Source: http://printable-maps.blogspot.com and http://www.digital-topo-maps.com
My family in Korea, summer 1999.
I am a 1.5-generation Korean. I came to the United States with my parents and my little sister when I was just ten years old. My family decided to move to America after a financial crisis that hit us in the year 2000. Back in Korea, I have attended three pre-schools and four elementary schools due to frequent moving. My parents’ search for better living conditions has ultimately led us to move to the United States, pursuing the “American Dream.”
My family’s immigration story began with my two aunts, Holly and Helen, when they came to the United States in the late 1970s. Holly was in her late 20s and Helen had just graduated high school in Korea. They came when Holly married my uncle, an American citizen. My grandmother came to the United States in 1988 when Holly invited her to come legally after my grandfather passed away. About four years later, my other aunt, Agatha, moved to the United States with her family. My uncle came to the United States in 1999. My grandmother, Agatha, and Helen settled in New York and Holly and my uncle settle in California. We were the last of the five siblings to come to America. My dad chose to live in New York because he wanted to take care of my grandmother.
As a ten-year-old who already was used to making new friends and meeting new teachers in different environments, I did not have difficulty in assimilating to the American culture. It was much easier to learn English at an earlier age and I had many friends and family who helped me with my English. Unlike me, however, my parents struggled with language for a long time. My dad still cannot communicate fluently in English. My mom’s English is good, but she is does not have the confidence to engage in English conversations.
My parents before I was born.
My parents had to change their whole lifestyle once we moved to America. My dad, who was formerly a businessman and an entrepreneur in Korea, got a license as a sushi chef. He worked in several restaurants and held jobs that paid low wages. After about six years, he tried to run his own business, but failed and went back to working for weekly salary. My mom got her esthetician license a year after she arrived in America and has worked in several spas in New York. She obtained a license to do facial treatments and was thus able to earn more money, but she often complains how she has no choice but to do the lower paying jobs like manicure and pedicure at the spa. As I grew older, I began to appreciate their hard work and understand their persistence for the “American Dream.”
