Perspectives of an Immigrant Youth Living in San Mateo County, California

I recently interviewed Britany Fragoso, a university student who attends college in Santa Clara County, California who was born in the United States, but left for Mexico soon after being born, and then came back at a young age. Her experience provides a valuable perspective on the challenges faced by individuals who have immigrated to the United States. Here are some key points from the interview:

• Language and Cultural Challenges:

• Britany highlighted the difficulty of adapting to a new culture, especially when moving from one country to another at a young age.

• The language barrier, particularly with English being the primary challenge, was a significant obstacle for her.

• Healthcare Access:

• While Britany personally did not face difficulties accessing healthcare services, she acknowledged that many immigrants struggle with healthcare access, particularly those without proper documentation.

• Financial constraints and lack of awareness about available resources were identified as major barriers to healthcare access for some immigrants.

• Awareness of Resources:

• Britany emphasized the need for improved awareness of resources, especially for immigrants who might not be proficient in English.

• Suggestions included providing information in multiple languages, utilizing the internet, television, and social media to disseminate information about available support programs.

• Education Challenges:

• Britany discussed her own challenges in education, particularly the initial struggle with English language proficiency.

• She mentioned the importance of seeking help and encouraged others to overcome their fears and ask for assistance when needed.

• Employment and Economic Struggles:

• Rent and the high cost of living were identified as significant challenges for immigrants, leading to financial struggles.

• Limited job opportunities and the difficulty of finding work without proper documentation were mentioned as additional hurdles.

• Social Support:

• Britany highlighted the importance of social support, but she also shared her experience of feeling alone when she first arrived, emphasizing the need for a sense of community and support for newcomers.

• Perceptions and Stereotypes:

• Britany addressed the issue of stereotypes and urged people to understand that immigrants are not "less" and that they simply need to work hard to adapt to their new environment.

• Integration and Community Involvement:

• The interview touched upon the importance of community involvement and support to facilitate the integration of immigrants into society.

• Call for Understanding:

• Britany emphasized the need for understanding from others, acknowledging that people who haven't experienced immigration may not fully comprehend the challenges faced by newcomers.

Overall, Britany's interview sheds light on the multi-faceted nature of the immigrant experience, encompassing language, healthcare, education, employment, and the critical role of community and social support.

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The following is the actual interview:

Noor: How would you describe your immigration experience?

Britany: I would say it was hard. It’s still hard. But I get used to it.

Noor: Did you face any challenged adapting to a new culture?

Britany: Yes, it is totally different when you move from one country to another one. I was really young. So English is the first one (challenge). And then how people behave.

Noor: Are there any specific immigration related issues that you find particularly challenging?

Britany: Other than the language barrier? For me, not really.

Noor: Have you encountered any difficulties in accessing healthcare services in the county?

Britany: Not for me specifically, because I was born here. But for the other people for sure. They struggle more with that.

Noor: How so?

Britany: Here in California we have more opportunities for immigrants. So for other counties, you can have license for medical stuff. You can’t do that. So it’s hard. You could, you need to pay for those. And they’re expensive. Like just for one appointment it’s around $600. That’s a lot. But for me, I have the opportunity to get it free.

Noor: And do you think there’s a sort of disconnect between awareness of resources?

Britany: I think, yeah. For many people that don’t go to school, they don’t know anything about technology. So they just struggle and are stuck there.

Noor: Are there any cultural or language barriers that affect people’s ability to seek medical help?

Britany: I’m not sure.

Noor: Okay because I wasn’t sure if it’s accessible enough.

Britany: I think there are programs for immigrant here, so you just need to look for them. Many people don’t do it, just because they don’t know how. And sometimes they try to ask for help and they don’t get it. Just because it’s kind of hard. I feel like its a balance. So, just because they see you as an immigrant, they see you kind of as less. So that’s a big issue.

Noor: So do you think it’s because they just don’t know that the resources are there and then if they know that the resources are there, they don’t know how to access them?

Britany: Yeah.

Noor: How do you think that problem could be fixed?

Britany: Maybe like on the internet. It’s always in English. Maybe they could put it in Spanish, or other languages. Or maybe inform on TV or social media. Maybe that’s a good one now. Other than that, I think that’s it.

Noor: And do you think there’s enough awareness and support for mental health in your community?

Britany: I feel like for Mexican culture, we are used to keeping everything together. It’s like, man has to be a man so like they don't show their feelings so that's a problem that's why they don't want to show like that they need help or something but actually it would be nice if they did. And it's kind of hard to fix because it's so normal.

Noor: How do you feel about the education and career prospects available to you?

Britany: When I came here, I didn't know English, so I needed help catching up. Because I went to classes and I was just sitting there, I was like, what’s going on? And like in Mexico, I was really good at school and then I came here and it was completely different. Just because I didn’t know first English and then the other subjects, I was just confused. And then I went to like the district to get help so I could learn English fast. They took a while to find someone to help me and then I was like you know what I'm not doing it. So I just went on YouTube and I started learning English there. That's how I did it but other than that, I always ask for help. I feel like some people don’t ask for help. They’re scared maybe. I’m not. I just. try to go for it. Yeah, but um, what was the question again?

Noor: No you answered it. So but, you were born here and then you moved back, and then you came back, right?

Britany: Yes.

Noor: So how about people who were? Do you think that it would be different if you were just born there and then you moved here or do you think it's pretty much the same, because you were so young?

Britany: It would be difficult, like finding jobs. I know some people that don’t have papers. So like, finding jobs is hard. They're stuck in one job. Just because if they want to apply to another job, they can't, they need their social security stuff.

Noor: Yeah.

Britany: Uh, so it's super hard to do that. Yeah. I mean, since some people don’t have papers they can’t even apply to get a job.

Noor: Do you think that prospects for higher education are equal or skewed?

Britany: How I see it? Like education right now is pretty good. It just depends on the person. It depends if you actually like, try and do it.

Noor: How has social support played a role in your journey?

Britany: Oh, social support. I mean, what do you mean by that?

Noor: I mean like your community itself and then the people around you who maybe aren't part of your friends, you know?

Britany: So when I moved and I didn't know English, I was like, okay, I know someone that knows Spanish.

Noor: Yeah.

Britany: They could help. But no, they didn't help me.

Noor: What? Why?

Britany: I know. I was like, why are you doing this? Like, we should like help each other, right?

Noor: Yeah.

Britany: But I guess not. So that was kind of sad. But then I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna do myself. So, um, communities, um, it depends on the people.

Noor: And so going back to the education thing — you were really good at school in Mexico and then when you came here it just dropped because of like the language disconnect, right?

Britany: Yes.

Noor: So I know that my school right now we have like ELD classes for English language learners.

Britany: Oh right.

Noor: And they teach courses in Spanish and English and they kind of do a mix between them to try to get students to learn English and learn the subject at the same time. So do you think things like that would've helped you?

Britany: I did take it, and it didn't help. It only helped just because I put my effort. So you, you can stay there for years until you move to another school or you finish school. But my goal was to like learn English fast. So I actually tried and I left that program.

Noor: So it’s a good program?

Britany: I feel like that helped a lot. Yeah.

Noor: Are there other areas where you feel like support could have been more than it was and like it was more needed?

Britany: Um, for me, when I came here I had no one. So I felt alone a lot and I had to find those resources myself.

Noor: Do you think maybe it’d help if there was more of a sense of a community where you live, to be like, “oh, this can help you, here's a place where you can go if needed.”?

Britany: Yeah. I didn't have that. So for me, I was like, okay, I need to do it myself. I don't have anyone. So I'm just going to do it myself.

Noor: So to try and clarify: because you were alone when you came here, maybe there needed to be increased support, as in people needed to recognize that and try to not let you figure it out completely all on your own?

Britany: Yeah, I was pretty young, so I was sad about that and I didn’t have friends. So at the moment, it was pretty sad.

Noor: Are there specific changes or improvements you would like to see in your area?

Britany: What I did struggle with and with my family was rent. Just because it’s so expensive. So that was a big one. I had to work from a young age. So I can at least by my own things. So that one, it’s really hard and it’s still difficult now just because everything’s so high now. I feel like immigrants struggle with that. They get stuck there just because their paycheck is not enough.

Noor: Are there any other issues"?

Britany: Well it’s hard to find work too, I think those are the main ones.

Noor: If there’s one thing you’d like other people to understand about your experience, what would it be?

Britany: I feel like people don’t understand if they haven’t been in your shoes. So I think it’s important to say that we are not less. As humans, we are the same. It’s just like we need to work hard to catch up on many things. Other than that, I would tell them like to not judge us. Just because we are different cultures and we might think differently.

Noor: That’s all, thank you.