A Narrative Essay About Moving To Arkansas Culture

Eight years ago, I would have never pictured my life the way it is now. I was nine years of age when my family and I immigrated to the United States. I had to adjust to a strange society and culture. Moving was a challenge not only because I had to learn the English language, but more so because I had to accept that I was in a new home. Although my family and I first moved to California, which felt very much like Mexico, a year later we moved to Arkansas. Arkansas was nothing like my home in Mexico.

Living in Arkansas was a very difficult stage in my life because my distinctions from others were simply “inferior”. I was mistreated by my peers for the reasons of not knowing English and simply because my skin, hair and eyes were darker. It was difficult not being home. I cried and begged my parents to move back to Mexico, but they insisted I needed to get educated in a better place.

In Arkansas I did not receive any help from the teachers or administrators or counselors. There were no English Learner programs in place. I was simply placed in a

special classroom with other Spanish speaking immigrants like me. We were left in that classroom without a teacher or a curriculum. We were given random books in Spanish to read, all day everyday. It was very tough because at the age of ten I had to learn English without the help of professional educators.
After this experience, I insisted my parents to sign me up for an after school English course.

Although this course was forty minutes away from my house, and it was three days a week, my parents were willing to make the long trip to ensure that I learn English and have an equal opportunity of an education . Learning the English language was only part of my struggle. The most difficult part of moving to Arkansas was the abuse I endured and the loneliness I felt as a result. Being in a place where people judged me by the way I talked and by where I came from made me feel inferior and worthless. Each day I woke up to go to school was stressful because I spent most of my days in school alone. I did not have friends. I was ashamed for showing up to school just to be the enjoyment of everyone; white kids thought it was funny to verbally and physically torment me. I acted like it didn’t bother me, but inside it would kill

me.
Despite being maltreated, living in Arkansas made me a knowledgeable and stronger person. I learned the values and importance of an education. Soon as I started to learn English, I advanced in my education and took challenging courses. I moved back to California afterwards, and as an English learner, I succeed by exceeding some “Scholars” and by performing with excellent qualifications in plenty of advanced placement and honors level courses.
Standing up to others and learning English made me a successful person. I became a valedictorian being in the top five percent of my class, a spot where most native English learners have difficulties to reach. I became successful by demonstrating that it does not only takes of extraordinary people to become successful, it takes of extraordinary effort.