Personal Narrative: Syrian Refugees

My family traveled to the United States in an effort to escape famine, war, and political turmoil. Similar to the Syrian refugees escaping turmoil in the 21st century, they did not have anything more than the clothes on their backs. Growing up in a tough area and on the welfare system made me appreciate the little things in life. Cambodian refugees arrived after the settlement of the boat people or Vietnamese refugees. A majority of Cambodians first resettled in refugee camps along the borders of Thailand. As Cambodians resettled in the states most in the Long Beach area and other places like Stockton where my family was relocated. They then formed communities of their own. These communities were and still are the foundation of Cambodian Americans

Growing up in a non-english speaking household has taught me to appreciate my culture. I have been able to uphold traditions that are still practiced today with my family. Every year we honor in the new year in April according to the Buddhist calendar, and other buddhist ceremonies. I feel that through the tragic events that my parents went through in the past, they are maintaining or in an effort to maintain much of the Cambodian culture as they could possible.
“Education is key. Education opens the door to success. It will get you somewhere in life; an opportunity we never got”. These exact words were the words my parents would say to my siblings and I as we were growing up. Coming from a family with no educational background higher than high school, I had little to no role models to look up to. As the middle child, I felt that I was alone most of the time without anyone to go to for advice or comfort; I had to find it on my own. I felt broken, unviable, and that I couldn’t relate to others especially my siblings. With this in mind, I propelled myself do more with my life and exceed my expectations of graduating college, making my family proud. Along with my growth into the real world, I have been able