When I immigrated from Ghana to America, my initial impression of this country was a positive one. While the sudden exposure to the different social norms was an adjustment, I found it easier to appreciate different cultures and embraced America’s melting pot with open arms. As I continued to grow up, however that naive understanding of difference changed. Domestically, my parents found establishing a stable diet for three children nearly impossible. Money was so tight that getting the next meal seemed out of reach. In addition to that, food expenses, bills, and necessary living expenses became a burden for my parents to handle. Even though my parents masked it well, I knew that money was tight; and for me that was heartbreaking. Personally, the influx of rejections I received from peers for being foreign led me into a …show more content…
I was bullied throughout public school. And rather than speaking up for myself, I allowed myself to be ridiculed and labeled the “African girl with the accent”. Even though my reaction to the rejection was painful, it was also through this experience that I found my passion to become an advocate for justice. Lost yet determined, I decided that I’d had enough and refused to allow myself to become an object of cultural puns. From that time, I made it my goal to learn to fight for myself as well as for those incapable of fighting. It was from that early age, that I knew that my purpose in life would be to serve people to the best of my ability. While the understanding of my goal was developing, I coped with my experience from the help of my family and my education. When my family learned of my experience, their love and support helped me heal from the rejection. In addition to emotional support, my love for learning also helped me cope. For me, learning was the only thing that kept me from losing my identity. Somehow through my