Jeury Nunez Reyes
ENG 201-05
Prof. Schreiber
11 March 2016
A New Chapter
Thirteen years ago at the age of five, I left everything behind in the Dominican Republic to start a new life with my parents in the United States. I was an only child at the time. It was a new beginning not only for my parents but for me as well. We had to adapt to a new society, and the fast moving pace of life in New York City. My life in this tremendous new city started off great; the schools, the protection of the law enforcement agencies, and the people were something breathtaking. I had never seen such a diverse place before. As a low income family, supporting a family of five individuals; we have managed our earnings (paying rent and other utility bills) so that …show more content…
Arriving at John F Kennedy airport, all I could do was smile seeing my father after such a long period of time. The first words he told my mother and I was “welcome to the Big Apple”. All this time, I always imagined there being an actual real big apple. I then came to understand that it was just a nickname of the city with great meaning behind it. The clear blue skies, the warm breeze, and the unique scene of numerous yellow taxi cars made our arrival quite adequate. As I looked out the car window admiring the beauty of the summer day, all my mother seemed to talk about was the fascinating airplane ride that we both had just encountered. I didn’t know where exactly we were going to live, but I assumed it would be in Manhattan. As most outsiders when anyone mentions New York City, we only envision Manhattan not acknowledging that the city consists of five boroughs. I was then told that I would be staying in Queens but I didn’t know the exact …show more content…
My father’s family all lived within a five minute walking distance, something I took advantage of. I would always go out with my cousins to explore and get to know the area as much as I could. The First time I walked through Jamaica Avenue I observed that there was a great presence of the Hispanic community. I would hear them talk amongst each other, and I felt comfortable in this new place because I could understand them and didn’t feel like an outcast. Weekend mornings were the best because as soon as I would wake up, I could hear the sounds of bachata, merengue, and salsa setting a joyful tone for the rest of the day. When you walked outside, everyone surprisingly knew each other. It was as if everyone that lived in Jamaica were all from one big family. Everywhere I would go they would recognize me, and be so friendly. They would say “Hey Teo Jr, look at you just like your father.” I got that nickname because my father’s name is Teodoro and I inherited most of his physical features. Jamaica is a community in which everyone looks out for one another. That is something that reminded me my hometown the Dominican Republic, where everyone would have each other’s back. Jamaica Queens was and still is a much transited area. Endless amounts of cars, motorcycles, and buses would pass through the busy street of Jamaica Avenue. Jamaica center you would see everyone rushing to catch the trains and buses that later
ENG 201-05
Prof. Schreiber
11 March 2016
A New Chapter
Thirteen years ago at the age of five, I left everything behind in the Dominican Republic to start a new life with my parents in the United States. I was an only child at the time. It was a new beginning not only for my parents but for me as well. We had to adapt to a new society, and the fast moving pace of life in New York City. My life in this tremendous new city started off great; the schools, the protection of the law enforcement agencies, and the people were something breathtaking. I had never seen such a diverse place before. As a low income family, supporting a family of five individuals; we have managed our earnings (paying rent and other utility bills) so that …show more content…
Arriving at John F Kennedy airport, all I could do was smile seeing my father after such a long period of time. The first words he told my mother and I was “welcome to the Big Apple”. All this time, I always imagined there being an actual real big apple. I then came to understand that it was just a nickname of the city with great meaning behind it. The clear blue skies, the warm breeze, and the unique scene of numerous yellow taxi cars made our arrival quite adequate. As I looked out the car window admiring the beauty of the summer day, all my mother seemed to talk about was the fascinating airplane ride that we both had just encountered. I didn’t know where exactly we were going to live, but I assumed it would be in Manhattan. As most outsiders when anyone mentions New York City, we only envision Manhattan not acknowledging that the city consists of five boroughs. I was then told that I would be staying in Queens but I didn’t know the exact …show more content…
My father’s family all lived within a five minute walking distance, something I took advantage of. I would always go out with my cousins to explore and get to know the area as much as I could. The First time I walked through Jamaica Avenue I observed that there was a great presence of the Hispanic community. I would hear them talk amongst each other, and I felt comfortable in this new place because I could understand them and didn’t feel like an outcast. Weekend mornings were the best because as soon as I would wake up, I could hear the sounds of bachata, merengue, and salsa setting a joyful tone for the rest of the day. When you walked outside, everyone surprisingly knew each other. It was as if everyone that lived in Jamaica were all from one big family. Everywhere I would go they would recognize me, and be so friendly. They would say “Hey Teo Jr, look at you just like your father.” I got that nickname because my father’s name is Teodoro and I inherited most of his physical features. Jamaica is a community in which everyone looks out for one another. That is something that reminded me my hometown the Dominican Republic, where everyone would have each other’s back. Jamaica Queens was and still is a much transited area. Endless amounts of cars, motorcycles, and buses would pass through the busy street of Jamaica Avenue. Jamaica center you would see everyone rushing to catch the trains and buses that later