Personal Narrative: Growing Up In Port Arthur, Texas

Growing up in the small town of Port Arthur, Texas was very tough. The city’s crime rates are higher than the percentage that chooses to attend a college or university. With all of the crime, poverty, and near death experiences, the city has made me into a stronger and more motivated person wanting to help the poor. My parents came from the city of Saigon, Vietnam in the year of 1998. With no English and only $100, they arrived on a small shrimp boat in Port Arthur, Texas. My parents were able to rent an apartment at $500 a month. My father worked on Gulf Of Mexico as a Shrimper.He would be away on the seas for 4 weeks at a time, therefore we only saw him for a total of 3 weeks a year. As for my mother, she worked as a cook at a local Popeyes picking up as much English as she can. Through hard work and determination, they found a way to move away from the crime and corruption the city had to offer. In addition to the crime and corruption in the city, Port Arthur, Texas has a 47% of

My family couldn’t afford to evacuate to a safer location. My family suffered through the storm and made it out alive. Seeing people die and suffer was a shot to the body, also being able to not help them was a shot to the heart.Throughout all of the tragic incidents that happened to me in my life, it made me look back and want to help the people who suffered with me.My parents faced really tough situations coming to America, so I’m very thankful for them to guide me to the right path.The things that my parents encountered made me a grateful person. I was fortunate enough to receive the right guidance in life to succeed. Port Arthur, Texas has made me into a motivated and determined person wanting to help the less fortunate. Surviving Hurricane Ike in 2008 gave me the mindset that anything is possible. Experiencing the crime made me very close to my family and friends because they could be dead the next