Students from around the world get their education in American schools where they may encounter different struggles than their peers.  It is no secret that there are students from other countries, but who are they, and what is their true story?

“It was a very sad experience because I left my family and friends behind, I didn’t know the language [English],” Venezuelan freshman Tiffany Romero said. “It was a very hard process for me to adapt myself and get used to it [Living in the United States].”

Some immigrant students left their home country due to political situations, as seen in Venezuela’s current socioeconomic crisis, but some came for a better life opportunity or for better treatments for someone’s health. Health supplements and medical treatments in other countries are often not comparable to those available in the United States.

“I came to the United States because my brother is autistic, so he needed his therapy here because, they don’t have that over there [in Puerto Rico],” Puerto Rican freshman, Yulianys Rodriguez said.

Two common struggles seen as an immigrant in the United States are the language barrier between English and their native language and the prejudice and racism towards immigrants, no matter where they are from, due to their cultural differences.

“It was really hard for me to learn English,” Rodriguez said. “Although I was taking English classes in Puerto Rico, I didn’t know that much English.”

These struggles have affected some immigrants, but not all.

“It’s not that hard to socialize for me,” Romero said.  “I talk with everyone, I say hi to everyone, I don’t care who it is or where they come from, I talk with everyone.”

Student whose first language is not English are automatically enrolled in a special language arts class called ESOL (English for Speakers of other languages). This class is the same as any other language arts class but goes at a slower pace and is suited for students who are just learning English or need help with the language.

“ESOL helps a lot through the point of view that it helps you to work with text things: reading, pronunciation, writing, analyzing,” Romero said. “ESOL teachers help us through different points, different topics and different steps to go step by step so we can learn new things in ESOL.”

Overall, being a new student from another country can be scary or overwhelming, and emotional for many, but it does not have to be. It can be a sad and scary experience that a person can turn around into a fun, exciting new one.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be shy,” Rodriguez said. “Just be confident with yourself.”