STUDENT VOICES
IMMIGRATION STORIES
American Monster
One time I snuck into a space ship
In 2001 I boarded a plane to America.
The mission of the trip was the stars.
All I really wanted was to come to America to pursue a better life.
I was wearing a special suit with one of those astronaut helmets.
I adjusted my headphones and buckled my seat belt. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a furry blue monster.
A well-groomed blond man in a suit sat next to me.
To me this person represented America, and America was a monster.
He had broad shoulders and was so tall he had to cower a little in order not to hit the ceiling of the airplane, kind of like Frankenstein.
Unlike Frankenstein, this man was very alert and quick.
He skipped the flight attendant's little show on how to use the oxygen masks and went straight to his laptop.
One day, I, too, would be on the go in order to catch up with America's fast lifestyle.
I was intrigued by this man who seemed not to care about my existence.
America pretends I am invisible, but knows I am here.
Still, I find America fascinating and just want to be let in.
This man was not looking outside the window or playing with the service button like I was, but that's all right because we were both going to reach the stars in America.
About the Author
Mario is one of E4FC's 2007 and 2009 Scholars. He is Chinese-Peruvian and immigrated to the US from Peru when he was 12 years old. After only one year at Robertson Middle School, he ranked seventh place in his eighth grade class. He then went on to Oceana High School, where he was valedictorian of his graduating class. Mario recently obtained his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and is planning to apply to graduate school this Fall.
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