Personal Narrative: Life 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.

The way the story begins is probably the same as others. Obviously you are born and raised somewhere. Well my story began in Worcester Massachusetts. I was born on January 15th, 1995, to wonderful parents who people might think is not your usual mix. My mother is from the Dominican Republic and my father is from Ecuador. Yes, I know, the weirdest mix ever but it brought me into this world, so I'm proud.

Growing up in America, I have always been surrounded by many cultures and different ethnic groups. Many of those cultures differ from my own traditionally. For the first half of my life, I was raised in detroit, a predominantly black city - I had always assumed. My family eventually moved out of Detroit and we moved to Inkster. Inkster was a much smaller city, but it was also a predominantly black city. In 2011, my family moved from Inkster, Michigan to Canton, Michigan. Although the two cities are less than a half hour apart - the cultural and ethnic groups are extremely diverse. While attending my freshman year of high school in Canton I realized, I was a minority there. More than half of the student body, more than half of the community

It was a small thing, the bright green of youth. I planted it on the 3rd, in my freshman year, with the Green Thumb Club at my high school.

Growing up in America, the majority of people are never worried about where their next meal is coming from or how it was prepared. I have personally been spoiled throughout my life always having an abundant supply of food along with a mother that cooked every meal for me. I dreaded waking up at 5am every morning to head off to the chicken house and pick up, at times, hundreds of dead chickens. Taking Food Science 1000 this semester, I now have a wealth of knowledge about food and food science. I now have a greater appreciation for farmers worldwide as their hard work provides billions of families with food. It has shown me that even small family operations, like my family's, still make a huge impact on the world. Before this class I never really

As an international student, it is critical to consider schools which are friendly towards persons who may not share the same culture as the major population of the student body. Having lived and thrived in a culture so different from my own for sometime, I have learned that for the most part, people are a lot welcoming to my culture when I do not try to hide from it but rather, offer my different perceptions and opinions about the questions I am being asked.

Their mentality constantly fueled them to escape the hole of poverty that relentlessly sucked us in. They imparted the persistence of Chinese ethos to me and encouraged me to apply it to my academic endeavors. I began to ask for help from teachers after school and toiled each evening to master the language. By the end of the year, I was deemed advanced. I had tasted the rewards of hard work. I finally understood why my parents had clutched the persistent beacon of hope in the darkness of poverty and

My American culture is special Because, I like to compete in fishing, and I have done really good.

I have realized that there is much more precious to life than wealth, status, property, and materialistic things. For me, the American Dream is not just having the strongest economic standing, wealth, or fame, but attaining happiness through everything and moment in my life and making a difference. My American dream is being able to graduate from high school and attend college because I would like to have the opportunity to directly help those who are less fortunate than me and make them happier. I feel that there is no greater joy than feeling that I was able to help an individual in their time of physical or emotional need. My American Dream is being able to walk into a home with a happy family and know that my presence is welcomed and is

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

Min managed to secure a visa to study at the Art Institute in Chicago, where she could barely understand her professors’ lectures. Min would often motivate herself to push through her five jobs and struggled to make ends meet. She knew that her situation is a better off than her parents and siblings in China. However, a tragedy stormed into her life. This tragedy was on the low points of her life in America. She was raped by an acquaintance. She was traumatized by this, but her friend was there for her. Min called her friend in the middle of the night. Her friend comforted her. She offered to take Min the police station and constantly reminded Min that it’s not her own fault and she is in America. She has her rights. All these little things warmed her heart and kept herself moving

Oblivious and vulnerable, I enthusiastically flaunted out into the depths of denial as a young, flourishing child. My mother and father had initially left behind their loving family and close friends to pursue their education on fine American soil while also setting their hopes and eyes high upon a successful career and lifestyle. Briskly, they latched onto a few valuables, and at least a couple thousand dollars to sustain themselves, both individuals had soared outwards from Shanghai, China. Home was left behind in the dust and the least of their concerns—will they ever see them again?

My Mom hung up the phone before she could start crying and I took off my headphone, stared at my laptop screen, thought about how much she missed me and had no idea what to do or what I should do next. That had been the way we finished every phone call for the last three weeks – the three weeks I’d been away from home. Of course I knew that I would go to a class, but what should I do for today, for tomorrow, and for my future? It was somehow so hard to see things clear. Every time we talked, I saw her in my mind with long curvy hair, deep hazelnut brown eyes and thin lips, and promised myself I would be the big girl she could be proud of. She was a mother who did everything for her children, and she did all her best to give me the best education and a chance to follow my dream, so there was no way I’d let her down (and also let me down). I always considered myself as a lucky one, because since I was a very young kid, I had already known who I desired to be, what I could do, what I was supposed to do to achieve my goals. And my Mom was the reason that made me even so

Day by day the struggles were heavy as I lived my life in the small village of Myanmar. I was destined to come to the United States, but as I lived through those fearful moments I would have never guessed that this situation would have made such an impact on my future.FIn my first of school in United State, I was waiting for the school bus, standing under the parking lot of my apartment, in the cold and breezy weather, at 6:30 clock in the morning, it’s still unclear seeing things. I was staring in the middle school kids playing around me. The kids are so innocent and worry less about their lives. Finally, a yellow big bus stopped by the parking lot where I am standing. Bus driver said, “Hello! Good morning.” to everyone of us when we enter into the bus, his bright smile is enough to