William Son

I moved to the United States. It was around 10:00 p.m. on July 3rd, 2000 and all I remember was the sound of screaming voices. Bags were being tossed around the room, along with clothes, toiletries, and basically everything else that remained in my uncle’s house. It was the night before the big move to fulfill our “American Dream.” Back then, I was only seven years old and everything still seems like a blur to me, but I can still piece together some of the crucial parts. That night I was not able to sleep, since this is supposed to be the greatest foreign experience in my entire life.
As a Korean immigrant, the biggest struggle I had was communicating with my peers in my English class. I was the only child in my class that was not fluent in English and adapting to the new culture was a tough one. I was quiet, reserved, and kept my thoughts to myself. I did not speak out or voice my opinions because of the fear that someone would judge me. I would dread the day when I had to read my papers out loud to the class. I mean, that’s how English was for me; Just another class that I was forced to take. Nothing more, nothing less.
Since then I thought I would hate and despise English, but it became the opposite. I was never good at English, but I've come to enjoy it. It’s been thirteen years, since I’ve been panicking about how I was going to fit in and get along with people with completely different backgrounds. One thing I love about America is the diversity and clash of cultures. The fear of interaction amongst my “different” peers has slowly dissipated over the years and I have learned that interaction is a single most important thing that drives who I am.