Back in 1998 when I wore a blue crochet hat with tiny braids in my hair while sporting my bright red Looney Tunes shirt, all I was worried about is if I looked cute enough to go to this new “Estados Unidos” place that my mom had been talking about. I was immigrating to the United States and had not a damn clue how completely different my upbringing would be from the rest of the kids who were born in the land of opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, different isn’t always bad, it’s just different. So here are some things that I’ve experienced first hand after growing up in a suburban town in the middle of Amurica as a Brazilian immigrant child.
1. You have to translate legal documents for your parents when you’re 12 and they’re 37; you grown boo boo
2. Doing homework while in elementary school was a nightmare because you had no one to ask for help
3.You had a digital dictionary to fill the void
4. And when your class had a field trip, you’d sign your own permission slips because explaining where you’d be going was extremely frustrating
5. You most likely babysat yourself because your parents were always at work (i.e. raising other kids as a nanny) and couldn’t afford a babysitter
6. You learned English with Barney, Face from Nick Jr., and Gullah Gullah Island
7. You’re a professional carpenter, cleaning lady, or painter before the age of 16… or all three like me
8. You learn how to make rice and beans in the event that mom got stuck at work and you had to cook for the family
9. Your family back home makes fun of you for your Americanized accent
10. Your friends in The United States make fun of you for your Brazilian accent
11. You feel super bada$$ when you get pulled out of class to translate for some new immigrant kid
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