Miguel Muño's Essay 'Leave Your Name At The Border'

1244 Words3 Pages

At some point in our lives we experience a culture as an outsider by moving from one culture to another. Adapting to new culture as an immigrant we are faced with fear of forgetting our culture, its values and the roots of our origin. We have to deal the guilt of leaving our beloved land of birth and emerging in a new journey. Must people have a difficult time to adjust when they move to a new place and go through changes. I am not the exception. My family decided to move from Mexico to the United States of America when I was just 14 years old, my family and especially me, suffered cultural and identity crisis. A whole different culture, unused language to learn and economical obstacles to overcome at a young age. Today in society. there …show more content…

At the time I arrived to this country I was fourteen years old, mature enough to understand why I had to leave my country, my origins, my friends, my school, my family and much more.
I had to to make adjustments in my life, first of all I did not know how to speak English. I was extremely scared to meet people. I felt under pressure to study and learn English fast and sometimes I wondered about a drug to acquire this language …show more content…

Muñoz stated “Something as simple as saying our names in ‘English’ was our unwittingly complicit gesture to blend in” (209). I totally agree with Muñoz in this statement, as I think that many people change their names for convenience because they want to “fit in” in their new environment, including me. Since I moved to this country, I have tried so hard to fit in in this American society. When I attended Soquel High School, I did not mind my name constantly mispronounced, I just wanted to be included or do not feel left out. I decided to tell everyone to call me “Chris” or another name similar, but more Americanized. I wanted to feel more welcome in a new circle of friends and be able to have a more American identity. All of the sudden, I was drifting away from my origins and culture without even noticing

More about Miguel Muño's Essay 'Leave Your Name At The Border'

Open Document