M.V. immigrated to the United States from the Philippines when she was 10 years old. She had to fly alone because her family had already moved due to visa issues. Her father had worked overseas for many years to earn enough money to bring the rest of the family to the US. Though it was difficult to leave her home and family, M.V. was also excited to start a new life in America. She adjusted well to her new community and learned English in school, becoming more fluent over time. While there were many cultural differences, M.V. embraced the diversity and opportunities available to her in her new home.

1. Kiana Wiley
March 9 2016
Immigration Interview
Since I was not able to find a person that could be interviewed on my familial history, I
chose to talk to a friend of mine who has came to California from the Philippines when she was
in primary school. I have known her since her start in this country and it is visibly apparent the
amount that she has grown, transformed, and adapted well to the changes she has encountered in
the United States. She has a job, is enrolled in college, and is making the best of her experience
in this new country she now calls home.
When asked where and how the journey began for M.V., she said that her journey began
when she flew to the United States. She was only 10 years old and had to fly there by herself to a
foreign country from the Philippines, which was very exciting to her. It was also a terrifying
experience for her. She additionally states, “I had to fly by myself because the rest of the family
went ahead without me due to problems with my visa.” She said that her journey truly began
when she had to conquer her fear of being alone and achieving it.
The next question asked was why and how the family decided to emigrate. She said,
“Before I was born , which was 18 years ago, my father had been working as an OFW (Overseas
Filipino worker).” She said her father wanted them to have a good future and therefore, started
working overseas to earn money. She added that her father earned enough money to bring the
rest of his family over to the United States.
In regards to leaving her home she answered that it was one of the hardest things you've
ever had to do. “At the time I couldn't bear and imagine living the rest of my family and friends,
especially my grandma who raised us.” When speaking about the journey itself, she confesses
she already had imagined it to be terrifying, but it was also exciting because “American soil was
something that most of us only dream of.” She explains she can still remember the visual of the
sky when she got out of the airport. “The image is something I will never forget,” she marvels.
M. V. stated that as proclaimed earlier, she had come later to the United States, so her
family had more or less already settled into their home. They did not have much in the
beginning, but they slowly accumulated and added belongings to their home. M. V. depicted the
community she settled in as “perfect”. She said that in all the 9 years that she has been living in

2. Kiana Wiley
March 9 2016
the United States she is never encountered any major problem within the neighborhood she lives
in with any type of person. “I like the diversity that I saw. There was varying races and
ethnicities that really bring the community together.”
There were a wide range of differences that were encountered by M.V. after her arrival to
the United States. “It was so surreal to me in the beginning honestly; everything seemed to
fascinating and flashy and different.” She describes the place she came from as being pale in
comparison and different from her norms. The biggest impactful change she went through was
the public school system. A lot of people from her country don’t have what we have in America,
and she wish they did. It was in the school setting in where M.V. experienced the differences in
culture and in the community. She learned a lot of things just by being in this new environment.
Politically, there is a democratic form of government both in the Philippines and America. She
said that all people enjoy their freedoms, but being young when she arrived she was not “well
versed” with political systems.
M.V. says that she learned English in her school back in the Philippines. They had
English and Reading classes and were taught that success stemmed from passing those classes.
She said that her mother also was an encouraging force in that she wanted them (her and her
siblings) to read in order to enhance their English proficiencies. Although this may be true, she
still felt that her English skills flourished after her arrival to the States and as she grew up. My
interviewee, at the beginning, only spoke Tagalog when in her home, but as time progressed (4-5
years later) the dominant language spoken in the household is English. Her entire family is still
fluent in Tagalog, which they feel is beneficial in everyday life because it helps connect them to
different people at school and work. M.V. finds it useful to be bilingual because it opens more
opportunities for connections.
My interviewee did feel the pressure to conform to society's standards after coming the
the United States. This originated because she would be teased because of her accent or the way
she would dress. She didn’t pay any attention to the negative comments at the time because she
was simply getting used to the new world she was in. Eventually she noticed the social norms of
the people and how they said certain things and she states she “slowly conformed to the styles
and language jargon, etc. that people from here inhibited.”

3. Kiana Wiley
March 9 2016
M.V. continues saying that just as other immigrated families have grown accustom to
their parents always working and trying their best, so have they. She declared that it is not all bad
because the family still does spend quality time together still. M.V. finishes off saying that the
image of her parent continuously working is “etched into my mind” and she reasons that that
experience is most likely similar to other kids who were immigrated to the States at such a young
age.
What I learned about my friend’s immigration experience is that her and her family came
to another country with close to nothing but hope and determination. Many families send one
person over first in order for them to have a financial foundation that the rest of them can survive
on until every member gets settled. Not every immigration story I hear about occurs this
smoothly. Many immigration stories are brutal and the individuals are faced with life or death
situations. My friend’s immigration story is inspirational because I know that she is thriving now
with a job and received that golden opportunity that her family was searching for. There may
have been some hardships along the way, such as getting teased for being different, but those
were easily overcome. She had thick skin and bravery even for flying alone to this unknown
country that she had only heard about. Most people who immigrate to another country are trying
to make a better life for themselves and their family’s, so they do not take for granted the
opportunities presented to them. I sympathize with what immigrants have to endure just to
simply receive a better life in another country. People come to this country from different
cultures and are faced with assimilation issues.