Personal Narrative: My Average American

The very first conversation I had with the one closest to me was an argument. I will never forget it. We were talking about our goals and ambitions in life. When I told him what I wanted to do, I just got the average “Good for you! That’s so great!” response. When he told me that after graduation he was shipping out to Army basic training to become an Airborne Combat Engineer, I didn't give the same response back.

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.

Johnnie, Veronica, Frank et al. do me a solid with all your “knowledge” and “wokeness” step outside your educational privilege and support systems for a minute. I in no place in my post said anything about America being perfect so what you did was hijack a status about the solidarity I feel for the people in my life and in this country who very much will struggle with an intensified troubling life experience in the country to PROVE you have some kind of exceptional wokeness or understanding of America. MISS me with it. No America was not safe for everyone but we just did was extend the people who it was unsafe for. If that’s cool with you then carry on with your bullshit. I have NEVER EVER said it’s a safe place for everyone. I have NEVER

Although I was born in America, I have always felt like an immigrant. Why? Because I was a different race from the majority of the people around me. I live in Garrett County, where the majority of the population is white. My family was the only Chinese family in the county. On top of that factor, I had spent most of my toddler years back in Fujian, China with my grandparents. I came back to America when I was five years old and began Pre-K soon after my arrival. Throughout my years in public school, I have learned that the American identity is achieved by assimilation while retaining some unique characteristics.

As I stepped off the plane, the frigid air sliced through my face, just as the cold, harsh reality hit me: I’m an American now.

That day I walked back home from primary school is one I would never consign to oblivion (“Consign to Oblivion” is an exceptional song I would recommend). We were laughing and frolicking in painstakingly tailored school-clothes as we carried our backpacks and lunch-boxes on the dirt road. It was unbeknown to me that I would no longer see my dear friends again. As I took off my shoes and entered the dwelling, I saw my mom`s troubled face and immediately realized the severity of the situation. It took mere minutes for my parents to elucidate this predicament and devastate my six-year-old world. America? Why?

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.

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.

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

Coming from a Pacific Island 6,540 miles away, keeping the Tongan culture alive all the way in Portland Oregon has not been the easiest challenge to take on. Being the second generation to be here in America, the balance of living our culture, yet receiving the lifestyle of an average American has clashed constantly. My parents rules were so different to what other people had that I could not help but feel as if I was different from others.I was not allowed to sleepover at friends’ houses and my brothers had to be in separate levels than us after a certain age (meaning they’d be downstairs while I would sleep along with my other sisters upstairs). All of these rules were made to help me learn one important concept, respect; respect for your

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.

What is common between San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Stockholm, Johannesburg, Pune, London, Los Angeles and Denver? These are the places my father worked as an Oracle consulting expert therefore I would say International experience at an early age makes me unique. Adjusting to an international college campus culture would be straightforward for me due to my extensive travel in the US, Europe and Asia.

I step off the plane grateful for the safe landing as I wait for the my family to get out of the plane, my little brother comes out with his hair all messed up and matted from the long flight, he gets airsick . While we walk to the baggage claim I look around trying to absorb everything around me thinking, “so this is what it's like in America”. Remembering how sad it was to leave behind all my friends especially Claire and Bella, the airport in France was just a cryfest, we were hugging so long they had to ask us to stop unless we wanted to miss the flight. They both shouted YES! But I knew I had to go, I waved to them until they were just little specks in the backround.

I as a woman had to take over the role of a man in the factory and began working there t serve our leaders. I am More then happy to be considered independent, I make y own money, and I can spend it how want. But I will most likely spend it on family and for the better of my own country.

My parents came to the United States with a suitcase filled with things from their previous lives. They worked two jobs, seven days a week, while studying as full-time students to complete their education. My dad tells me stories about how he waited tables late into the night, while my mom sold shoes at flea markets on her days off to earn spare cash to buy a car. They built the privilege affirmative action says we have from nothing but hard work.