داستان کوتاه انگلیسی

Corruption and Discrimination Live Everywhere (part2)


6. What do you miss about your home country?
The food, I miss the people and how the culture is over there compared to here, I never felt alone in Mexico. In America, there is a big emphasis on independence, everyone must struggle on their own and be successful on their own. It makes us want to socialize less and makes us want to focus on our busy schedules and our work. I always had time for my family and they always had time for me because we lived close and the community aspect is a lot stronger.

7. How is American life different? Do you prefer this lifestyle compared to the oneyou had back in your home country?

The lifestyle in Mexico is a beautiful thing, I always felt there is no competition and the relationships I made were genuine. In America, I haven’t been able to find that same feeling of community and there is always a sense of competition and the desire to be better off than someone else. There’s too much focus on individualism and not enough on community which I think is really harmful, especially when you look at politics and corruption and how individualism plays a big role in discarding the poor and criminalizing minorities.

8. Do you feel accepted as an immigrant (or American) in the United States? How does your viewpoint reflect your sense of belonging?

I still consider myself Mexican, and I’ve noticed how my last name changes the way Americans treat and view me as a person. If I introduce myself as Mexican people tend to see me as less than, and when they ask about where my last name came from I tell them from Basque, from Spain they think I am white, and treat me as an equal. My viewpoint of belonging here…I don’t think I feel like I belong, I remember being pulled over by a cop car and a police officer thought I was a suspect and treated me like a criminal, he told me to get out of my car and pointed a gun at me, searched my car with little notice to how I felt. Once they realized I was the wrong guy, they simply said “sorry, wrong person. You can leave now”. They act like that won’t traumatize a person and we still see it happening in this country.

9. What was the hardest part of adapting to American culture? Do you think you have assimilated or do you still have your roots and traditions?

I think the hardest part of adapting is the lack of community, and celebrating traditions I grew up within Mexico. There’s a lot of holidays I haven’t been able to celebrate because America has their own holidays that overshadows our own. I still feel super connected to my roots and traditions, I still have foods and recipes my mom used to make for me, that reminds me of life in Mexico and gives me a sense of nostalgia.


10. Reflecting on your journey to a new country, what is something that you vividly remember? What part of your experience has left a big impact?


Something I vividly remember is traveling by bus from San Diego to ModestoCalifornia, it was a dirty and old bus. On the first day of living in America, I was uncomfortable and it was a moment where I thought how did I get here? I used to work for a good company and I used to feel free and it was a moment I knew things were going to change. Once I got to Modesto, I had lost my luggage as well, and most of my things were gone it was a discouraging moment. Coming to a new country with most of my clothes were gone, coming in an uncomfortable bus, my first experience was awful and I’ve compared it to my other vacations and journeys, and never felt that way about any of them.



Source:http://madeintoamerica.org