At age 81, Vimala Vajjhala (maiden name Bhagavatula) has experienced the wonders and difficulties of two vastly different nations, living as a dual citizen of India and the United States. Brought up in a small village called Bobbili in South India, Vimala described a simple but enjoyable life. (6 sisters, 1 brother) Her family impressed social values of obedience, work, ... Read More »
I was born two years before we left our home in Sydney to move to the unknown, Houston, Texas, USA. In Houston, life was like a TV show. Everything seemed as if we were in a sitcom where everything seemed right and in place. The only thing that seemed out of place were my parents. My mother, of Ukrainian and ... Read More »
As a young student in Canada, with no real source of stable income, I have come to value the education system as a way to better the conditions of my life. I’ve just received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alberta, where I have taken classes targeted toward becoming a teacher, as I am a firm believer in educating ... Read More »
I met Alberto on the 12th of December in the central park of Xela, Guatemala. He is a “Guatemalteco” (a term used to describe someone from Guatemala) and he is around thirty years old. Like many others that day he was celebrating the “Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe”, a day which celebrates the belief that man encountered the Virgin ... Read More »
From that day on, he told himself that if he couldn’t fly aircraft, he could at least make one. The number 8 in Chinese culture has always been a prized symbol, with its pronunciation sounding similar to prosperity and good fortune. My father was born on August 8th, 1958, and throughout his childhood, he was always told he was lucky ... Read More »
But this is all that I wanted, a life that I can survive through and be happy. I only paid a nickel to cross the U.S./Mexico border, which is not a lot today, but it was a lot for me back then. I was very young and vulnerable. This was the year of 1902. All I wanted was a better ... Read More »
You could say we were to chase the “American Dream,” yet we left because of our American nightmare. Oh gosh why was the car ride so long? Hope. How much more can I take of this? Hope. Why do we have to move? Hope. Why is it that I suffer the most? Hope. What more can go wrong? Hope. What ... Read More »
The sounds of gunfire, cannons, and people in your town screaming are signs that your life is going to change. My mother is from Vietnam and had her life change because of war. She is now living happily here in America. This is Hai Phan’s life story. My mom was born in South Vietnam in 1974. “The life back then ... Read More »
On her second day of being in the United States she found a job packaging lettuce, and although it was a difficult task to do, she earned nearly 16 times what she would’ve earned in El Salvador in a week. My mother, Ana was born in La Libertad, El Salvador – just a few miles away from the capital, San ... Read More »
I came to the US from India in 1969. I was born in pre-independent colonial, British India during WW II and was educated as a doctor. I served in the Indian Army before leaving the country. I was looking for higher education, better opportunities, and to earn the American Dream. I landed in Washington, DC, moved to CT for a year, and ... Read More »