Reflective Essay On Immigrant Development

Reflecting on my development as a first-generation immigrant, I can attribute a large portion of my characteristics and aspirations to my experiences growing up and to the role model whom I have admired, my mother. More specifically, being exposed to the tireless work ethic of a single parent who had to overcome the dual pressures of assimilation and poverty has imparted in me a respect for the ideals of continual self-improvement and advancement. My mother’s sacrifices have always been to better our family’s situation and to provide me with the best education opportunities. Recognizing my mother’s hard worked and what she has given up for me, I put my best foot forward in every situation to honor her. Looking back at the hardships such as racial discrimination and language barriers my mother had to transcend, as

I am particularly excited to explore the research opportunities and resources such as the Hatfield Undergraduate Research Assistant and the Cornell in Washington Programs which are unavailable at Baruch. I would like to conduct research under Professor Stephen Coate who is currently examining the political economy model of fiscal policy. However, I eventually would like to pursue my own research project in public economics focusing on immigration policies. Though I live every day fearing that it might be my last in this country, I am greatly encouraged by academic institutions such as Cornell which have declared themselves as sanctuary campuses because it shows that there is an awareness of the immigration issues at hand and a response to the anti-immigration stance of the current administration. I hope to contribute to the ongoing work of immigration activism through economic research that will hopefully provide further insight on the benefits of diversity and immigration to the US