Nobody can escape decisions. They shape us into who we are.
It was a hot and sunny day, quite standard for Oaxaca, Mexico. I was around 9 years old, tired and sweating, coming back home from school being absolutely oblivious that my life was about to take a sharp turn. As I entered my room, I was met with my mother’s warm smile but also with her eyes, telling me that something more serious is about to take place. Following a deep breath, she asked, “¿Cómo te gustaría vivir en Nueva York?”
Immediately, I thought about living in New York City, a place that I’ve only heard of and seen on a screen and it was also where my dad and brother lived. I was filled with joy by just the thought of me walking among the skyrises and the many people with their fashionable clothes and styles. But the realization hit. I figured that moving to another country would have meant that I wouldn’t be able to see many of my loved ones in person, including my mom and sister. I would’ve had to leave all of my friends behind as well as learn a whole new language in order to make new friends and succeed. It was evident that this wasn’t just about moving houses, it was about choosing my life.
At the time, I already knew that I had been born in New York and that my mother brought me to Mexico when she decided to come back. During all those years living in Mexico, I saw how unique I was from everyone else in the sense of where I was born. I saw that no one else had any connections with anyone in the United States. Knowing that, I made the decision to move to New York since it was an opportunity like no other.
Once in the United States, I had to start school, 5th grade. I was extremely worried and scared when starting school because I was just developing my literacy skills in Spanish and now I had to give up most of that and shift my focus on English literacy. In Mexico they taught us some English at school, but it was the extremely bare minimum, so I had barely anything to work with. Nevertheless, with all the worries in mind, I went to school, and it was overwhelming. Much to my concern, I wasn’t able to communicate with anyone for a while and it seemed like no one was there to help. Though eventually I made some friends that knew some Spanish and was able to catch on with the routines and classes, I was still stumped with learning English despite going to school, afterschool, and tutoring sessions. The main problem was that the people trying to teach me did not know any Spanish, so they couldn’t even communicate with me. For that whole school year, I wasn’t able to learn much at all. Eventually, through the right help, I was able to slowly develop my English skills and by 7th grade I managed to fully be able to communicate in English. I could read, write and speak seemingly well and English was no longer a major issue.
I know my experiences aren’t unique and many would probably be able to relate. People need to understand that they are not alone, there is always someone going through or has already gone through something similar. I think that understanding this can and would give people the hope and confidence that they need to succeed. I certainly would have relished hearing those words myself and would have had some sense of relief knowing that at least one person out there understands my situation.
Having learned English has opened so many new opportunities that may have otherwise seemed unreachable to me before. It has allowed me to meet so many great people and helped me learn from others the skills and knowledge that I know I need to master in order to succeed in this world. The language has simply become part of my identity. The things I do, the things I say, the things I think are all partially thanks to me learning a new language, which is all thanks to my decision to move to the US.
Every decision we make shapes our identities in small or big ways. Whether a person finds themselves obligated to learn a new language or whether they simply decide that they want to learn one for fun, I believe that with the right assistance, anyone can pick up on any language, or on anything for that matter. Decisions aren’t just a way of shaping ourselves, they are also keys to opportunities, friendships, and different perspectives of how we see the world. We must not be afraid of failure, instead we should seek and look forward to our success. Only then can we grow as individuals.