The Influences of a First-Generation
In high school, the future seemed so hazy to me. While the future still appears unclear, I am certain of my academic pursuits. Currently, I am working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and French. I enrolled in Macaulay Honors College because it was my smartest financial option and because I believed that the resources of Macaulay Honors would assist me in becoming more educated and prepared to overcome any later obstacles. At Macaulay, I hope to build invaluable connections with people who might become employers, mentors, and lifelong friends. As for a career, I am currently undecided. However, I am exploring my options in art museums/galleries, specifically curatorial work, and teaching. I aim for a creative and intellectually rewarding career, with a decent salary of course.
As a New Yorker, I am constantly exposed to countless cultures. I live in Queens, but I have been going to school in Brooklyn since the sixth grade. From my observations at school, I noticed that Brooklyn is very culturally diverse. A large portion of Brooklyn consists of immigrants from countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, and the West Indies. Many of my friends and several of my relatives were immigrants who now reside in Brooklyn. However, besides these general observations, I do not have much knowledge of Brooklyn’s immigrant experience.
My family’s immigrant background has deeply influenced my life. I am a first-generation American. My older relatives immigrated to America to escape from the turmoil of the Vietnam War. My parents saw the Vietnamese government tear up their lives. To find a better life, they abandoned everything and risked their lives, taking refuge in numerous countries. They were not yet twenty-three. When they reached America, they worked, studied, and lived in multiple states until they finally settled down in New York. My parents rose from their bleak circumstances as refugees and became successful in this unfamiliar land. They said to me, “If we could accomplish this much, you, a young adult born in America and fluent in English and American customs, should be able to accomplish even more. You were born in a world of privileges and resources.” My parents’ expectation has greatly shaped my personality and determination in life. I grew up as a hard-worker, in school, volunteering, extracurricular activities, and internships.
My social background influences how I live, but in a small way. My parents settled in Springfield Gardens, Queens because they found a house next door to their workplace and the neighborhood was decent. Ethnicity, race, and religion were not factors in choosing the community in which my parents would raise me. My status in the middle class, however, largely impacted my college decisions. And with my family’s income, we are able to occasionally visit cultural institutions and often travel within the country. Education also played a huge role in who I am. I grew up going to top schools in New York City because my parents want the best fundamentals for me. Everything I learned, in a general sense, influenced my political, religious, and social views. The decisions I make are based on the education I received. But overall, my parents’ method of parenting, the environment I am live in, and the people I meet are the overriding factors of the life I lead in New York City.
There were multiple factors in my decision to enroll in Macaulay Honors College. The main factor, as I mentioned earlier, was financial. My parents do not believe in “prestigious” universities. They went to state schools for free and now have good salaries. To them, you can generally receive a good education anywhere. My parents did not want to incur debt from a high tuition, especially because I have two younger siblings who will eventually go to college. Therefore, any school that is free is good to them. And the closer the school is to home, the better. My interests and lifestyle were also factors in my decision to apply/enroll in Macaulay.
I do not have much knowledge of New York’s immigration patterns. However, I have not noticed a significant influence on my family’s beliefs in accordance to immigration patterns in New York City. Ever since my parents started a family in Springfield Gardens, they/we have not moved. New groups of people are replacing the old inhabitants in my neighborhood. But my family has felt no impact except for losing friends and gaining friends of different cultures. Immigration patterns have also had little effect on my family’s political decisions. But my parents’ own immigration has affected our lives. Being young immigrants in America, my parents lost many of their Vietnamese traditions and religious customs. Our traditions and customs are have become increasingly American. We are slowly loosing our roots.
New York City is a special city. People generally view the city as a symbol of success. My parents are no different. My parents came to New York to work hard to provide my siblings and me the best opportunities. They hope we achieve great success, success that they could not achieve as immigrants with limited English. Living in New York City sparked my interests in art, fashion, cultural institutions, and the media. Exploring the city’s resources has heavily influenced my decision to major in art history and possibly pursue a career in museum/art gallery work or in editorial work. New York City is the hub of art and writing.
I have many favorite places in New York City. One of my favorite places is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I visit this museum every couple of months to get lost in the artworks. I especially love the period rooms, the European sculpture galleries, and the nineteenth and twentieth century European paintings galleries. I absolutely love the range of artworks here and I especially like going to the museum late at night, when few people are around. The picture below is from one of the period rooms.
