Personal Narrative: Easily Done In America

Studying in a foreign country is an interesting experience of an individual lifetime. One tends to learn a number of things relating to ways of life in a foreign land. Social, political and economic values and aspects are usually different from one region to another. Therefore, through studying abroad one is able to learn different issues about another society such as gender and sexuality issues, social class and race/ethnicity issues. Having come from a developing country studying in the U.S.A has been a great experience personally. This paper will attempt to provide a reflection of my personal experience on studying in the U.S by comparing the history of Angola and the U.S.

Growing up in Ghana, I had heard a lot of things about the U.S. This was a country I had always wanted to visit; my prayer was answered when I got the opportunity to travel there. Arriving in a new environment came with many experiences. Adjusting with food, language and the weather was not easy. With the passage of time, however I have been able to0 adjust and fit it. This write-up therefore is to elaborate on my experiences since coming to U.S.

I didn’t believe in aliens until I was abducted by them. I was put in some kind of contraption and I’m not sure what happened exactly, but it’s clear that I’m not where I was. Everything in 2016 is different, I don’t know if I’m in a different state or not but people are dressing differently and acting differently, and the cars, the cars are all different! I’ve been here for quite some time now and have noticed a lot of differences from where I lived in Oceanside, California in 1940. I’ve been transported to the year 2016 and there are so many things that have changed and evolved and among them are political, economic, social, and cultural changes.

America’s gift to my generation is amazing because veterans have used all their potential for us. They fought for us to be alive right now. Their gift to us is much more than I expected. I am so thankful and I appreciate all they have done for us.

In class we watched a video over a very opinionated male who explained the reason why America is not great. I have a lot of respect for this man and I think that he brought up some extremely valid points that I have never thought about. What I mainly want to touch on is the fact that he accused my generation of being apathetic. He basic says that we could care less and are lazy good for nothings. The best response I can think of is, look at who raised us. Now, I am not saying that it is entirely our parents fault or their parents fault for the reason why teenagers do not care about school, grades, or the world. I am just saying that it is unfair to put the entire blame on my generation saying that we are the reason why the America is not great. He makes it seem that as soon as my

I would like to see who could survive as long he did with just books that state some facts. We all have this idea that we could do better then anyone else. For example, the elections are coming up. Numerous people believed that Barack Obama was a lousy president and can not wait to see him leave. The same people also say how they would be a much better president than him. I have no idea how to run a country with millions of people in it and I have a very high suspicion that others who aren’t in politics no either. Just like this not everyone is an expert on how to survive in Alaska.

In this life everyone in the world has opportunities, especially people from United States. In this country everyone is able to find financial help, either from the government or organizations, for education (Scholarships, FAFSA), and for health (Obama care, financial assistance). Sadly, some people are lazy or they just can’t get the help.

America is a nation built on the backs of the weak. People from all forms of faith, belief, and nationalities came together, from persecuted, backgrounds to build the nation we exist in. My family was one such group of people. Irish immigrants, we moved from the homeland to the New World to be rid of a famine that was starving our people. In America we found new opportunities, but also much opposition. Racial classification and prejudice ruled in the mid to late 60s and beyond. This was during the time that Mr. Bernie Sanders began his rise to power. With a platform of protecting the weak, and building the middle class. This man is poised to revolutionize America. In the face of adversity, he stands firm and strong.

When I think of the American Identity I think of who we are as a country. From day one we have been fighters and just trying to make this a better place than we found it. Still today we are fighting, not only trying to help our country but to also help our neighbors in need. If you are being kicked out of your own home, out of your country America will bring you in, If you are hungry America will feed you, If you want a future America will educate you. This is the land that will give you a chance in life, to do or be something amazing.If you can’t see that then open your eyes because it is all right in front of you.

That’s basically all I could understand as I left the immigration center. People all around me were talking in languages I had only studied in textbooks, which barely helped. That was the first time I could really look around and see where I was. The sound of car engines roared in my ears as I walked across the street; people squashed into a small bus while chattering in a garbled language that made no sense. Everywhere I looked I saw chaos, and I couldn’t have been happier.

I feel that America’s greatest gift to my generation would be freedom. Freedom has technically given me life, an education, and has taught me important life lessons. I would not want to live in a country that is not free.

Grand cars drive down our street. Radios are now practically in every home and play news and stories for families to listen to. Homes are stocked with new appliances, the latest technologies. Some may say that our great country has reached a golden age of prosperity and wealth. However, take a look from a different perspective, and you’ll see that this isn’t the case. America is not the land of the free. Technology may have advanced, but socially, we’ve remained stagnant. Some of our citizens are still shackled by the ties of racial and sexual inequality, and freedom is something they long desperately to grasp.

On my first day of pre-kindergarten, I entered the classroom slowly placing one foot onto the ground after another gripping onto my Strawberry Shortcake backpack tightly seeking protection. I arrived at the classroom door and noticed something. The children frolicking around the room playing tag were different. The other children had skin the color of snow and chocolate, while mine resembled that of caramel. Of course, I had encountered those of other races or ethnicities, however it was overwhelming and quite sudden for me, for some reason. Perhaps I had expected all the other children to look similar to me. I had not realized at the time that my town had had very few Indians at the time, and had a white and black majority. I had been quite

I personally found trying to find a single “Social Norm” to break challenging so I chose to do two instead. The first was to end my phone calls with I love you, and to talk to a stranger in the bathroom stall next to my own. Which is how I confessed my undying love to a coworker. Working at a casino, employees have to call surveillance for anytime they move around with money or have to be escorted to the vault. I’m a pretty lively person but going into work, I started to get this bashful nature about myself especially the closer it came to performing both of the social norms I gave myself to break.

I sit for another minute or so before I head downstairs. As I walk down the staircase, I trace my hands along the cherry wood railings. The stairs, of course, are hardwood. I look out the window before heading in to see if my dad is home yet, even though I know he won’t be.