Oral Histories: Becoming American

寶石沒有磨光，沒有磨損，也沒有人完成沒有試驗。 Bǎoshí méiyǒu mó guāng, méiyǒu mósǔn, yě méiyǒu rén wánchéng méiyǒu shìyàn. A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a...

It is often hard to imagine life other than what we personally has known it as. It is also difficult, as children,...

The story of my father, Dmitry Gorodetsky, starts in a very different world than the one he and his family lives in...

Korean migration to the United States began in the early 20th century and it was relatively small. However, the Immigration Act of...

Quiet Beginnings World War II reaffirmed the Soviet Union as one of the world’s two greatest powers. It also set in motion...

“if I had the opportunity to choose, I would like to maintain both of my identities by spending my life exploring and...

What is the biggest thing you’ve ever had to sacrifice in your life? Why did you do it? How did it make...

“There was no telling how long I would end up staying, so of course, i was scared to build any kind of...

“I connect with other Chinese Americans because we are – Chinese. That connection you feel when you see someone with a similar...

“Without my uncle, my parents would not have made it to the United States” Ban Chung, a Vietnamese American with Chinese ancestry, recalls...

Gabriella Flores-Jay comes from two ethnically diverse families that share similar and different stories in context with their stories of immigration. Born...

Chapter 1: Leaving Everything for Uncertainty Imagine uprooting your entire life to come to a foreign country in which you have no...

Throughout her life, Laura McNamara has carried with her a strong sense of Irish American pride. Her family roots are embedded in...

Zia. To some, that word means nothing. But in Italian, Zia translates to aunt. To me it is a representation of my...

There is no doubt that immigrants play a vital role in life in the United States, each with their own stories and...

“Here, nobody asks me what have you cooked during the day. When I was in Japan, everyday people asked me what did...

“God I hope my children aren’t going to be like I was…It was definitely a rebellious time” Young, wild, and in love,...

Michelle’s story is rather inspiring and even a classical representation of the American Dream. It was only proper to find the reasons...

The transition from one culture to another is never simple. When Haolin’s family immigrated to the U.S. in 2014, they at least...

“I have not visited my parents native country, nor did they after leaving.” Their country, Russia, is full of unpleasant recollections, people,...

   “I feel so Americanized that I wouldn’t identify with any of my ethnicities.” It’s actually difficult to get a immigration narrative from...

Ashley Torrenti, a 19-year-old girl with Italian facial bone structures and a pair of Asian eyes. However, these beautiful traits were once...

Many people come to America from all over the world to find more opportunities and to give better life to their future...

Many first-generation Americans find that their parents’ story carries great significance when it comes to their own development. Decisions that parents make,...

The makeup of a person’s character consists of more than one’s personal experiences. Individuals are also shaped by their past.  Indeed, a...

Being that most of Christina’s grandparents had passed away when she was young, she never really had a chance to learn much...

“My household was always kind of different. We spoke 3 languages between Cantonese, Vietnamese, and English, but I didn’t think anything of...

Descending from a family of Italians, Deanna Pisacreta and her family are the epitome of the American Dream. Deanna’s maternal great-grandparents came...

Anyone would have expectations when they move to a new place. What would the people be like? Would I make new friends?...

Gabriela was born and raised in America. Both her parents are Dominicans who moved to the United States in the 1980s because...

Often times, the reasonings behind immigration are similar. Safety, educational opportunities, or stable jobs tend to be very popular motivations for leaving...

“I kept the Chinese traditions in my family.” Victoria Cheng has grown up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Her mother came alone in 1992,...

“My great-grandparents on my father’s side came from Ireland and Holland so my grandpa is half Irish and half Dutch, but my...

“And the goals we come to New York is for our dreams. We have something we want to build. I think that...

“From, like, elementary school I knew I was going to go to America…” In the back of his head, Roy Lin knew...