I am all about the sentimental value behind every single little item, so as my graduation present I asked just that from my parents, a sentimental gift. When I opened the thin, beige rectangular box that was handed to me, laying inside was a plane ticket to Mexico as well as the keys to a rental car. Tears quickly emerged. On the tickets bright as the sun were the words “Mcallen, Tx to Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas” I was finally going to be able to visit my birthplace after 16 years of not having any connection due to us not having a Visa, so we couldn't risk visiting family across the border. My destinations were simple: the hospital I was born in, my grandfather's restaurant, and my grandparent's house. My first location was Especialidades
At the age of two my parents made the long and devastating journey to bring me and my siblings to the United States from Mexico. Wanting a brighter future for us, my parents fought tooth and nail to give us the world they didn’t grow up having. Ever since stepping foot on the U.S soil, going back seemed impossible. The effects of this life-changing move, couldn’t mask the unforeseen disadvantages. Lacking exposure to Mexico’s colorful culture, little to no bonding time with my family from abroad, and the struggle of trying to blend into an environment that was so different, soon began to interfere with my overall identity. Realizing this, my wonderful parents prepared a transformative trip back to my homeland, and back to the past, facing
American was a prosperous country with incredible economic growth between the end of Reconstruction and the Great Depression. It was during this time that "industrial expansion went into high gear because increasing manufacturing efficiencies enabled American firms to cut prices and yet earn profits for financing still better equipment (Henretta 488)." During this era, the manufacturing of steel, the construction of railroads, factories, and warehouses, and the growing demand for technological advancements, increased greatly. Philanthropists, such as Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, and John D. Rockefeller, took advantage of the situation they were in by investing large sums of capital into the growing economy. Carnegie constructed an enormous steel mill outside of Pittsburgh that became one of the worlds' largest. Mellon started the Union Trust Fund in Pittsburgh, which developed in its later years to one of the largest financial institutions in the country. Rockefeller, who was involved in the petroleum industry, built the Standard Oil Company. Philanthropists were not the only group of people funding the growth of Corporate America. "The federal government, mainly interested in encouraging interregional development, provided financial credit and land grants (Henretta 490)." As a whole, the American economy was growing at an incredible rate. It was due to this growth that countless immigrants from Europe made their way over the Atlantic, as well as African Americans migrating from the South, both with hopes of improving their own standards of life.
"Why did she sing when she can’t even pronounce the words right? Haha that F.O.B. is so stupid!" These were the haunting words that I overheard my classmate utter to her friend as I was walking off the stage from my solo singing performance, cold sweat trickling down my face and warm tears welling up as my vision got blurry. These words remained etched in my memory as I was constantly reminded of the fact that I needed to improve my American accent to conform and assimilate into the American society.
I have to introduce you to three individuals, not random individuals, but siblings - two brothers and a sister. They may seem just like any other people, but they have a secret that isn’t easily realized unless you know them. They belong here in the sense that they were born here, but their hearts belong to another land. They are the children of immigrants; the first generation to be born in America. It is a unique experience that to others may seem odd or exotic, but for these three is just as normal as learning to ride a bike.
I, however, have had everything handed to me on a silver platter. Everything from my citizenship to my car, comes from the sacrifices my parents have made. The pressure on first generation children of immigrants to prove you were worth your parents' sacrifice stays with you your entire life. In order to give back to my parents, I plan on getting into a good college and finding a career that will provide comfort for both my parents and myself. I also plan on keeping my cultural identity and sharing my heritage with the next generation.
Immigration has changed majorly over the years. The system that the immigrants go through has evolved into a simpler system over the decades. Also the family life of the immigrants has become much more supported, as opposed to back when it brutal and children were sent to work right beside the adults. The living conditions and job opportunities of the immigrants have transformed into a healthier environment, and the challenges they faced have become easier to handle. Immigration has been the key to success in some cases, but in others their stories are harsh and hard to hear. The transformation that immigration has gone through over the past century is tremendous and should be recognized by all.
The Treatment of Immigrants In our Society "Go back home!" A phrase that many would agree summarizes the general public view and attitude towards immigrants in areas of our country today. To many, 'Great Britain' is a symbol of refuge from other disturbed parts of the world; an image promoted by the current government and other British international political figures. So why then are foreign families and communities in search of a better quality of life, welcomed in to unfamiliar societies with racial abuse? There obviously must be something wrong or missing in our society for the nurturing system set up by our government to end in angered cases of violence and even murder.
My mother, who manage to speak broken English, and I, immigrated from Mongolia at the age of seven to meet my mother after being separated, live together now. We do not receive any help from relatives or the government. Last year, 2016, as I lived with my single mother, we truly defined the struggles of a first-generation immigrant family. She lost her job three times and each time, it made the financial burden grew to be bigger and bigger till it peered over us. The rent payments accumulated. This brought upon our family of two great difficulty to meet our daily needs such as food and even rent payments. As we were stumbling out of the debts due to unemployment, my mother got into a car accident and which helped us plummet further into poverty.
Immigrants have been a vital part of the U.S. ever since the day the country was founded. But perspectives on immigrants have varied through time and one of the most popular ways of presenting them was through political cartoons. From the 1860s-1910s one of the biggest issues the U.S. was facing was how to properly regulate the flow of immigrants into the country. We also see this tying of Americanness and whiteness, where even certain Europeans weren’t considered full American even though they were white. White Americans wanted more white seeming migrants which would help further establish the American identity as white. The political cartoons show the shifting perspective placed on immigrants, from a universal fear of them, to a more divided
As I opened my eyes, I saw a giant cruise ship in front of my eyes.It took two whole days but we finally reached Florida where we went Rock Gliding.It’s where you have to get past a giant,rocky maze.The winner gets to cans of ice cream.Though my sister won,we all shared the ice cream.Next stop,the Bahamas!!!In the bahamas we went parasailing up 700 ft above water level,it was so much fun.The boat driver even let us touch the smooth,light blue water with our feet.Finally, we ended with a relaxing dolphin swim on the soft,delicate beach of Jamaica.
At a young age, my teachers and parents taught me to believe that I could do and accomplish anything that I set my mind to. I grew up thinking that I was unstoppable and that the only limit to my achievements was the sky. However, during my second year in high school, I began to realize that I was not as unstoppable as I had thought. I began to experience the consequences of my parent’s decision of bringing me to the United States illegally. Among those consequences were, not being able to apply for a job, obtain a driver’s license or take advantage of the dual enrollment program at my high school, simply because I did not possess a social security number. I remember thinking that all of my hard work was in vain and that I was not going to
Challenges Faced by Immigrants The changing environments throughout the ages have caused the movement of thousands of families out of their homelands. Whether forced to make such decisions or doing so by their own desires, all immigrants have had to survive the physical and psychological challenges encountered along the way. To speak about the experiences of all these different people using the same ideas and examples would be quite inaccurate. They all, however, had to live through similar situations and deal with similar problems.
The coexistence with the environment of the community is something very important for us, because this will person to coexistence with different communities and maybe the person will move from one country to another country and we know each country has different culture. In “Then and Now: Creating a self Through the past” Engel discuses “we work hard to create and maintain a sense of inner cohesion and consistency in our self-concept. This is, to a large degree, what cognitive dissonance theory is all about” (199). That means how a person can present an idea that think is truth. What Engel says applies to Vargas, in “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” Vargas explains everything happened
Immigration has always been a large conflict people have faced all across the world. There are plenty of reasons why people migrate to a country, whether it may be the United States or any other particular one. Many people often come in an attempt to escape poverty, crime, or to simply have a better opportunity to better their lifestyle. Although there are people who migrate and commit severe crimes, there are others who sacrifice themselves in order to live a better life. In addition to that, I believe the government should approve new immigration laws in favor of immigrants who come to better their life and achieve their dreams.
This journey taught me so much that I wouldn’t have ever imagined. I grew from this experience mentally and I saw my parents becoming closer and regaining that bond they held with one another. This event taught me to be more appreciative with all the little things I have and made me realize that life isn’t going to go the way you want it to; you have to fight for the path to lead you in the right direction. I was brought closer to both my parents and my brothers. This event started new beginnings for this family, a new start to get things right because when I found out I would be moving to San Diego, I never would have realized the struggles I went through; especially when I was a silent voice in the decision.