ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE CITY
STories of Arrivals
Mohiba; Ethnographic stories
United States is know as the land of opportunities. People come here for many reasons: better jobs, education, escape from religious oppression, freedom etc. While some migrate to the United States with the idea to never go back to their country while others migrate here to work and go back to their country and make it better.
iMMIGRATION stories: ANT342
Mohiba
Lets being with my family's Immigration story
My mother is a first generation immigrant. She migrated to the United states from Ghana in 1989 when she was 18 years old. She lived with relatives and worked low income jobs at Burger King, Nanny jobs, Nursing home, and finally hotel job where she has been working for 16 years.
One of her biggest regrets was not going to school and getting an education because she felt like she needed to work to support her family. Now she owns businesses and has houses back in Ghana. One thing I admire about my mother is her need to give back. Every year she ships out clothes, books, and food back to Ghana to help those who are less fortunate. She eventually wants to move back to Ghana and settle down.
I was born here in the United States. I have visited Ghana many times throughout my life. I consider both America and Ghana to be home. I would want my kids to be raised in Ghana so they can grow up and get a sense of the culture. I also plan on moving to Ghana in the future.
My mother is a first generation immigrant. She migrated to the United states from Ghana in 1989 when she was 18 years old. She lived with relatives and worked low income jobs at Burger King, Nanny jobs, Nursing home, and finally hotel job where she has been working for 16 years.
One of her biggest regrets was not going to school and getting an education because she felt like she needed to work to support her family. Now she owns businesses and has houses back in Ghana. One thing I admire about my mother is her need to give back. Every year she ships out clothes, books, and food back to Ghana to help those who are less fortunate. She eventually wants to move back to Ghana and settle down.
I was born here in the United States. I have visited Ghana many times throughout my life. I consider both America and Ghana to be home. I would want my kids to be raised in Ghana so they can grow up and get a sense of the culture. I also plan on moving to Ghana in the future.
Joshua Manuel Perez De la Rosa
Joshua was born in the United States. His mother is from the Dominican Republic and she came to the United states at a young age with her parents. She worked any job she could find and eventually save up enough money to opened up her own daycare business. Josh's father is from Puerto Rico he came to the United states and worked as a janitor for many years and now he owns his own taxi company. Joshua doesn't have many ties to the Dominican republic but his father owns many houses and and still visits. |
Joshua Manuel Perez De la Rosa |
Elias mENA
Elias was born in the United States. His mother is from the Dominican Republic. At the young age of 12 years old she migrated to Venezuela to look for work then at the age of 14 she came to the United States. She had no family and met a woman who took her in a helped her and later helped her bring her family. He and his mother go back to the Dominican Republic and visit. Elias says he want to raised his kids in the Dominican Republic. They have a big family and a family grave that he will someday want to be buried in.
Saima
Saima family is from Bangladesh but she was raised here in the United States. Her dad won a lottery visa and moved to the United States and sent for her mother. At the that time Saima was just born and her mother didn't want to leave her so they stayed until he was able to bring both of them.
They struggled for sometime living in a small one bedroom apartment in Queens. Her father sold news papers and her mother was a stay at home mom. In Bengali culture the woman is not supposed to work but she began to work to help with the bills. They later moved to the Bronx because rent was cheaper.
Saima's mother got her GED and went to college to get her nursing degree and her father is a taxi driver. They barely go back because the government is so corrupt and there are high crime rates. Her mom and dad own land and have built many houses in Bangladesh and her mother even owns two hotels.
cLAIRE |
Claire is from France. She is an exchange student and she came to the United States to study. She has been here for less than six months. Her family doesn't like the idea of her moving here. But Claire want to complete college move here and start a family. In terms of end of life she would eventually want to move back to France. For now she still considers France home.
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Nauranee
Nauranee was born in Thailand. Her mother was an English teacher, growing up Nauranee mother taught her English because she felt it was important. Her stepdad is an American he went to Thailand for work where he met Nauranee's mother they later got married and came to America. Because Nauranee left Thailand at such a young age she doesn't have very close ties to the culture she says, "I want to visit Thailand but I consider America my new home."
Ariella
Ariella was born and raised in America. Her grandfather come from Vienna to escape the Holocaust. He has never been back and doesn't plan to because he has no family to go back to. Her grandmother was born in Palestine. Her family lives in Israeli, her mother is a Israeli citizen. Ariella was raised with a Jewish background and she speaks Hebrew but she considers America her home.
Stephanie Rupp
Stephanie Rupp was born in America. Her grandparents are from Germany. Her grandmother came to the U.S in 1938 and she came to replace her twin sister as an au pair for a family in NYC. Her Grandfather left Germany and came to New York on a ship, he didn't even have enough money to get on the ship. He swept warehouse in Newark. Her Grandparents met at the YMCA which was a center for German immigrants. With some of his friends at the YMCA they started up a business selling swimming pool paint. He eventually built a house that he raised his 3 sons that all went to college one of his sons is Stephanie's father.
Stephanie's mothers ancestors came over on the Mayflower and settled on Plymouth Rock. "Talk about your typical American Thanksgiving story they were as American as it gets." she says. Her ancestors fought in all American wars throughout the years and even signed the Declaration of Independence.
Stephanie lived in Singapore for seven years where she met and married her husband and gave birth to two of her three kids. Because she is married she has adopted a new culture. She and her family speak Chinese and follow Singaporean culture.
She has many places she considers home she has done research in Cameroon for 25 years and has built lifelong bonds with people she also calls family.
Stephanie's mothers ancestors came over on the Mayflower and settled on Plymouth Rock. "Talk about your typical American Thanksgiving story they were as American as it gets." she says. Her ancestors fought in all American wars throughout the years and even signed the Declaration of Independence.
Stephanie lived in Singapore for seven years where she met and married her husband and gave birth to two of her three kids. Because she is married she has adopted a new culture. She and her family speak Chinese and follow Singaporean culture.
She has many places she considers home she has done research in Cameroon for 25 years and has built lifelong bonds with people she also calls family.
In just our little class everyone has their own unique and Interesting stories.