ANCA was working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, such as The United Nation, to help Armenian families leave all communist countries around the world to get freedom, destining America. In 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 14, which declares, "Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution." I was sad that I was leaving the place where I was born, but inside in my heart I was feeling happy for the new life that I will face soon. Finally we received our visas to leave the country. In order to reach our destination which was the United States, we had to stop in the city of Beirut, Lebanon as a refugee in 1968 and then we flew to our final destination which was New York in December, 1969.…
Remember when Shrek told Donkey, “Ogres are like onions. They have layers”? The same is true, of course, of humans. As the year goes along, we’ll learn more and more about you. But because we’re going to be spending the next nine months together, let’s get started. The quicker we can learn a little about you, the better. Here are a few questions that will help us get acquainted. Type a response to each one. Provide as much or little detail as you wish.…
The feel of 80 degree temperature, the sound of splashing water, and a super long car ride? Everything but the car ride was awesome! On my spring break this year we took a very long and boring car trip down to Arizona. It was a 18+ hour car trip just going there! I mostly slept and read the way there. First, we visited Arizona state and Arizona University. Then, we stayed at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house. But, what I mostly liked about my spring break was in Arizona there was 80-90 degree temperatures!…
Their feedback and experiences led me to look into the different opportunities and places that Alternative Breaks offers. When I found the trip in San Francisco, I felt that this program would offer me more leadership and volunteering opportunities. My favorite aspect of this program is how University of Oregon students can get together to help out communities and discuss the social issues important to our communities. From what I have learned from other students, Alternative Breaks can be a starting place before volunteering for the Peace Corps or Teach for America. This spoke to me because Alternative Breaks will give more volunteer experience in these communities. This program caught my eye because I love to travel, help out communities and I believe it would be a great leadership opportunity for…
Going to Southern California, no one would think of packing an umbrella. Why would they? California is in the middle of a drought. When someone thinks of California, they think of baby blue skies and palm trees along the streets. But, of course, the weekend my family decided to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld is the weekend Southern California experienced what the local news called a “tropical depression.”…
Leaving your country is always a difficult decision, and whoever has experienced it understands the sacrifice it entails. When I left Poland at 18, I thought I was going to be in paradise, but to my disappointment it was far from that. I had to learn a new language and work hard to provide for myself. What kept me motivated was the hope for a better future and an independent life.…
America, land of the free and home of the brave, a country strengthened with rights, equality, and justice. For Americans it’s just a regular country, with regular rules and laws, nothing special about it. Although, to immigrants it’s a country to reinterpret their lives, a better life, a life where they’re free to pursue their happiness and follow their dreams. Even though America is a great country, adjusting to a new culture isn’t easy. It took patience, support, understanding, and passion in order for me to balance two different cultures.…
Have you ever imagined that one day you had to live in a new country? You are surrounded by new people. You have to communicate to others by a new language. You have to do a bunch of things that you have never done before. How would you feel at that time? That was my story of the first days I lived in America. To me, those days were the most difficult time in my life up to now. Sometime, I even felt very stressful because of struggling with my new life. However, I did learn of lot from that. Now, I am going to tell you how I experienced the stressful time and some useful ways that I did to reduce my stress.…
One day nearly two years ago, I came back from the worst trip and experience ever in my life. Three years ago, my family made the biggest decision of our lifetime together and we had decided to move. Now the fact that we were moving didn’t bother me or my little sister, it was just the simple fact that we were moving from our home that we had grown up in our entire life. The only problem was the fact that we had eventually found out that we were going to move to Oregon. This Alabama home that we grew up in was very special to me and my sister but it wasn’t the one of best of places. We had lived right beside our grandparents and we loved to go up the hill and see them and us moving had rendered that possibility from happening any longer.…
There have many occasions in my life I consider very special. It seems that although many events happened long ago, the clarity of them all remains fresh in my memory. I will remember them the rest of my life, but the event that I cherish the most is the day I moved from the Lagos, in South East Nigeria, to the United States.…
It was 2009 and I had been in sixth grade for a couple of months. I was on the phone with one of my friends from school when my mom called through my door for me to come out into the living room. I ignored her and kept talking for a few minutes when she called me out again. I rolled my eyes and told my friend I would call her right back. I walked into the living room and it seemed odd to me that both my sisters and dad were all out there too. I watched my mom take a deep breath with my dad by her side. As she began to speak her voice shook and gloss covered her eyes. “The doctors found a lump in my last mammogram.” she said. “It came back as cancer. I’m going to have to get treatment but I’m going to be okay.” No one else said a word, we all…
I was born in Scotland, Glasgow. I'm currently 25 years old. At the age of 16 I was forced to move to America because of my family job choise, my mum and dad worked in a same company, and they got business oppertunity that they had to move to America for it, New York city to be extact.…
It was a cold morning on the 20 of December, that morning I woke up sleepy as a sloth. I didn’t have school that day and from my room I could smell the beans been cocked. The atmosphere at home didn’t feel right, I felt like if there was something going on and I was the only one that didn’t know. My mom and sister looked suspicious. My house was small, it had two bedrooms and one bathroom. My sister got on her blue BMX bike and went out, I didn’t know where she was going but she went faster than a missile. Out of nowhere people started coming, more and more people, I counted 27 people including an 8 years old buy that fall asleep as soon as he got to my house. I was freak out and ran to my mom and I ask her, mom what’s going on who are these people, and she told me, my love we are going to America.…
“Hurry ” called my brother-in-law outside from the deck. I was taking shower in the bathroom. He said,“Today I have good surprise for you.”…
When I came from Africa in 2007, I was really excited. To me coming to America was like going to heaven. It was all I wanted, after all I could leave my violent country and finally come to the land of the free and the home of the brave. No matter how you put it the expectation for this country around the world is overwhelming. As for me coming to the United State was part of my everyday dreams. I remember my uncle my used to tell me, “Musa the statue of is capable of sitting down”, and due to the fact that I was just a kid I believe every word he said.…