I have a small journal with pastel-colored flowers on the cover, titled The Blooming Days. My mom gave it to me when I started school in the U.S., and it became my guide through the challenges of learning a new language. Balancing two languages has brought both rewards and challenges. Occasionally, someone would comment on my pronunciation, pointing out things like how I once said “toilet” instead of “bathroom.” “You barely spoke back then, and your accent was so thick,” they’d say. These comments stung, but they reminded me of my first day in an American school.
Starting school was a big adjustment. I was led into my first-grade classroom, full of kids I couldn’t communicate with. Their words felt foreign. To help me, my mom gave me the journal—a place to write and draw to remember English words. The journal became my safe space to learn at my own pace.
Reflecting on those early days, I see the challenges of learning a new language and culture—similar to what many immigrants before me experienced, like the Mexican American communities during Americanization. They faced pressures to adopt new customs while preserving their heritage. Just as they resisted abandoning their language, I’ve kept mine alive at home while working hard to grow in English.

By tenth grade, I was fluent in English, but I still struggle to differentiate between the two languages. Yet, in the end, my growth will overshadow any criticism, and that journal will always remind me how far I’ve come. 

– MH

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child