Migrating to a new country shaped me as a person and definitely had an impact on my education. In 2016 I moved to the United States with my family from the Dominican Republic. It was an entirely new way of living and a complete change in school education. Before I started school, people like family and friends who lived here would tell my parents that school in New York was chaos. That “the education system is not safe.” That students could do whatever they wanted to and were not always supervised. This created a lot of fear, especially in my mother, who we can call a very protective parent. She always was very attentive to me and strict. Of course, my parents thought that I would change my values because of other people to fit into a new environment. Some people told my parents I would get “lost”. “La niña se va a perder aquí, va a cambiar.” Because of this, my parents always gave me lectures about it. About the values they taught me and that they wanted me to continue on the path I was going.
Honestly, before moving here, I did not really understand why I put effort into my education. I was just doing well in school because that was what my parents wanted. When I started school here, I felt rewarded for my efforts and wanted to be better every day. It was even more competitive. I started to change my view on my education and career. At this point, I gained knowledge because I liked it and not anymore because I had to. I was one of the best in my grade and continued being who I was, leaving back those prejudices that people imposed. I graduated High School with honors and I am now pursuing a degree in the Arts. I remember in 8th grade the summer before high school started. My family was in a taxi and we were going to eat. My father was talking to the driver about the economy. My father turns around, points at me, and says: “Start forgetting about college and think about finding a job. Hispanic people are not able to go to college in New York.” That was the day I decided to give my best and accomplish things for myself because I knew I deserved it.
