I looked at the picture of myself, a little kid sitting down on a chair. Disheveled hair, aged wallpaper, and the old creaky house that I lived in for the majority of my childhood. That was common life back in Kyrgyzstan, my home country.
Suddenly, in what seemed like a second, I found myself in America, a country on the opposite pole. A place of opportunities and riches? Yes, because here I could finally find a fully equipped book store that sold products for all age ranges.
Yet, just as lavish and beautiful this place is, humans cannot adjust to new places immediately. Recently a friend of mine came to visit and uttered with astonishment, “everything here is so big.” It’s almost as if the U.S. has the enlarged version of everything- roads, chips, products, houses, and space. Although this is a significant benefit to the country, it’s also what makes it difficult for immigrants to feel at home.
Change is hard, especially for people who come unwillingly. We all have homes, places we feel safe even if it’s inferior to other areas. They’re still the places we feel most comfortable in. However, the reasons that immigrants come to America are just impossible to ignore; whether it be the poor education, financial problems, or lack of work, the U.S. is seen as a solution to these problems.
The first time I boarded an American plane, waiting in the dead middle of night, my father asked me to bring him a drink. I asked the lady at the large desk, and she gave me two cups. Even at this age, I remember my confusion as to how to fill these seemingly empty cups with weird contents in it. No one ever taught me how to. Of course, the lady didn’t understand my confusion, so I ended up making the drink incorrectly(causing the nth misunderstanding and instance of discomfort I experienced in America).
If someone were to ask me if I have accepted the U.S. as my home, I would still say maybe, even after five years. The next time you see a newly arrived person in this place, don’t assume their background and have patience, respect, and support for their critical period of adjustment.
