Our Lives as Immigrants
There exist three strikes for the little dark skinned girl that sits next to you in class; strike one she’s a woman, strike two she’s of color, and strike three she’s a dreamer. I am the little girl that sat next to you in class, the little girl who couldn’t read or speak your tongue. The little girl you rubbed your Nike sneaker at while my toes bathed in my sweaty Skechers. I am the little girl that you waved your hands at in an attempt to say “Hi”as if I were an alien. The girl you never truly noticed or said more than the courteous Hi to because our skin tones differ, the one you wouldn’t allow to play football because I am of the opposite gender. The one you fear to stand next because she doesn’t look like you. Being an immigrant in the land of the free and home of the brave has shaped me into a strong, independent, and hard working young woman. From an early age, I learned that the only way to attain the things that you desire is by working for them. As I grew up I often saw my single mother struggle working numerous jobs just to place food on the table for my sibling and I. I realized how difficult it was to truly survive in such a promising land, to the point where I found myself confused at the idea of leaving everything behind and starting over. Continuously asking myself why would an individual leave their home and family to come to America and struggle. I never asked my mother why we came to America nor did I need to because although I wonder, I knew. Although no one spoke openly about it in the Dominican Republic, everyone knew the United States as a land of opportunity. I could never accomplish my wildest dream in the land that flows through my veins. Every immigrant faces a daily lingual, cultural, and racial barrier for the sake of survival.
One of the greatest barriers immigrants face when coming to the United States is the lingual barrier that stands between them and everything they’ve ever hoped for. Most of my middle school years consisted of me sitting on a specific side of the classroom solving mathematical problems for each class. I remember not being able to partake in any class discussions and whenever I needed to communicate with my teacher our liaison was google translator. It was extremely frustrating not being able to understand when an individual attempted to speak to me. As Lauren Schwaar author of Difficulties Faced by Immigrants and Refugees states, “Language barriers cause huge difficulties and make simple interactions seem like daunting feats. Employment, transportation, legal responsibilities and receiving assistance in each of these areas are more difficult without a firm grasp of English” (Schwaar 1). Not being able to communicate with those around you when you arrive in a new country is extremely challenging.
I recently visited the doctor's’ office and there was an Ecuadorian woman with her child. She like many Hispanic parents was only fluent in Spanish, she was also illiterate, unable to write anything besides her and her sons’ name. Because of the language barrier, this woman was unable to receive adequate treatment for her sick baby. My heart was completely broken at the sight of a person unable to receive the proper care they deserve. I often find myself serving as a spokesperson for my mother constantly missing school to attend her and my brothers’ doctors’ appointments. In a way honorably epitomizing the underrepresented community I belong to, because I too know what it feels like not understanding and being misunderstood. For language isn’t the only barrier the average immigrant faces when coming to the United States.
Correspondingly cultural barriers transcend each and every aspect of the life of an immigrant, as much as lingual barriers do. In the Dominican Republic, family is the first priority. People that live in the Dominican Republic have a tremendous connection with their relatives. It doesn’t matter what generation you’re in if you see your second or even third cousin, you still consider them your cousin. You don’t refer to them as, “yeah I think we are related”, you call them your cousin even if they don’t have .000001% of the same blood as you. More often than not those whom you grew up with, even if they aren't biologically related to you they are still your family. While, families in the United States usually prioritize work rather than tending to their children, therefore they are often minimally parented. Most children in the United States are self-raised and learn to be independent at a much younger age compared to the children in the Dominican Republic. When I lived in the Dominican Republic, it was a Dominican tradition for their to be food on the table once arriving home from school. Thus when I came home from school every day, dinner would already be set on the table. Among other things, my mom would do my laundry and fold my clothes for me. Yet when I moved to the United States finding food on the kitchen table was a wild astonishment and doing my own laundry became second nature. I often found myself eating frozen meals and regularly using the microwave which was something I rarely did in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, there are larger cultural differences that stand in the way of immigrants affiliating with the American culture, such cultural differences include the way children speak to their parents. In the Dominican Republic a child looks up to their parent and respects them. While in the United States it is human nature to disrespect, belittle, and occasionally curse at your parents. These new cultural norms make it extremely difficult for immigrants to affiliate with the American culture in such a way that immigrants find themselves having to appropriate to the American culture for the sake of fitting in.
As an immigrant the simple fact of not being American, you are looked down upon and expected to work at places like McDonald’s. People often say that where you come from dictates where you will go but for an immigrant, this ideology is our greatest fight. The entire purpose of moving to this country is for the betterment of self and proving that regardless of the situation one is placed in or comes from, one can make it. As The Annie E. Casey Foundation stated in a research regarding immigrants’ success, “Eighty-five percent of foreign-born young adults are in school or working — slightly higher than the proportion of U.S.-born young adults who are doing so (84%)” (Casey 1). Moreover, reflecting that although the odds to succeed are against you, as an immigrant you are more than capable of accomplishing everything you have ever dreamed of. It is a challenge because being an immigrant from a low-income family means an opportunity to improve myself with set limitations. Such limitations included not owning flashy name brand products as the rest of my peers did, not being able to go to out with my friends because of the financial disadvantages, and most commonly not being able to attend school trips due to lack of funds. Although I didn’t go to prom, travel the world or any state other than Jersey for that matter, I can proudly say that I am currently at a four-year University proving that all it takes is patience and dedication. I am a firm believer that no dream is too big and that anything you put your mind to, you can certainly accomplish it and for that I thank America.
All things considered, although you prejudged me and belittled everything I ever believed in, I thank you because you provide immigrants like myself the ability to become something greater than those before me were. America is a melting pot where those who were nothing and had no ability to ever become something can make a difference. Although this country is not currently in favor of all those hard-working men and women who make it what it is, it will always continue to be a place where people are willing to give everything up, in the chase of the American Dream. Regardless of the barriers, storms or walls we might face in the way to this intangible dream, we persist.
Works Cited
“New Report Shows Racial Barriers Prevent Children of Color and Immigrant Children from
Reaching Potential, Postrecession.” The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 24 Oct. 2017,
www.aecf.org/blog/new-report-shows-racial-barriers-prevent-children-of-color-and-immigrant-ch/.
Schwaar, Lauren. “Difficulties Faced by Immigrants and Refugees.” Artistas, 2015,
fmcusa.org/lightandlifemag/difficulties-faced-by-immigrants-and-refugees/.