Who Am I

Coming from a new country I had to face many challenges. All these challenges made who I am today. When I came to the United States in 7th grade, I barely knew how to speak English. The language barrier posed a serious problem for me. I found it difficult to interact with people. Adjusting to a new country was no easy task. When my family and I came to this country, we knew only one other family. It was even more difficult for my parents who knew virtually no English. They had to learn how to work and provide for me and my siblings in this entirely new country with a completely different culture. Despite having a better background in English, it still took me over two years to become fluent in English. Although coming to America and having

My parents come from a small town in Michoacán, Mexico. Growing up, my first language was Spanish. There were situations where I would be embarrassed of my parents for not knowing how to speak English. People would give mean looks and give off a rude tone because of the fact they couldn't speak English. I was a shy person, so I didn't know how to defend my parents but those experiences shaped me into the person who is not embarrassed about having Mexican parents and helps them around with their English. I am a proud and lucky to be the daughter of Mexican parents. Aside from that, I had been an only child till I was eight years old. The day my sister was born, I knew she will be my best friend forever. She is now ten years old and looks up

I believe that the situations I’ve been put through hold full responsibility for shaping me into the young, responsible, independent woman I have become. Going through my father’s deportation and having to depend on myself since I was only eight years old has had the biggest impact in my life.

My international background has shaped who I am today because of the influence of my Chinese immigrant parents. My parents never had an easy life. My parents, who lived in poverty in China, immigrated to the United States hoping for a better life and to pursue the American Dream. They immigrated to the Unites States with no money and no knowledge of the English language. The language barrier alone created a mass obstacle for their early life in America. My dad had once told me that at the age of 13 he was already cooking for his entire family while working to provide financial support for his parents and siblings.

Since I was young, there was a communication barrier that existed between me and the outside world. My shyness led me to many downfalls on my academic side. Not understanding a topic would mean that I would never be able to clarify any questions that were on my mind. Until around 6th grade, I always considered myself introverted; I had the inability to blend in with strangers, peers and teachers.

My freshmen year, it took me a while to start talking to new people because I was super shy. However, due to my performance in my races, people started to learn my name and actually reached out to me to get to know me. Therefore, I began to become familiar and more comfortable with the members on my team. I decided that I needed to do the same and connect with others my sophomore year. To do so, I started to join various school clubs and attend my church’s youth services, where I met new people. Now my peers see me as a “social butterfly”.

My childhood was split over two different and unique cultures. This special upbringing presented me with challenges that lead me to continually reflect on my life and identity throughout my childhood. I had to adapt to different educational systems as my family moved back and forth between Syria and the United States. However, that only motivated me to work harder and seize the opportunities that surrounded me at every point of my life. I learned to treat obstacles and hardships as chances for growth and development.

Immigrating to the United States from Belarus at a young age has helped me becoming the person I am today. When my family and I moved , none of us could speak a word of English other then yes , no , hello. We started living with my aunt who had recently moved a year ago, and from there my mother did everything she could to create the better life we moved here for.

I was given the opportunity to improve my lifestyle and I took it. At the age of eleven, I came to the United States with my brother to live with my dad and stepmother. It was very difficult for me to get adjusted to this new life in this new country, specially coming from a completely different life that I had in Peru. I had to go through the typical struggles of an immigrant like learning a new language or having to adapt to a new culture and environment. However, I believe that that moving to the U.S from Peru have helped become the person that I am today.

When I was about seven years old, my family made the decision to move from the Philippines to the United States of America. This was a difficult choice to make for my parents, because my father could not come along due to the way immigration is set up in the USA. However, after my mother became an American citizen, she was given the right to bring my father over to the United States after nine long years. In addition, my two sisters along with my mother, were unable to see my father during those nine years. In essence, this was by far the most impactful event that happened during the early stages of my childhood, and this has given me the strength to persevere and mold my character.

Being born in Yuma, Arizona and growing up in both Okinawa, Japan and Norman, Oklahoma has taught me a lot. I have learned how to not only make friends, but to adapt to my environment quickly as well. Being born in a Marine Corps family has made my life very cultured and more of an adventure than some kids should have. Growing up in different places has allowed me to mature quicker than many other kids around me. It has definitely shaped my life for the better and has taught me a lot about life. Some people may think that kids should have more of a stable home life, but my life was more of an ever changing situation than most people. Lots of people think if only I could go back in time and change something my life would be different or

I've always found it incredibly hard to describe myself. I feel like I don't really fit into any specific category because I have many different traits from different personality types and don't just fit into one set group. Looking at the archetypes Carl Jung came up with, I can definitely see that I identify with several different archetypes. Starting with ego, I think I identify most with the orphan/regular gal. The orphan wants to belong, to fit in, and not lose themselves in trying so hard to fit in. I struggle with this a lot, actually. I always feel the desire to want to fit in, I want to blend in and connect with people without standing out too much. I want to make friends and have people to talk to, but I also don't want to be singled out and have

Having grown up in two very different countries impacted my life in a way I never imagined and it opened up my eyes and made me appreciate what I grew up with even more.

My parents as well as my extended family have been crucial in providing the foundation for my beliefs, attitudes and values. I grew up

First, my early socialization. My family has been a big part of my socialization. My mom has taught me so many lessons about life, I don't know where to start. My childhood was a learning experience from the very start. My brother has Autism and I have learned so much throughout the years, how to be with him, how to work with him and how he understands life. My brother has taught me not to be judge mental towards people and how to always be kind and patience towards others as everyone is different. My dad has taught me how to stand up for myself, when I get put in a difficult situation i’ve learned how to overcome it.. During my childhood we always did things together. My family is loving and caring. These have impacted my life now by how I act towards people. I’ve learned to be caring, loving, and understanding towards people. I’ve learned how to stand up for myself, all because of my family.