My Life As An Immigrant

Being an immigrant brings both positive and negative impacts on my life. I cannot say that I was totally ignorant about the decision my parents had made for us. But I was totally unprepared when that day had finally come. Obscurely I remember, when we arrived at the LAX airport, I couldn’t understand a single word of this new world surrounding us. It seemed like all of my endeavors in English classes were useless. Luckily, my mother managed to have all of the documents set, and we peacefully crossed the border, officially entered the United States without getting in trouble. I was not aware, however, that there were even bigger challenges waiting for me. Although it was summer when I came, my first priority was to learn enough English to survive. During our stay at my aunt’s house, I did hundreds of grammar problems every day on the computer; I read the whole series of “The Magic Tree
Because now I am the best English speaker in my family, my parents become more dependent on me. Reading mail, receiving phone calls, filling out healthcare forms, registering for school…almost everything that requires English communication with my family is my job. I see this as a great opportunity to get to know how to act in different situations. As a minor, I did many things that most kids in America won’t have a chance to do until they grow up. I also developed a habit of self-educating. Without my parents sitting by my side to guide me, I got used to doing everything myself, including learning. Not only do I have the ability to learn new materials on my own, but also the ability to self-control. I did not play video games or watch TV shows through midnight before I finish my homework. I did not go out with my friends and be home late. I focused on studying and did not end up on the streets. I am not a nerd, but I choose to reject those temptations. I am able to do that because I understand my goals