Newly arrived in New York City, or “the concrete jungle where dreams are made of” as they like to call it here, one can be completely taken aback by the cultural diversity the city manifests. I was, however, delighted. Coming from a multicultural background and living in a country where people continuously question my race and nationality, an identity crisis has always been a great part of my life. In New York City however, things are different. Everyone is multicultural, from various backgrounds, and has their own unique story.
According to Binders, the latest wave of immigrantion brought about 100,000 immigrants to the city annually in the 1990s where a census showed that nearly “one in three New Yorkers was foreign born.” (Binders 43)The neighbourhood in Queens where i live in is itself a great example: There is a Burmese Bhuddhist temple in the same area as a Catholic Church looks on from exactly the opposite side of the street, and an Indian Hindu temple is a minute’s walk away. Turn left, you see a Korean, turn right, a Hispanic approaches, and look straight ahead you see a Thai and American couple walking by. It is definitely an advantage to have access to all the cultural worlds in one single place-New York City.
I learned a lot of interesting things about you during the mini interview. It was very interesting that your sister was the first to move to New York for educational purposes and you followed in her footsteps. It takes a lot of courage to move out on your own in a very new atmosphere.