Culture and Immigration

Thursday's class was like WHOA. We did a role play of the typical family that immigrated to the United States and what difficulties they all went through.  Throughout the entire class I was like "dude, this is my life". Why? Well, my family went through the same situation to get to the point that they are today as well as to the point where my siblings and I are as well. I couldn't write my entire story, but nah. It would be too long to tell you all how horrible the whole experience was for me-- especially during those years when I was left in Ecuador with my brother and taken care of our grandparents while both of my parents worked in the States.

What I can tell you though, I also shared in class on Thursday. My relief in a way, that I was fortunate enough to come to the US at the age I did. Being young and coming to this country, it wasn't difficult adapting to this new way of life. I picked up the language within a year and settled into this new country that now I truly consider my home. I'm glad I wasn't like that teenager in the role-play.

Then I got to thinking about how much this new culture that my family came into changed our family. Especially for my dad. He let himself allow this new culture and traditions "swallow" him up and cause him to abandon the very little traditions and culture that he brought from Ecuador. He became so engulfed in becoming a "gringo", that he became ashamed of his own roots. Like I mentioned earlier-- my entire story is so long that I think I might even write a book about my life someday. Maybe even loo into having it made in a soap opera or movie-- but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I went home that afternoon and shared this experience with my mom. She was blown away! I expressed to her the gratitude I had of her sacrifice as well as my dad's to come to this country and eventually bringing us here.

I see now what the Lord means when he says that he gives us our trials to help us grow. From all the trials that immigrating to this country has brought - I have really learned to learn from each of them and to apply them in my own education by sharing my experiences and seeing how a majority of them correlate with all that I'm learning throughout my college career.

I can honestly say that I'm blessed for having had these trials because of all the knowledge they have brought me.