I am an immigrant from Hong Kong living in the U.S since the year 2000. I was only ten years old when my family migrated here and started living in New Yolk. However in new yolk has not been easy but we have always been able to make it out of any situation. My parents are now working in different areas. My mother works as a personal care aid while my father is a chef in a Chinese hotel here in new yolk. However, even with jobs, life is not easy. We always face other challenges.

One of the major challenges we faced on arrival was difficulty communication in English. Having been ten years old, I had already fully learnt the Chinese language but little of the English language. The official languages in Hong Kong are Chinese and English but the common man never bothers with the English language. Though my parents could speak a few words, they could not communicate effectively and we looked like lo9st people in the new yolk society.

Luckily there were other Chinese in the area we were living in the metropolitan.  We started living with a family friend who had migrated in the U.S seven years earlier and was now established. The challenge was that my parents could not secure jobs without the knowledge of the English language.  However, to overcome this challenge, my parents enrolled in ESL classes. With me and my younger sister to take care of, it was not easy learning and trying to find a job. Later I and my sister enrolled in a public elementary school where ESL classes were offered due to the high number of immigrants in the school.

Another struggle we faced was raising children in a new culture. I and my sister were still young and it was not hard for us to adapt the American culture. My parents on the other hand were keen on making us maintain the Chinese culture. This was hard for us given that the other kids in school had adapted to the American culture and maintaining our own culture was odd. However, we did not escape the possibility of bullying in school. Most of the American born kids were not appreciative of our ways and often mocked us.  Reporting this to our parents was not helping since they could not communicate well with teachers and made no effort to come to school to address the problem.

However, as we progressed, we managed to get integrated into the American culture and the bullying stopped. Our parents also accepted our new culture. Having arrived and living with a family friend, there was the need to secure a job. We could not leave with the friend for long since he also had a family to take care off.  Getting a job was however not easy. My father was a trained chef but my mother had no training. Making it even worse was the problem of language barrier.  My parents had to enroll in ESL classes, while trying to secure a job and also looking after us.

With the little savings we had immigrated with, my parents attended the classes for three months. All this time my sister and I were still home doing nothing. The family friend’s kids used to go school and this was a challenge to us as kids. After completing lessons, my parents were able to get manual contractual jobs and after three months we moved top our own house. The family friend who is a manger in the Chinese hotel my father works in got him the job. That is when we were able to enroll in school.

In Hong king, the family structures are well defined. There are extended social circles. The extended family always supports each other. My grandparents were left back in Hong Kong and they were an important part of my life. He taught me a lot of things back home. On arrival in New Yolk, it was clear that everyone was busy. People did not seem to notice each other. Everybody cared about his work. When we arrived, I and my sister would spend the day in the house while my parents were out searching for a job or in ESL classes. This was some kind of isolation to us based on the fact that we were used to interacting with people in Hong Kong. The problem was at least solved when we joined school since there were other children we could relate with.

After seven years in New Yolk, my father was well off and could manage to purchase a car to make going to work more efficient. However, accessing a driving license was a problem. His driving license from Hong Kong was not varied in new yolk. To get a new license, one had to pass a few tests including a written test which is in English. This was difficult for my father since he could only speak the normal English. However, after taking the exam for three times, he passed and acquired the driving license. We now have a family car.

Though challenges never end, life in new yolk is good. My father is working as a chef and is earning enough to leave comfortably. Having grown up in America, I adopted the American culture. Though I still remember the Chinese language, it is slowly escaping from my mind. I have problems writing the language and have long conversations.

My parents still observe the culture of the Chinese celebrating holy days and public holidays. For me and my sister, we do not recognize the American culture as our culture. We were educated in new yolk and pledged to the flag of the United States of America. In addition, since we are legally living in America, we are now citizens by legislation. Life in Hong Kong was hard for there were no enough jobs and though life in new yolk was at first hard, things changed with time. My parents were able to educate us and we both are now in college. I look forward to being a productive citizen who is paying taxes and helping in the developing of our country America. I am proud of the state of New Yolk for the chances it has accorded to me and my family.

My grandparents passed away five years ago. Before their death, I could write to them though my writing of the Chinese language was bad. I also used to call them though not regularly. I now had a new family in New Yolk including friends. After all people in New Yolk are not at all bad, neighbors and friends support each other in times of need. Though most of my neighbors are also Chinese, I also have many American born friends.

Immigrating to a new culture is not easy. One has to undergo some changes which are inevitable. For us we had to change our language and cultural practices. Parents are the hard hit to see their children slowly become Americanized. My parents were very worried that we were becoming Americanized at the expense of forgetting the Chinese culture. Everything from language to dressing is now American. Though my father works in Chinese hotel, American food is served at home. My mother however serves Chinese food from time to time though I personally do not like it.

As an immigrant, my family has faced different problems. These include language barrier, cultural barrier, isolation, transportation problems and lack of jobs. However, we have always had a way of overcoming these challenges. We have also have received a lot of support from Chinese people living near us in New Yolk. I have observed that immigrants support each other and this has greatly contributed to the issue of illegal immigrants. Though I immigrated legally, it would be hard to deny a Chinese illegal immigrant help given that I was also helped when I was in need.

Life in new yolk city is great. There advanced facilities in all sectors including health and transportation. In addition, access to education is easy since the education system is streamlined. Again, the education offered here is very valuable and informative. The culture around here is also very accommodating with no issues of abuse or racism. I always heard stories of racism in America but from my experience that is a thing of the past.

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