins would come with

To begin with, until this day I can still feel what it felt like to come in as the new foreign kid. I felt my heart racing and the my cheeks turning red because I sat in a classroom and I knew the only language I knew was spanish. I felt like such an outcast because I knew I was different, and I knew I would have to work twice as hard as the other kids. I had to prove to my parents, my peers, and my teachers that I could pull through it

I was four years old when my parents decided to move from Mexico to the United States. We did not travel far from our hometown Mexicali, Baja California to Palm Springs, California, however, I understood the move was harsh on my parents. They had a stable life in Mexico. They were college honor graduates working in their desired work fields, but they did not settle. Instead, they sought more in a foreign country with minimal financial support and understanding of the American lifestyle. I did not realize how powerful my parent’s strength and ambitions for success was until my father lost his job. My dad was not home and would not be for a year. I was fourteen when my dad lost his job which caused him to return to Mexico for employment. Immediately,

Five years ago, when I first came to the United States, I was really worried about my future. This large country was brand new to me since I realized my English could not catch up with the language that the natives were using. Little did I know about the American culture and lifestyle. Therefore, thinking of getting to school or going to the supermarket made me shiver every time. My illusion on the new life in the U.S was totally vanished, I got pulled down by reality. I remembered those days, when I had to stay up until midnight to translate math word problems or to stand and stare at the teachers for a long period of time because I did not understand the instructions or their questions. It was a nightmare to me when I thought about going to