It was a thirteen-hour flight from Iraq to Illinois on a Boeing 747. We landed at O’Hare Airport close to midnight. Dark and cold, there was a blizzard and close to three feet of snow. This was my first time seeing snow like this. I was only seven and I didn’t even know what “Hi” meant. It was a crazy world out there and I was just starting my new life. As I was leaving the airport a security guard came up and said, “See you again.” At the time, I didn’t know what that meant because I had a long journey to learn English.

My family and I stayed with my cousin for about a month until my dad acquired a job and we could afford a small apartment. It was small, really small. Later that month I started preschool. At the time, I knew some English but not a whole lot. I was just so scared to start school because I didn’t know how to speak to other students. I made a single friend and I did not speak to anyone except him. He was the only person I talked to in English, including my family. As I learned English, I was still too scared to speak it.

When I was in first grade, I slowly understood English but I would not speak it. I was scared that I would mess up. I heard so many people speak English so I started speaking English at my house. One time I was at McDonald’s and I wanted ketchup but I didn’t know how to say it. I explained to the worker what it looked like so that I didn’t embarrass myself saying it incorrectly. After a while, the guy gave up and said to my face, “You people should just leave the country.” Back then, I could have cared less about what he said, and that’s because I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. This is where I started to question my family, “Where are we? Why are we here?”

Meanwhile, my family and I settled in. My dad bought a car for around a thousand dollars, and my mom stayed home. She didn’t have a car yet, nor did she have a job. At times, I would remember my old house back in Iraq. I would think about friends, my school, and all the toys I had. I had so many toys, and I had only brought one with me. I still have that toy at my house. That was really the only thing I kept from Iraq.

One afternoon when I was eight, I heard my dad say to my mom, “We are getting a new house.” I was so excited we would finally have a bigger place to sleep in. Around this time, I also started to talk to teachers because I started gaining confidence, and I thought I needed to speak English because in America, speaking the language is crucial. Somedays I would remember the 13-hour airplane ride and how I got here. It was a difficult transition but it was better off in the long run. I only knew Arabic at that time, but the struggle to learn English was an important act of resilience.

Eight years ago I landed at O’Hare Airport, not knowing what anything meant. Today I’m 15, I stand up for others and I stand up for myself. It took eight years but I feel very confident making new friends and talking in public. I now know that I can stand up for myself and no one can take that away from me.

© Yousif. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.