Sorry

I’m Shama and I’m 14 years old. I was born in Port-au-Prince the capital of Haiti. I’m in 9th grade and I will share with you my experiences as an immigrant in the United States.                                                                                                                                         

I migrated to the U.S. December 24, 2023. I came with my mom, brother and sister, leaving my dad, who I miss the most. Friends with whom I grew up and have wonderful memories, school where I used to have fun even though it was also hard, church where I had people who were like family to me, I left behind to start a new life. I did not want to, but I had no choice due to the insecurities and lack of opportunities that my poor country is going through. Even though I knew it would be hard, I was still excited, coming to a big, amazing country, and meeting new people sounded like fun. 

But then I started to be scared because I remember that I couldn’t speak English. I kept overthinking and asking how was I going to speak English; how was I supposed to learn without knowing the language or making friends? Everything seemed so hard at first! 

One day my mom told me that if I really wanted to learn English, I could do it. That was my motivation! I started to learn from the internet, read some kids books and watched English movies so I could get better. That was so stressful because it wasn’t enough; I needed to talk. Talking was my biggest fear, even if I understood what people were saying, and what to say, I held back every time I had to answer. I even got yelled at because of my fear. The only thing I needed to do was try. I started trying and I got better every day. 

Talking in English isn’t the only challenge I’ve been facing. I’ve been facing a lot as an ESOL student. I have state tests to take. I was so stressed at first and thought that I wouldn’t be able to pass them but so far, I have passed two of them and know that I’ll pass more tests. 

Being in the United States has taught me a lot which has made me become more caring, strong, mature, motivated, and ready to face all the difficulties that I must face. I know a lot of immigrants like me are going through a lot like school stress and family and financial issues. I need you guys to know that you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Despite all the challenges we face as immigrants we can overcome and be who we were meant to be.