Speaker A
My grandparents both came from the same small village in Ireland. First, my grandfather came over in the 1860s, and then as soon as he got a job, my grandmother came, too. You know, back then, that was the big thing: it was America, America, America! Anyway, after my grandparents immigrated, all the brothers and sisters came, too. Well, they stuck together. The relatives helped the other relatives get jobs. Because one thing that's very important to the Irish is family. They think it's very important to help each other out.
Speaker В
Well, my family's Italian. My grandparents came from a small village in the south of Italy. Life was very hard for them, too, because the economy was bad. It was the 1930s, during the Depression. You know, as I look back on it, I see that my family struggled hard to make a better life for themselves in this country. And there was, like, a kind of a feeling of living in two different worlds, because they spoke two languages and had two cultures. But they were proud of it, and I am, too.
Speaker C
I'm from Mexico. I've been here ... oh, over 20 years now. Well, the reason I came, like most Mexicans, I suppose, was to work. In my country, there aren't enough jobs. It's hard to make a living. The hardest thing for me at first was that I didn't know anyone, except for my brother. I was lucky that he helped me a lot. He sent me money, he gave me a place to live, and he helped me find a job.
Speaker D
I've been here for 10 years. I came for two reasons. The first reason was to join my parents, who were already in the US. They left me behind in China with my aunt until they got jobs, but I missed them a lot. And the second reason was to study. I want to become a physician's assistant. It's easier to get that kind of training in the US It's hard, but I love living in America and I'm studying to make my dreams come true.
Speaker E
My family is from the Dominican Republic but I grew up in the States. I'm a combination of two cultures. I'm American on the outside, but I'm Dominican inside. Whenever I'm at home, we always speak Spanish. When I go into the house, I feel as if I'm in my home country. But whenever I step outside the door, I step into a different world where they speak English and have a completely different culture. So I'm constantly going back and forth between the two cultures.
Speaker F
I've lived here for about five years. I came here because there are a lot more opportunities for women here. I only speak Korean at home. It's easier to express myself. I only speak English at work and in college. The only time it's hard to speak English is when ... well, in school, for instance, the professor expects us to speak in front of everyone else. I'm not used to giving my opinion in class. In Korea, students are supposed to take notes, not talk in class all the time.