What I Have Been A Nomad Since Birth

There is an ancient African adage that states “If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”. As a first generation immigrant to the United States and reminiscent of countless other immigrants who have come before me, moving to a new country literally means starting your life all over again from scratch, but symbolically it signifies a rebirth of oneself and a chance to metamorphose into whatever new creature you aspire to be. Some of the challenges I faced included culture shock, language barriers, financial barriers, but the utmost significant one was the education barrier. I quickly realized that if I could bridge the education gap I would be able to overcome all the other barriers. For myself, having an education epitomized my assimilation into my new life by enabling me to chase my dreams and realize my unique American dream.

I was taught to do a thorough job at everything I do and to greet everyone who entered the house. Since my father was a pastor that meant lots and lots of people. But, as time passed I began to feel as if the United States had a bigger part of me then Zimbabwe. It was where my parents went to work, where our house was and, where my friends were. After my mother completed her masters degree my father went back to Zimbabwe to teach at a College. We continued to live in upstate New York for some time until we moved to small town Iowa. After all the moving around I wasn’t sure where to call home. Lucky for me my mother has a strong sense of home and we return to Zimbabwe every three or four years for vacation. Our most recent trip began on December 2nd, 2015. Only then did I realise where home is. From learning how to polish a floor to moving to Iowa, every piece added to who I am today. Without these things I couldn’t be the Ntando I am today, and I wouldn’t be able to grow to be the Ntando I want to

A sudden change in one’s surroundings can result in culture shock. Culture shock refers to the anxiety and surprise a person feels when he or she is discontented with an unfamiliar setting. The majority of practices or customs are different from what a person is used to. One may experience withdrawal, homesickness, or a desire for old friends. For example, when a person goes to live in a different place with unfamiliar surroundings, they may experience culture shock. Sometimes it is the result of losing their identity. In the article “The Phases of Culture Shock”, Pamela J. Brink and Judith Saunders describe four phases of culture shock. They are: Honeymoon Phase, Disenchantment Phase, Beginning Resolution Phase, and Effective

Transitions are never an easy thing to conquer. It is often hard and stressful to cope with changes to one’s surrounding, but in the cases in which one manages to conquer this obstacle, elevation of knowledge and experience are great results gained from this achievement. I originally came from Africa and recently moved to the United States to join my mother and my step father. This great change in the things I had become accustomed to in my daily life was not easy, furthermore taking into account the fact that I had never experienced a transition so little as shifting from one residence to another.

I had no knowledge of the English language or American culture. I never knew any other culture past my hometown’s. A fish out of water, I struggled as a first grader to learn the language, assimilate into the different culture filled with people with different physical features. I felt

I knew this journey would be very different for me. I was only familiar with one culture and one way of life, being exposed to different cultures only made me more curious and anxious at the same time. Although this was a transition I was looking forward to, there was some sadness in me knowing that I would leave all my friends and some family members behind that

The assimilation process is an unproblematic shift as a first-generation considering my early departure from my country of origin or birthplace.

Seven years earlier, I migrated to Hawaii when I was twenty-three. I had flown away from my mother and my life in the Philippines. Like young adults and being rebellious, I wanted to live on my own away from my mother 's roof. I left the city life I grew up with in the Philippines in hope of a better life in another country.

Asian. I hated that part of me. I just wanted to be "American." I hoped that by doing

United States is the most diverse country in the world. The US takes about 70000 refugees a year from all over the world, and I was one of the many refugees that were living in place that was isolated place in Ethiopia. When I first knew that I am going to US, I was enchanted that I am going to have a prosperous future. I was also happy that I am going to have all the freedom that any human being wants to have. Additionally, I was delighted that I am going to meet my family after so many years of separation. Migrating to US is the best thing that ever happen to me at least for the first couple of years, however, my expectations were diminished when I experienced life is not easy or apparent like I expected it to be.

The changing environments throughout the ages have caused the movement of thousands of families out of their homelands. Whether forced to make such decisions or doing so by their own desires, all immigrants have had to survive the physical and psychological challenges encountered along the way. To speak about the experiences of all these different people using the same ideas and examples would be quite inaccurate. They all, however, had to live through similar situations and deal with similar problems. Many of them succeeded and found the better future they were looking for. Many others found only hardship and experienced the destruction of their hopes and dreams. All of them were transformed.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Truer words have never been spoken. Coming to America was my greatest adventure and my biggest fear. I had never traveled to a foreign country before. I was intrigued about the culture, the people, and the country itself. What will it be like? Will I be able to adjust to that pace of life? Will I make new friends? I would have to find answers with experience. Moving to another country meant starting a new life over again, in an unfamiliar place with strangers i have never met. Being the “new kid” is never comfortable.

The being of acceptance when traveling to new places and countries can cause hardships and confusion when being somewhere new. While there are similarities and differences between everyone whose ever been to new countries have always learned the hard way of becoming accepted. Beyond stating the similarities and differences in the articles, “I Want to Be Miss America”, by Julia Alvarez, “Hot Dogs and Wild Geese,” by Friroozeh Dumas and “Global Voices”, by Joshua St. Onge, the larger idea can be seen by reading all three texts and finding that two of the authors, Alvarez and Dumas have similarities in the articles while Onge has a different perspective on the way culture change has hardships. Culture change can be very pleasant and very difficult to

Children oftentimes inherit physical traits from both parents, but I have inherited much more: tenacity and the ability to adjust to new conditions with ease. According to my observations, the older I get the more I am exposed to various people, places, and situations which lead to patiently adapting to certain changes. For the first fourteen years of my life, I have lived in the Philippines, but that had ceased when I had to immigrate to the United States. When I arrived here in the U.S, I knew very well that it was uncharted territory for me. This unfamiliarity gave me a considerable amount of discomfort, knowing that I am 7,000 miles away from home.

Frequent traveling during childhood can affect and shape numerous aspects of a person’s identity in powerful ways. I have realized this through retrospection regarding my own nomadic past. Through analysis, I have concluded that frequent travel during childhood affects several different aspects of identity and how identity forms. Some of the effects are interpersonal, they affect the way the traveling child views and interacts with others, and some are intrapersonal, they affect the child’s view of himself. One aspect that is affected is the importance of outside individuals to the foundation of the child’s identity. Another affected area is the child’s sense of self-importance. When there is a high frequency of relocation, resilience becomes a part of the child’s identity. These parts of the child’s identity, along with many others, are strongly affected and are likely to follow him throughout his life.