Immigrant Narrative Essay

Notes on Immigrant

· Born in Beau, Cameroon. In a four-bedroom house with 15 other siblings and relatives. Lived under a “survival of the fittest” lifestyle. Had to work to get food every day.
· Moved to the United States in 1996. At the age of 27.
· Walked about 2 miles to school and back home under any weather conditions.
· Classrooms were made up of hard wooden benches and every school was forced to wear a uniform. 
· The difference between living in Africa and living in the US was that growing up in Beau, everybody knew each other around town. They lived in a small community where everybody knows someone that knows someone.
· They had a few relatives in the US who had immigrated prior to them coming.
· They knew that America was “the land of free” or “the land of great opportunity”. They believed that anybody can make a living for themselves there. They heard about this through newspapers, movies, and books.
· The reality was a lot tougher than his expectations. The learning curve for an immigrant was very difficult and it hindered their process of making a living for themself. It took a long time to adjust to the US system and how society works here. Ultimately though, it worked for his family.
· New York was their first destination. He chose the NY/NJ area because his relatives that had immigrated before him told him that the most opportunities would be in an area like this.
· They made new friends through the church community and colleagues at his workplace. 
· They remained active in their countries through an association of people from his birthplace connecting through the internet. They meet through video chat frequently.
· Active in the church community. Participates weekly in Sunday school and other events for the church.
· They feel that the immigrant experience had its pros and cons. In general, it has improved their social economic background. But on the flip side, the society he grew up in was very community based (people looked out for each other) and it is completely opposite here.
· A saying from where they’re from: “Home is home” 
Explanation: The place where you grow up is always going to be the place that you come back to.