“I am American,” Gisella Dionio states when asked if she considers herself to be an immigrant. She doesn’t fit her personal definition of an immigrant, who she identifies as “someone born/raised in a culture different from that of America’s who comes to America.” Although she was born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, New York, she still identifies herself with Filipino culture, considering both of her parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. While Gisella and her younger brother are first-generation American and do not speak Filipino, their parents’ native language, they possess a love and respect for the Filipino culture.

Although her mother and father share the same occupation in the medical field and both immigrated to the United States at roughly the same time, their backgrounds and upbringings vary tremendously. Born to an upper class family in the Philippines, Gisella’s mother was the first of her family to come to America. Her family members were very successful—working in politics—and established a reputable name for themselves. Growing up in a financially stable and well established house hold, one would assume that everyone in the family would be content with that life style and would not seek change. Yet, Gisella’s adventure-driven and strong-willed mother wanted to make her own money and establish her own identity. She always stood out from the rest of her ten brothers and sisters, whom were more conservative and reserved. As the adventurous, fearless, and strong-minded one of the family, at the age of twenty-two, she emigrated from the Philippines in search of a journey for vast opportunities.

Gisella refers to her mother’s journey as the “typical American dream”, one seeking greater prospects and change from the traditional and conservative Filipino culture. At the young age of twenty-two, her mother immigrated to New York right after finishing college in her native land. She wanted to pursue a career in nursing because she wanted to help people and was passionate about that field. While in the Philippines nurses are looked down upon and belittled, she recognized that nursing was a promising and respectable career in the United States. She knew that if she was to remain in the Philippines, she would be looked down upon because of her chosen career path, and not be content with her life in such a setting. The highly esteemed and well paying job of a nurse in America appealed to a young, educated woman from the Philippines who saw a bright future for herself.

Although assimilation is often difficult for immigrants, what placed Gisella’s mother at an advantage was her knowledge of the English language. Although the official language of the Philippines is Filipino, English is considered the “professional language”, Gisella notes. Her mother already knew how to speak English and obtained her nursing degree in her birth country, therefore, she did not have to start from scratch—on a professional note—which was very beneficial in her journey of finding herself and succeeding in a foreign country.

Although she was familiar with the language, she was far from accustomed to the culture. In relation to the United States, the Philippines is more conservative and reserved, in terms of tradition, customs, and dress. Group and social norm engulf individuality in the Philippines, whereas the Unites States is generally the opposite. Gisella’s mother initially experienced a culture shock and fear of diversity, as she was accustomed to seeing only one race of people, whom largely shared the same religion, beliefs, and culture. In New York, she became exposed to eccentricity, liberal views, revealing dress, and individuals of differing sexual orientations. Although the change was initially shocking, she doesn’t believe she can move back to her native country because she has become familiarized with American culture and appreciates the opportunities this country has given.

Unlike his wife, Gisella’s father was not born to an upper class family. His family in the Philippines was very poor and even education was deemed as a luxury, as they could not afford it. Although the economic status of their families differed, both Mr. and Mrs. Dionio came to America for the same objective: to live out the American dream. Mr. Dionio met his wife at the nurse-training program, while he was seeking to obtain a managerial position at a hospital. He too was cognizant of the condescending nature of the Filipino culture toward nursing positions; therefore he immigrated to the United States in hopes of a more promising career and successful future. It’s interesting to see two individuals from differing socioeconomic classes and backgrounds that share similar career goals and ideals find love among one another in a foreign country.

Gisella reflects that her parents have realized their dreams by coming to the United States, carrying out their career goals, and establishing a family. Although Gisella and her younger brother, William, are first generation American, they appreciate their Filipino roots and their parents’ culture. Their latest visit to their parents’ country of birth and land of their heritage was this past summer. Gisella proudly states that “it’s honestly such a beautiful country and I love the people and the culture.” While she can understand the language, she cannot speak it, which sometimes makes it difficult for her to join in family conversations and communicate with family members in the Philippines who solely speak Filipino. It hasn’t proved to be severely problematic because most of her relatives speak English as a second language, as they were taught in school. She would like to teach her future children about Filipino culture because she is proud of her heritage and it will become a part of who they are as well. Her neighborhood will likely make it easier to introduce the culture, as there is a large Filipino community in that Queens region. Filipino residents compose the majority of the tenants living in the apartment buildings surrounding her. Although she doesn’t attend any cultural services, she knows several established Filipino youth groups, which make it easier for her to get in touch with her roots.