Dear loved ones,
After arriving in America, my life has been
turned upside down. While riding on the boats here, I did not know what to
expect. I worried that it would be terrible, and I would not know how to start
my life. Luckily there were others with my same worries and it helped to know
that I was not alone. Most everyone that was on the boat with me came for the
same reasons; better work, and a better life.
When we arrived in New York, the amount of
people that I saw was unbelievable. I had no idea so many people could fit in
the same place. When we got out most of us did not have the slightest idea of
what to do next. We did not know where to eat, where or how to get a job, or
even where we were going to stay. After walking around aimlessly for a while I
noticed that some people were asking the natives. I walked up to someone and
explained that I was an immigrant and I did not know where to go for anything.
The response was not what I was expecting, the man was very rude and walked
away saying things underneath his breath. Some people seemed to be fine with
giving help, and others were completely opposed to even speaking to us.
After awhile I met some people that spoke the
same language as me. This made it a lot easier to communicate. Now we all live
in the same neighborhood. We share the same native customs, which makes it a
little easier to live in such an estranged place. There are also theaters and
newspapers in our language, which makes us feel more accepted. I love that we
can celebrate our own culture, but at the same time I want to experience the
American lifestyle. At my job, my boss requires us to learn English. This helps
with communication, but it is extremely hard. We are learning it quickly, but I
struggle with it. It helps with the cultural divide, and makes things
easier.
I wish you all could come to see it. It’s
amazing here, but I miss everyone so much back home. I hope that everyone’s
doing okay, and tell everyone that I love them. I will write you soon.
Love,
Ryan Sanford
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