Personal Narrative: Immigrants In Colombia

To find an American Identity is to find what’s important to you, because identity Is something that defines and proves who or what a person is. To have an Identity means to feel known and a sense of belonging to yourself and to the people important. The Distance Between Us is a memoir wrote by Reyna Grande in 2012 about her life before and after she arrived in the United States from being in poverty while in Mexico to becoming a U.S. citizen. Reyna’s growth throughout the story tells us that in unknown places it is fitting to find a quick and certain way to survive and adapt to unfamiliar situations, while keeping family close because family will try to be supportive and encouraging. In the United States Reyna felt like an outsider and like

This autobiographical essay will define my experience as a Dominican immigrant living in New York City. Being an American citizen with a Dominican background are extremely relevant to the process of political socialization. My family background is founded on the principles of democratic values, which taught to me by my mother and father. In New York City, I found a “melting pot” of different immigrants that allowed me to feel more accepted as a Dominican living in the United States. More so, these aspects of the socialization process provided a foundation for my belief in democratic values throughout my life.

Immigration is deeply rooted in the American culture, yet it is still an issue that has the country divided. Marcelo and Carola Suarez-Orozco, in their essay, “How Immigrants Became ‘Other’” explore the topic of immigration. They argue that Americans view many immigrants as criminals entering America with the hopes of stealing jobs and taking over, but that this viewpoint is not true. They claim that immigrants give up a lot to even have a chance to come into America and will take whatever they can get when they come. The Suarez-Orozco’s support their argument using authority figures to gain credibility as well as exemplification through immigrant stories.

There are many immigrants that want to contribute to America and society

I woke up on an especially cool winter morning and looked over to my mother’s side of the bed. She was not there, I knew that, but I secretly wished she was. I swung my legs off the bedside and rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get myself ready for school. This was a typical morning for me.

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.

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. My parents brought me to America almost 5 years ago to have a better life, and to get a better education.

Many of them are people just like us who just want to escape the harsh life back home and rebuild a new in a safer country that will benefit them. Religious persecution, political instability, poverty, is this where we want to spend the rest of our lives in? Would we want our children to grow into to this harsh world and never get to experience what other kids have? One thing we have to remember is that illegal immigrants are people too. While it’s true that many have caused problems, it's not right to generalize a whole group of people.

Many people that come to the United States truly do want to work hard and have a better life. This nation has a long tradition of immigrants arriving to build a better life, we are in fact, a nation of immigrants, but times have changed and those trying to come to our country illegally are nothing like the people seeking refuge here years ago. These people are no longer looking to assimilate and add to the greatness that is America. In fact, most look to do just the opposite.

Many immigrants in Latin America come from indigenous backgrounds; they don’t speak Spanish but their native dialects. I want the world to see and understand what these people have to deal with. First of all many of the illegal immigrants that come through Mexico have to suffer discrimination, starvation, and exctorion from the Mexican Mafia who despites the rest of Latin America. Immigrants from central and south America leave their countries and cross mexico in a train called “La Bestia” which translates to “The Beast”. This train never strops so there are records of many people who have lost an extremeity whil trying to get on the train.

I’m able to resonate with a plethora of things, yet the thing I consider my identity is I’m an adopted, Haitian immigrant.      I was born in Haiti in 1998, in a small village in Thomazeau, I moved to Croix-des- Bouquets right after my birth and I lived there until I was 9 years old. My family's financial situation was adequate. My mom was always able to find a way to make ends meet. This cause our neighbor to be envious of us.

I identify as a Latina. I have always considered myself as a Latina, but throughout time, I believe that I have assimilated more into a white individual because of the privilege that I hold and because I have lived in the US most of my life. I have received mostly negative messages from those who are not from my ethnicity. My peers and I were told we wouldn’t graduate high school and be laborers for the rest of our lives. With the current politics, I believe that this still holds true where some people still hold stereotypes and give oppressing messages to Latinos.

Doning the title as a hispanic goes far beyond how one looks and speaks, but rather how one conducts himself through every step of their life. I greatly contribute my hispanic roots in shaping me into the young man I am today. The morals and traditions instilled in me such as my unparalleled work ethic and family values leach from my upcoming in a strong hispanic lifestyle. My Grandmother and her family immigrated from Mexico at an early age in a dire attempt to discover a life that bettered their quality of life. She had to tolerate working in fields to make money that then fed her at night.

How would you feel if you and your family were denied the opportunity to a better life or had to wait years for one? The immigrants goal is to strive for a better future for themselves and their family. Coming here will help them achieve that goal. You may be thinking why cant they have a good future where they live? In some cases, the country they live in could be poor, not have many schools, is not safe, etc.

First generation immigrants sacrifice their adulthood in search of a better life for their family and for future generations to come. My father came from Peru to support his family. He was the first person in his family to come to America. He works in road construction from morning until night so that my family is supported. The desire to repay both of my parents is the belief that guides my life.