My Experience Of Moving To The United States

Have you ever wondered what is like for a no English speaking person to come to the United States for the first time? Let me walk you through my experience as a Hispanic moving into the United States. Is an experience I will never forget; I was in middle school in Puerto Rico when my mother told the family the news of us moving to Connecticut do to her finding a better career opportunity. It seemed like the idea of starting a new school in a new state was not enough considering it was not a Spanish speaking school. I was terrified. How would I communicate, write, what if I get lost? All the questions that ran through my head every second. I am the oldest in my family and it was up to me to not only learn a new language but also be a role model …show more content…
Even though I was nervous, I was also excited to experience something new. First day of school arrived. The distance from the parking lot to the main entrance seemed like a four mile marathon. Once we arrived to the main entrance and walked in the main office to meet the counselor to pick up my class schedule, my mom left and I felt more lost than ever. She was the only one in the family that was fluent in English and she was my translator. How can I ask the simple questions, like “may I go to the bathroom.” I was nervous but the teachers and student were nice to me. We communicated with our hands like sign language, it seemed silly but it took us through our day little by little. I remember sitting in English class which to me was every single class. While in English class I was nervous, I couldn’t understand anything, I remember the first friend I made in school. Her name was Ashley, she was very nice and she helped me with everything since I couldn’t …show more content…
Being able to speak more than one language is one of the biggest advantages a person can have now a days. I recall the story my mom used to tell me, about when she first moved to Puerto Rico and how she did not know how to speak Spanish. She was born and raised in Philadelphia and moved to Puerto Rico when she was only fifteen years old. I remember her telling me how she only had one friend that she could communicate with in English. Imagine being fifteen in a new environment and not knowing their native language even though you are part of the same heritage. Feeling lost and confused because you cannot communicate with society. It took me some time but I have both my moms and my own cultural shock in my head. Now I understand everything that my mom went through and I am very thankful for the fact that my mom put us in a new environment. Every day I am pleased to be able to be fully bilingual in both Spanish and English and I see how both languages have helped me in the world and in my careers. Learning the English language is the best cultural shock I ever experienced. It will always teach me something new and it will open many doors to my