I am a first-generation American. My parents were displaced from their homes due to the high Muslim population coming in and moving Christians out by martyr, forcing marriages, and much more so they were forced to go somewhere else so they came to the United States. Most of my dad’s side is in the United States, but I have some around the world like in Europe, for example. My mom’s side resides all around the world in Europe, Australia, and other countries. Most of my community of Chaldeans and Assyrians are in Sterling Heights, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; and Modesto or Turlock, California. While I live in the Ann Arbor area, most of them don’t come down here for fun unless there’s an event in a church near Ann Arbor where most of them gather around.
Being a first-generation American comes with challenges, high expectations, and obstacles that may not exist for others whose families have been here for generations. For example, an obstacle most of us face is with learning English. Most of the time, it’s not their first language. They would most likely learn in preschool or elementary if their parents didn’t teach them much English since they don’t know a ton, which ends up setting them back a little bit. In my case, thankfully my parents knew some English and I was able to catch up to most kids in preschool and elementary with of course some help from my teachers.
Another obstacle is high expectations from the parents since they immigrated and made many sacrifices from where they had come from. They hold extremely high expectations for their children and hope for them to make the best decisions, but also for their children to live a better life compared to what they had growing up.
Moving on from some of the more general obstacles most first-gens face is not knowing much about school. For me, I had to learn and teach myself about school like college, I didn’t know how to apply or what to write about. But, I ended up asking people I’m close with who are in college how to apply to different schools. The struggles of not knowing much about applications and what to do is one of the biggest obstacles for first gens since they don’t have much help and need to use their resources from people they know.
According to FirstGen Forward, as of 2020, 54 percent of undergraduate students in the United States identified as first-generation, defined as undergraduate students whose parents do not have a bachelor’s degree. An interview done by Notes from and Aspiring Humanitarian, they interviewed a first-generation college student “As a first generation low-income college student working multiple jobs with a full class load, I found myself living, learning, and working with students who were not first generation, who did not have to work because their parents, other relatives or loved ones were able to deposit large sums of money into their bank accounts weekly or bi-weekly.
Being a first-generation American is a journey filled with both challenges and triumphs. Language barriers to managing high expectations and figuring out the education system can be overwhelming for individuals like me. However, these struggles also foster resilience, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by those who came before us like my parents. While the path may not always be easy, first-generation Americans continue to push forward, carving out opportunities for themselves and future generations, which I am forever grateful for.
