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Macaulay Honors College
at Baruch, Spring 2011Professor Els de Graauw
ITF Emily Sherwood -
Authors
▪ Alyssa Alicino
▪ Brandon Baksh
▪ Ru Xiao Chen
▪ Belinda Chiu
▪ Els de Graauw
▪ Becca Glickman
▪ Elisabeth Greenberg
▪ Doris Hu
▪ Peky Huang
▪ Toby Joseph
▪ Haesol Jun
▪ Nika Kartvelishvili
▪ Farrukh Khan
▪ Holly Kiang
▪ Julian Kipnis
▪ Kar Yi Lim
▪ Yang Lin
▪ Cait McCarthy
▪ Sofya Moshkovich
▪ Mariya Tuchinskaya
▪ Ying Zhang Login
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No Time for Politics
Alexandra is a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in the United States for eight years. She commented the following on American politics:
I’m kind of interested but […] I think the answer is that I don’t have time to follow [politics], because you have to read a lot, to watch lot. There is just a lot going on beside that.”
The English Language: A Necessity
Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in the United States for 8 years, commented on the necessity for learning English:
Absolutely, especially for people who are planning to live here. I understand when people sometimes come here for few years, like for different reasons and go back, then it’s probably not necessary… Depends on what you want to do here, but if you are planning to live in America, absolutely. It is gonna become your country, you have to speak the language. There is no other way not to.”
Learning English Can Change Your Life
Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has been in the United States for eight years, reflected on how learning English changed her life:
Well it [learning English] affected my life in a lot of different ways, because as soon as I was more or less comfortable with English I could get a better job […] at an American corporate company where I didn’t have to rely on people who speaks Russian, because I need someone to translate for me and help to understand.”
Leaving Everything Behind
Alexandra is a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in the United States for eight years. On starting life in the United States, she commented:
First few years I would say it was really hard and I miss of course my old friends, and my job and my parents and everybody. But then when you get more comfortable with English, you can get a better job, your life is becoming better and its improving and it’s easier.”
Lucky Draw
Alexandra is a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has been in the country for eight years. On why she came to the United States, she commented:
I played the lottery, the green card lottery and I just… let’s say I accidentally won it, the lottery and I decided to come to see if I liked it here. And then I came here and I liked it and I stayed.”
Being American
Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in this country for eight years, talked about the practical sides of being an American citizen:
My husband thinks I have to be proud to be American. Uh, I don’t know. It just means to me no problem living in this country, which I’m happy about [laughs]. And travel.”
Language Barriers Cause Low Self Esteem
Alexandra, a 32-year-old Russian immigrant who has lived in the United States for eight years, shared her feelings about living in the United States without knowing English:
It’s a very hard feeling when you don’t understand people. […] It has an impact on your self esteem, because you want to speak, you want to express yourself, you want people to know who you are. And when you just silent because you don’t want to say anything and you don’t understand anything… it’s not a good feeling.”