Migration Story Excerpt
Reading the book, The Warmth of Other Suns exposed me to the grandeur associated with
a great migration. The three main protagonists of the book left a profound impression on me and
allowed me to draw comparison towards my own immigration experience. This essay speaks from
the perspective of a journalist interviewing myself regarding my own immigration experience. In
doing so, I hope to retell my immigration experience and arrive at a resolution, a lesson learned of
moral of my own story.
Finally, Ruohao arrived at the school and became the only boarding pupil in grade one at
the school. While he learned the building blocks of his later academic pursuits, he also learned
how to live independently; he learned how to brush teeth, and shower by himself. He woke
himself up for class every day with an alarm and went to class alone. No one but him knew of his
nightly habit of sitting and crying in front of the main gate, overlooking the thousands of miles in
which his mother somewhere resided. In the midst of this suffering, he found no escape from the
harshness of reality save for facing reality directly. This was a sentiment highly unusual or a
child to experience; while others were able to play children’s games, Ruohao could only think of
others experiencing the same pain as he. His personality also adjusted accordingly, acting dark
and depressed which others were quick to point out.
As time went on, Ruohao was finally a secondary school student. Having learned a great
lesson from his migration experience, and finally being able to make his own choices
independent of his family, his life became calm again. He realized that pain is the most valuable
thing in this world, not pain for its sake, but rather because it forces a person to try to change and
improve himself in order to alleviate this pain. Hardship leads to prosperity, while comfort incurs
laziness and ultimately destruction. Consistent with this theme, Ruohao made the decision to
come to America in order for undergraduate courses. Consequently, he quit his university in
Shanghai and applied to city college as a start. America is a playground for pain and comfort; it
allows one to be as comfortable as they want or put themselves under immense pressure and
pain. Ruohao entertained the latter by facing obstacles such as language, cultural difference and independent. But he knew that every time he overcame a difficulty, he would grow more and
more mature.
In brief, Ruohao’s migration experience is compelling and staggering. His story is not
simply a narrative, or a piece of biographical non-fiction, but a case of the unyielding will and
strong will of the human spirit. Ruohao used his experience to redefine pain; from something that
causes suffering and suffering alone, to something that made him stronger in spite of, and as a
direct result of this suffering.
With the development of economic globalization, more and more people are trying to immigrate from their native country to a more desirable one in pursuit of higher life quality. As idealistic as this sounds, it brings accompanying problems; namely, when migrants enter a new country, the natives of that country usually have a prejudice against them because of their limited view of where migrants come from. Generally, all they know about those from one country is influenced by a single story often told by the media or simply passed down from older generations. Their story is tampered with, with only a small part of it, or even none of it being true and genuine. The hiding, or intentional ignoring of truth generally depends on political background or, in the case of the United States, what region of the country the migrant enters. For example, in areas with many immigrants such as California, new immigrants are generally received in a better light than in areas with a low density of immigrants. This leads to some migrants being looked at with trying, confrontational, or suspicious eyes. The misunderstanding not only influences the day to day life of migrants in the new country, but also distorts the true history of the people with respect to the actual country from which they come. It also can lead to the suppression of different cultures migrants bring, ultimately resulting in the dilution of a country’s cultural richness and the homogenization of culture. The underlying effect of the problem is dishonesty; in other words, it puts pressure on migrants and subsequent generations to conform to a pre-established culture rather than the one they would subscribe to otherwise, or naturally.
Finally, the construction of cultural ghettos has, in history, proven to be a strong solution for preserving a country’s cultural richness. This is because these ghettos give immigrants a space where they are permitted, without restraint, to practice their own culture. Per the above paragraph, there are times where migrant assimilation is appropriate in the name of economic and social productivity. However, in giving immigrants physical locations such as ghettos to practice their own culture, it clearly defines boundaries where they can do as they please, free of the worry of assimilation. This was proven early in the twentieth century where different groups of European immigrants lived in particular neighborhoods in New York and other major metropolitan areas. Without the resources migrants possess today, such as the internet which allow them to more easily anticipate and adapt to a new culture, these cultural ghettos eased the transition for these migrants. To this day, certain cultural ghettos such as New York’s Chinatown still stand as reminders of a different culture, and in effect keeping the Chinese migrant story alive. In any case, areas with high concentrations of one ethnic group are, by definition more cohesive because there are no cultural barriers to worry about, but also let the existing population observe and learn to appreciate these cultures. This can be evidenced by these ghettoes existence today, they are still standing and have been doing their job for many decades now.
Hip Hop Element
Community Call to Action
Based on the research from the three essays, it can be concluded that immigration stories can be different from each other, but all are very difficult. It is important to honor the stories and not have them be forgotten. The American Dream is the strive to live better, and it should be passed down from generations to generations. To honor the stories, we can share them with more people through different forms such as movies and music. Through diverse mediums, the stories can be remembered and therefore honored by many people.
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