In this personal reflection, I took the time to explore the meaning of community through the lens of my own experience of being an immigrant. While community is often described as a group of people who share interest, I think of it more as a relation to ethnicity, heritage, and even a journey of immigration. As an Ecuadorian immigrant who came to the United States just at 5 years old, I identify most likely with the immigrant community, which is a diverse group of people who are trying to seek better futures and better lives for their families. I challenge the stereotypes and the misconceptions that are often attached to immigrants. I emphasize our background as immigrants could vary, but our goals and our values, at the end of the day, would be similar. Lastly, I addressed how language and culture, and perceptions that people have shaped of us, likely shaped their stereotype of what belongs in our communities. I argue that community is not one fixed idea, but it’s a deeply more personal concept that involves more of lived experience, individuality, and identity.
What community means to me
When we think about community, we think about a word that is basically talking about a group of people who are united and share things in common. This happens in most cases where we define a community like this, but what if a community has a different purpose and means something different to each individual? But what does it mean to me? Well, to me, community is associated with ethnicity and origins. I identify with my origins and my ethnicity. I am very proud and have traditions that come from my origins. I’m Ecuadorian and lived in Ecuador for five years. My parents are also Ecuadorian, and I immigrated to the United States when I was about five years old. If you ask me what community I identify with, I will tell you the immigrant community.
Why the immigrant community? Well, like I mentioned, I immigrated here when I was five, and if I sit down and tell you, I experienced the struggles that many immigrants face. They might not be exactly the same because every person’s situation and experiences are different, but they share the same concept. Being an immigrant is not something you should be ashamed of. People have different stories, and that’s completely fine. The definition of being an immigrant in our community is different from other communities. Being an immigrant in our description is coming here from a whole different country with different traditions and languages. We all have different purposes, but we come here to better ourselves, our families, and to have a bright future.
In my case, my parents came here to give me a better future. Now, I’m in a college classroom, knowing that I have the opportunity to obtain a future. In Ecuador, I would probably have doubts about having a bright future or even getting a job. Despite this, other communities think that being an immigrant means something different. Sometimes, the immigrant community is interpreted as only the Latino community, and while it is true that Latinos are a big part of the immigrant community in the United States, not every immigrant comes from Latin America. People from Europe, such as Italians, French, and Russians, are also considered immigrants. Immigrants are people who come from different countries, not just specific ones.
Another misinterpretation is that we come here just because we want to. Like I mentioned before, immigrants have a main goal. If we unify the reasons that every immigrant comes to the United States, most of them would be the same. Immigrants come here to better their future and their children’s future, not to cause harm to the United States, as the media and some politicians interpret. In fact, if you count the U.S. population, most of it is based on immigrants. Despite this, there is still misinformation out there about us, making us look like criminals, raising crime rates, and making the United States seem less safe.
Some in the immigrant community agree that certain immigrants do come to cause harm, and that is completely true. Sometimes, criminals from other countries come here to hurt others, but that doesn’t mean that all immigrants are criminals. Despite entering the United States illegally, which is considered a crime, is it really a crime to come here looking for a better life? If you had a moment to be in an immigrant’s shoes, you might have done the same.
But enough about other people’s points of view—let’s talk about our community. What is the meaning of being an immigrant in the immigrant community? Well, everyone has their own different definition. Clearly, some people think differently. Sometimes, being an immigrant doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t know the language. However, in our immigrant community, I feel like people assume that you must not know English. But that’s not always the case. For example, if you come from a country like Australia where people speak English, you’re still considered an immigrant. In my point of view, it might be a little easier for you to get used to the United States, but that doesn’t change the fact that you immigrated from a different country.
In our community, people emphasize that it’s more difficult if you don’t know the language, which I completely agree with. I do agree, but somehow, I feel like everyone has their own definition of being an immigrant. At the end of the day, even the definition of community itself varies.
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