Unknown American Narrative

In the novel Book of Unknown American, Christina Henriquez brought to light multiple stories of immigrants who betted their lives on a future in the United States. Unfortunately, some did not come to fully realize this future. Instead, the immigrants experienced a rude awakening upon arriving in the United States. Although not as grand a scale as to crossing country borders, I also had betted on false dreams. From rumors to blogs, I dreamed college to be a place of great freedom. I could spend endless hours playing video games and drinking gallon after gallon of soda whenever I want without my mother’s nagging. However, reality proved me wrong. By experiencing Orientation Day at University of the Pacific, my eyes were open to a new and unfamiliar …show more content…
Before leaving home, I was both anxious and excited: Finally, my dream was within reach, but would it really be what I hoped for? The question remained unanswered for about seven hours on the freeway. I arrived late, so the morning of the orientation started out really hectic. As the day dragged on, I met all my advisors and was intimidated by the sheer number of classes I would need to take to make it into pharmacy school. After being bombarded by the mass of information, I had the night to myself. I finally had a glimpse of the absolute freedom hoped years ago. However, the happiness provided by this newfound freedom was short lived. As seven o’clock came around, I was still enjoying my relaxation, but quickly began to feel really hungry. No longer is my mother around to call me for dinner. As I looked at the schedule for dinnertime, hoping it wasn’t too late, I noticed how early I have to wake up the next day. I have taken care of myself before, but orientation felt different. All of a sudden the responsibility of taking care of myself came without warning and I knew no one who could give me advice in this new environment. I felt like an immigrant caught in the unusual routine of the new country. Now all aspects from eating to the little things like laundry were up to me. Such is the trade-off of absolute freedom. In addition, one needs to keep in mind that you are not the only one with absolute freedom. On the night of Orientation Day, I had a roommate who did not respect any boundaries or care about my presence. He would turn on the lights at two in the morning, resulting in me waking up and him half-heartedly apologizing. He would also ask very personal questions even though we met an hour ago. Afterwards in a group of unfamiliar freshmen, He would spout outrageous comments like drugs are good for you and how he would make out with any girl he wishes. He was laying on the misinformation and