ipl-logo

Personal Narrative: Student Immigrant

293 Words2 Pages

I first moved to Texas and in particular to South Texas on the summer of 2001. Immediately after I got here I enrolled for classes for the Fall Semester at the University of Texas Pan American as an international student. On the morning of September 11, 2001 while I was getting ready for class I watched with horror on television, as many Americans did that day, the terrorist attack that unfolded in New York city, as well as the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. At first, the sheer destruction and the astounding amount of casualties was what I remember vividly, but that event will have a direct effect on me without even knowing it at the moment. You see, when I first came here, I came with a student visa, just like the terrorists that boarded the airplanes that were involved in the terrorist act. …show more content…

So in other words, if you were here on a student visa, you had to be input into an online database. Since I was young and you may say naïve during those times, I never updated my visa to the online version, resulting in my visa to be invalid. In my defense, I never received any letter or notification that I had to take action. So within a few days, I had immigration officers coming by my house and asked me to go to the Immigration station at Harlingen, Texas. After they performed the necessary procedures they allowed me to go and they set up a court hearing with an immigration Judge to discuss my

Show More
Related
650 Words | 3 Pages

September 11, 2001, is arguably one of the most horrible and unbelievable events to ever occur in the United States’ history. The event of this day triggered numerous emotions in all Americans and likely affected every person in the world in some kind of way. The way United States citizens lived and their very own freedom came under attack in a series of deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in the airplanes driven by the terrorist hijackers or in the World Trade Center offices and Pentagon building as secretaries, businessmen, and women. Federal workers, military, and law enforcement officers who assisted after the airplanes hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon building were among the victims, as well.

Read More
129 Words | 1 Pages

Coming from a Mexican background and first time generation College student, I have had to face the difficulties with being first. When I was younger, I noticed that most of my classmates were not in the same boat as I was. This led to me thinking less of myself and being embarrassed of where I came from. As I grew older, I found classmates who were in the same situation as I was and suddenly my background was not the burden I thought it was. I learned to accept who I am and feel apart of something once I discovered some of class mates come from the same origins.

Read More
912 Words | 4 Pages

Many people felt unsafe and insecure about their home country. This fear and paranoia caused numerous changes and disagreements across the United States. For instance, “During the three hour-ordeal, I’d been made to feel like an unwanted outsider, as if I were guilty of some heinous crime and now it was my responsibility to prove my innocence” (Khan 558). Because of American Canadian Border Officials fear, victimization occurred. The fear and paranoia installed inside of them led to an unnecessary interrogation.

Read More
697 Words | 3 Pages

As a member of a working class community, my life has been a struggle between resources and opportunities available for me. Having sparse resources has lead me to the constant push of working towards the things I’ve achieved. Social identities have become a guidance for my future goals and abilities. Being working class Latina, raised in a Catholic family has created many barriers and pathways into the future I wish to hold. Furthermore, taking all the social identities I have grew into have become the bases for my educational goals and identity.

Read More
635 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
456 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More
508 Words | 3 Pages

Like millions of other young adults in the United States right now, I also migrated to the United States when I was quite young. I left my home in Caracas, Venezuela in the summer of 2006. I remember Venezuela fondly; the coastal breeze, the rich smell of the soil, the friendly "Hello" and "Goodbye" exchanged in elevators and waiting rooms, and most importantly the pastry shops that lined the streets and tantalized me with glazed and shiny delicacies and fresh gelato. In July of 2006, I boarded an airplane and arrived at the "land of promises. " The mammoth of a building that was the Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta was terrifying, it must have been more than ten times the size of the Aeropuerto Francisco de Miranda in Caracas.

Read More
348 Words | 2 Pages

As an immigrant, relocating to America does not necessarily mean a permanent settlement. More often than not, my family moved in multiple occasions as my family found it challenging to achieve a sustainable way of life. During the span of my childhood, I have moved to seven cities within a span of fourteen years and enrolled at five schools. Being an oriental immigrant proved to be enough of an embarrassment to my moral standards, but being labeled as “the new kid”, activated my deepest insecurities. Forcibly putting myself in an environment where diversity was not apparent, I implicitly harnessed an arrogance and hatred to my own culture.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

Coming from a low income family, living in a small town in India, I learned early on about struggling and surviving those struggles. I watched my parents working day and night to provide for electricity, pay for our monthly school fees so my sister and I can have a better education, and for the future they wished upon for their children. To further enhance this vision, my father decided for the family and I to immigrate to the US. Everything was different in the sense that I changed schools, learned a new language, had to make new friends, and learned the different culture. I had to adapt to a whole new world, which was a little difficult at 6 years old

Read More
703 Words | 3 Pages

My most rewarding accomplishment consists of my ability to overcome the fear and weakness that was conceived upon my arrival to the United States from Mexico, in addition to a newly evolved character which allowed me to achieve academic, professional, and personal success. Nearly seven years ago, my mother and I immigrated from a harsh economic climate in Mexico that was plagued with unemployment. Additionally, our family faced bankruptcy. While holding onto our faith, we left our hometown with only what we could carry and bought two one-way bus tickets. With nothing more than fear, two bags, and $50 in each of our pockets, we set out for what would be the most challenging journey of our lives.

Read More
512 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
553 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
526 Words | 3 Pages

The barriers facing international students in America There several cultural barriers facing international students, they include, language, food, clothing, behavior, and religious. The biggest hurdle facing modern international student in achieving one of the fundamental human goals i.e. educational is language. Language is a means of communication that involves spoken, written or use of kinesics. As English was my second language I found it hard to understand spoken language from my peers and lecturers. All I could see was a moving mouth producing a sound that sometimes I never grasped the word being used, as the accent took a toll on my understanding.

Read More
551 Words | 3 Pages

Refugee Isn’t funny how strange life works? A refugee with no love, hope, structure, or discipline can become my brother and reverse the label he’s given. The label the world gave him, one that was meant to crucify him, changes and brings perspective to a little girl. What happens when a child realizes just how awful the world is?

Read More
607 Words | 3 Pages

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 had an effect on the entire world and especially the United States, One important effect in our country was on the development of immigration policies, as U.S. took measures by adding policies to protect the country from another terrorist attack. Migration has always been a substantial part of human life. For ages, humans have traveled from place to place in search for a better life. Human migration is mostly due to starvation, or war, but also to re-unite families, escape persecution, and better employment opportunities. Since 9/11, policies regarding terrorism have misappropriated U.S. immigration laws to promote anti-terrorism goals and this has had profound impacts on people’s rights by limiting the right to privacy, criminalizing undocumented immigration and creating a culture of fear and discrimination towards Arab immigrants.

Read More

More about Personal Narrative: Student Immigrant

Related Topics

Open Document