My name is Kush Patel, and I was born and raised in the neighborhood of Elmhurst, Queens and by the age of 13, moved to the less crowded area of Floral Park. I am pursuing a career in medicine, thus I am majoring in Biology. I enrolled in CUNY honors because of the high quality education without the worries of tuition. I plan on taking advantage of the various opportunities that CUNY Honors offers; one such is the study abroad program. From this class, I would like to take away the characteristics on how different neighborhoods develop and learn about how different cultures can coexist with each other. I hope to get a better sense of community after taking this class.
Immigration is big part of community and how they develop. My parents were the first from their family to immigrate here from India. My dad first came to Tulsa, Alabama where his older brother settled. My dad didn’t have much trouble adjusting to life in America because his brother was there to guide him through the adjustment. Since my dad didn’t know any English, my his brother would make my dad watch the news for hours a day until he started to understand the language. From watching the news, my dad learned other aspects of America in addition to the language such as fashion, culture, holidays, and different leisure activities. Then my dad moved to New York City with his sister and her husband. New York City was something else. It was much more populated and culture rich than Tulsa. My father learned even more in New York, since he started a small candy store business. There he interacted with hundreds of people daily. From those interactions, he developed his English further and received helpful tips from the contractors, plumbers, cops, actors, and others. These are tips that most people need to know in the city or in a house, which my father purchases in the late future. My father didn’t really have any hardships in New York, until family members started to come to New York. He had to work harder to provide for them and help them adjust to life in New York. Moreover, he had to prepare them to survive on their own which was a long process, especially in an expensive place such as NY. It was tough finding them a stable job able to provide them with money to afford the essentials and then have some money left over to save. These challenges of New York have shaped my family to be hard working. Almost all my family members are well off thanks to hard work they had to go through.
The immigrant experiences, from what I have seen, have made me thankful for being born in America and staying here. A new place can take a toll on the immigrants and if it wasn’t for the help from my family, my relatives would have had even more difficulty trying to survive here. I was born into a middle class family, which has retained a whole deal of its Indian culture. Even though we were financially well off, Macaulay Honors College was appealing because it saved us money which could be used for medical school later on and even for leisure. My culture has mattered the most in my life because I have built my character around my traditions and religion. New York City has not really discouraged us; moreover it has inspired us to dream big. New York offers free education and gives people of all ages and race the opportunity to thrive. Knowing this, my parents have influenced me to pursue a respectful career in medicine, which is harder to do in other nations. Just as New York City gives you the freedom and chance to pursue your dreams, it is also a place where you can live freely according to your own customs and traditions. We still celebrate most of our festivals and holidays in New York, even if it may not be to same intensity. New York is a place full of promises for anyone who would work hard and follow their dreams.
New York City can be a tough place for immigrants to come to but, in the end it is worth it. If the immigrants have help or someone to rely on for a while and are determined to become well off they will enjoy their new home in New York. They will find their place in New York. We have found our place in Floral Park, which is one of my important and favorite places in New York City. First off it is my home and I am near my closest family members. In addition, the serene and peaceful nature of the neighborhood just keeps you happy. The people in the neighborhood are all friendly as well so it creates a sense of unity and closeness in the neighborhood.
