Personal Narrative: Vietnamese Immigrant

Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant was difficult. My parents had little education. They spoke no English and had no understanding of the American culture. Nevertheless, they raised my sister and I the best they could. I was fortunate to have immigrated at the young age of 3. I understood nothing of the English language which made learning it much easier. I grew up healthy. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for my family. My sister, who was 4 years older, understood everything that happened. She endured enough bullying and name-calling for the both of us. At home, my mother suffered equally. With practically no income, we moved into a questionable neighborhood. Our neighbors were far from hospitable. My father had difficulty finding a stable job because of the language barrier; …show more content…
I graduated top of my class and was accepted into the University of California at Davis. I majored in the biological sciences. I was set on the path to accomplishing my dream. Unfortunately, life never goes as planned. With both of my parent’s health in decline, I needed to be home. With the little money I had saved up from my part-time job, I bought a used car to commute. Fortunately, school was only an hour and a half away. Unfortunately, in between schooling, working, and commuting home – I had spread myself too thin. My grades dropped dangerously low. During my 3rd year in college, I was put on academic probation. That was a difficult time for me. I had graduated top of my high school class and now I’m at risk of suspension due to my academic performance. Financially, quitting my job was not an option, but I could not jeopardize my education as well. The only thing I could do was to take out another loan from school. With only a few classes left, I endured through my final year of college. Although my grades were not academically favorable, I was relieved to simply