Personal Narrative: My Experience As An Immigrant

As a child I would always see my parents work hard for every dollar they made. When I reached my teenage years I realized that it was because they were immigrants to this country and took whatever job opportunity they could find. I also came to realize that I was an immigrant, and that life was tougher for not having the proper documentation. This year I fell into the biggest hole of my life. I learned that I was not going to get financial aid because of my legal status and my mother was also diagnosed with a tumer last month. I fell into a depression thinking I was not going to be able to go to college. My mother also could not get her surgery until she had insurance which she could not get because of her legal status. As I laid crying I came

It is an honor to be chosen to apply for the Columbus Chapter of National Honor Society. National Honor Society has always been something I have strived to be apart of. After reading the the criteria for this honor I feel that I have demonstrated the qualities associated with this organization. I feel that I am deserving of this honor because I truly strive to be the best student I can be in school. I work hard in school and always an prepared when it comes to a quiz or a test. I understand that to qualify for National Honor Society you have to be strong in academics. I have worked hard to be where I am today. I've been on the gold honor roll every semester. I enjoy school and I'm blessed that I have the opportunity to attend such a great

As a teenager moving to a new country with a different culture, different language, and being thousands of miles away from everyone I grew up with was not an easy change, however, that was precisely what I did in January of 2013 when I came to the United States with my father. My whole world changed since, and shaped my way of thinking. From learning English, adjusting to a new culture, experiencing my first snow and finding my way in my new country, my life has been an exciting adventure.

Growing up in an immigrant household in America, was difficult. I didn’t live, I learned to adapt. I learned to adapt to the fact that I did not look like any of my peers, so I changed. Adapted to the fact that my hair texture would never be like any of my peers, so I changed. Adapted to the fact that I was not as financially well off as my peers, so I changed. Adapted to the fact that unlike other people who have families of four, I had a family of seven and numerous amounts of close relatives. That my parents, although lived in America for quite sometimes grew up in Nigeria, so English was not their first language so I adapted and changed myself in order to fit into societal standards. I learned to understand and interpret my parents’ native Igbo dialect but left that part of myself at home so that people will view me as the perfect American citizen.

The four pillars of the National Honor Society consists of leadership, scholarship, service, and character. These characteristics must be possessed by an individual in order to be a member of the society. I believe that I possess all the these four qualities and should become a member of National Honor Society.

More than twelve million immigrants will make their first stop in America at Ellis Island Immigration station in the years ahead between 1892 and 1954, at least that's what we read. Who knew a small island in the New York Harbor would become my life saver ?

Coming from a low income family, living in a small town in India, I learned early on about struggling and surviving those struggles. I watched my parents working day and night to provide for electricity, pay for our monthly school fees so my sister and I can have a better education, and for the future they wished upon for their children. To further enhance this vision, my father decided for the family and I to immigrate to the US. Everything was different in the sense that I changed schools, learned a new language, had to make new friends, and learned the different culture. I had to adapt to a whole new world, which was a little difficult at 6 years old However, when I look back now, I just couldn’t believe how far my family and I had come which I have my father to thank for. If it wasn’t for my father, I’ll still be going to school in India without ever knowing that this other half of the world even existed, because of the rough circumstances we were facing in India. The future wouldn’t have been as bright as it now and I feel truly blessed to have come to a new world which contained many great opportunities.

Throughout high school, I have involved myself with various activities, both curricular and extracurricular. As a member of National Honor Society (NHS), I participate in numerous public service events. Some of which include volunteering at Springdale’s annual Strawberry Festival, Senior Citizen Brunch and Street Fair amongst a variety of school functions such as Education Celebration and our recent Job Fair. Through NHS, I also tutor other students in the High School as well as students of any age in the district at the Springdale Public Library. Outside from NHS, I have volunteered at a variety of places. Due to my passion for soccer, I have served as a soccer camp coach for QuickSkills Soccer Camp, and am currently volunteer assistant coaching

Growing up as a daughter of immigrants has made me appreciate my culture and background. I was mostly raised by my mom. My parents divorce has made me a stronger person because I have seen my mom struggle everyday. My siblings and I didn’t have two people to rely on like most people. My single mom raised three kids alone. My father was a big part of my life before they separated. I considered myself closer to my father than I ever was with my mother since he allowed me more freedom. I never thought I would be without a dad, but I have seen the terror and distress in my mom's eyes while she’s lived and put up with the violence. This lead me to believe it was better to be left alone than to put up with fear. My father was someone that I always looked up to as a child because he was the one that took us in. When my mom and sister came from Colombia, it was initially a struggle. They lived with my grandmother who was frequently abusive to her. Coming from a foreign country and not knowing your way around in the United States was a difficult journey, but she had my dad at the time.

People tend to romanticize the life of an American Immigrant. They say, “We are going to America, the land of the free, the land of opportunity;” and for most part I do agree, America has given me many great opportunities throughout the years, but opportunity comes at a price.

My family consist of five people: my mother, father, sister, brother, and me. My dad works as a landscaper. My mom works at Ross dress for less, she works in taking out the merchandise from the boxes and putting them on the hangers, she has been working there for almost 10 years now. My parents immigrated here from Mexico to America a long time ago, before I was born, making them immigrants. My sister is 13 years old and my brother is 15. As for me, I am the oldest of my brother and sister, which means having to take up responsibility at a young age, and growing up early. Some of the responsibilities that i had to do was taking care of my brother and sister while my parents went to work, i’m the one who read all the important paperwork that would come in. I feel that even though i had to grow up early I received a little more trust when it came to going out with friends. Throughout my whole life I have only did one major move and it was from Concord to Antioch( not a huge distance), I moved when I was 6 or 7, and there wasn 't a lot to miss since I was at that stage where moving was the best part, also I barely to understood what was happening most of the time. I started 1st grade when I moved here to Antioch and the classes had already started so I was one of

When I arrived at the home at 3:30 p.m., Bella was playing with her aunt while her mother was helping her grandmother cook. When I walked into the living room she turned her head and smile at me. I could tell right away she was very social and curious. She also said hello and smile. She followed me with her head and eyes until I sat down on the couch. After I said down she smiled and continued to play with her aunt. Whenever her aunt called her by her name she would turn her head and say, “yes Titi” or “yes pushy”. (Aunts nickname) Her aunt continued to play with her. Bella would turn instantly when she heard a noise. Bella is at the stage where she enjoys touching everything around her and pulling things apart. She loves to play with cellphones

I came to the U.S four years ago with my family. It was really tough to survive in the U.S without help from community or family. I have been working full-time with a minimum wage to help my parents pay bill and buy some grocery. I also have been taking full-time credit student during last four years. Every day of mine during last four years is working and studying.

Being a future first generation college student and a second generation Taiwanese immigrant, I find my ethnic identity to have played a crucial role in my life. Having grown up in a household where nobody spoke English, I believe it would be an understatement to say that my ethnic identity has defined me, for it is much more complex than what people perceive it to be. Rather, it has shaped me to become an individual who values education above all else. In Taiwan, education represents the pinnacle of success, and I strive to reach that pinnacle through an undergraduate education at Michigan. The Michigan Taiwanese Student Association will not only cater to my educational values, but serve to further my knowledge for a culture that remains relatively

In the summer of 2017, I volunteered once a week for 6-8 weeks with an organization called The First Tee, which works with youth to teach them life skills via the game of golf. Starting as young as 5-6 years old, the participants learn to play golf and develop their skills in the sport, but a large aspect of the organization’s mission is to teach children life skills such as integrity, honesty, and responsibility. Through golf they learn to be courteous to those around them and to always act with integrity as well. My role was to help the other coaches run the golf classes, making sure they ran smoothly and that the students were safe and enjoying themselves. Through this experience, I was able to develop skills in several areas, such as team collaboration, as well as managing a class. I worked with at least one other coach for every class, so it was my responsibility to work well with my counterparts, and I also learned to supervise children and be an effective role model, which can be challenging with children so young. Young students often lack focus and the understanding of how to conduct themselves, but this was valuable in that it forced me to try different approaches to find the most effective in keeping them in control but also making sure they were happy.