Struggles of a Modern Immigrant

Fresh Off the Boat

Fresh off the boat. That is what someone said about me when I told him that I had only moved to America two and a half years ago. Comments like that are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to challenges that I have faced immersing into society in America. Every so often, there's "Where are you from?" "Your English is really good." "Can you make sushi?"

They are usually harmless in intent, maybe meant to be vehicles of some people's perceived wit or humor, but they never fail to make me feel like people look upon me as a foreigner.

Sure enough, I have not been here for long. I grew up in Singapore, where we speak English, if you were wondering, and met my American husband online. I moved here after a long wait for my green card (we're talking over three years!) and have found that the process of true integration into this society may be longer and more tedious than the legal process of citizenship through naturalization.

Different in Diversity

America enjoys a diverse citizenry, and has had it for a long time. Yet there is still a marked awareness of the differences among people, rather than harmony between communities. When you add being a new immigrant to the mix, things get even more painful.

I guess being Asian means that people automatically assume that I am from another country. A friend actually consoled me by saying that at least I actually am from another country. Imagine if I was born and bred here but people kept asking me weird questions about my culture and heritage. I agree that would be even worse. Still, that isn't much consolation, is it?

I try not to let it bother me, but I wish people would see me as a person first, rather than as an Asian person first.

From Rat Race to Trail Stroll

Another one of my struggles is finding a career that recognizes my potential and allows me to grow. Being a military wife, I have already moved for the third time in the two and a half years of my American life. I do not believe in discriminating jobs or holding out too long for a better job, so I have worked two jobs that paid a minimum wage ($7.25)—one in food service and one in a gym. For a while, I was employed as a data entry clerk, earning $10 an hour, but it was a monotonous job with no growth, and I got laid off because the company's needs changed.

I used to make $55,000-$65,000 a year, but so far America has decided that my time is worth $7.25 an hour. I used to go to bed at night wondering if my policy paper would get approved within the week. Now I wonder if I will have to clean a lot of chalk spills in the gym the next day.

Make no mistake, I used to find the rat race far too stressful. It ate away at my life and my health, and I was spending most of my waking moments working or thinking about work. I wanted to live more, but at the same time, I do not want any of my abilities to go wasted.

Living With the Struggle

Despite these challenges, I have no regrets about immigrating, and in general, I am happy. I love my husband and have had many wonderful experiences here building a home with him. I have two lovely pets which I can spend time with and do things together with. We spent $150,000 on a house with a yard, instead of $450,000 on an apartment (as we would have to in Singapore). I have a car, instead of standing on a bus or a monorail for an hour every morning and evening.

I will not stop working on being a truly valued citizen of America. I will shake my otherness off and show everybody that I am just part of their community. I will demonstrate my worth to organizations and let them see that I could contribute very well to their goals if they took me on board. I will not stop trying.

Just like what the original immigrants did, new immigrants too have to make a niche for themselves. A good life will not just be handed to them, so they must strive for it. If you know a new immigrant, help them out by looking upon them as your fellow man. That is all we need.