Questions about life in the US

[avital 34]

hello

after a successful interview ive been thinking a lot about how my life will be in the US.

i know itll be hard to be away from my family, friends, country, language etc... but theres nothing i want more than to start my life with the person i love.

so i was wondering about different things,

is it hard to find a job in the US when you get your work permit? i speak english very well but i do have a noticeable accent, has your accent ever been an issue?

i was thinking about learning spanish since the US has many spanish speakers and it will be a plus when trying to find a job, would that be a good idea?

is it hard to make new friends? did you search for people from your ethnicity/country that live nearby? or did you try to befriend anyone from the start?

what was the first thing you wanted to do when you moved to the US (besides things that have to do with the immigration process)?

how did your partners family react to you and to the marriage? were they interested in hearing about your country and culture?

and to those whove been in the US for a while - did you "bring your culture with you"? do you celebrate your countries holidays? cook the food you ate in your country?

do you feel different or like an outsider? do you feel like people treat you differently because youre not american? or do americans not care about that?

ill be happy to hear about your experiences especially from people who immigrated from non-english speaking countries

[canadian_wife 1,823]

I think it largely depends on where you are moving to and if there is a lot of diversity where you'll be going.

In the great state of Georgia, there is not a LOT of diversity outside of the city of Atlanta. So if you are moving to a rural area in Georgia (like I did) there is not a lot of room for meeting people from Canada.

As for work, that depends on what you'll be doing as well. I am a teacher so it took me about 6 weeks to find a job and that was a job I knew I would hate but did it for a year so it could be a stepping stone into something I would enjoy - which it had.

Canadians are notorious for pointing out all things Canadian. "Oh, you like basketball...totally invented by a Canadian by the way". So that is how we get our culture across.

Because I'm a teacher when people find out I am Canadian they are generally interested in what Canada is like - especially when I inform them that it is actually NOT part of the U.S. so you may run in to some people who are ignorant about your country. Try not to get frustrated.

Good luck - remember why you fought so hard to get here and it is all worth it.

[avital 34]

I think it largely depends on where you are moving to and if there is a lot of diversity where you'll be going.

In the great state of Georgia, there is not a LOT of diversity outside of the city of Atlanta. So if you are moving to a rural area in Georgia (like I did) there is not a lot of room for meeting people from Canada.

As for work, that depends on what you'll be doing as well. I am a teacher so it took me about 6 weeks to find a job and that was a job I knew I would hate but did it for a year so it could be a stepping stone into something I would enjoy - which it had.

Canadians are notorious for pointing out all things Canadian. "Oh, you like basketball...totally invented by a Canadian by the way". So that is how we get our culture across.

Because I'm a teacher when people find out I am Canadian they are generally interested in what Canada is like - especially when I inform them that it is actually NOT part of the U.S. so you may run in to some people who are ignorant about your country. Try not to get frustrated.

Good luck - remember why you fought so hard to get here and it is all worth it.

we will be living either in california or arizona, and im not sure if theres a diversity there or not, hopefully there will be

ive never worked before nor i have degree in anything, i will have to get a G.E.D too before applying for any real job so i guess as of now ill be working in a clothing store or maybe as a waitress, or any other place that will hire me.

haha thats funny fortunately israelis abroad are easily spotted! any loud group of people are potential israelis haha

coming where im from i already know a lot of people will be ignorant or biased but hopefully ill meet more educated people

thanks for the reply btw! was happy to read about your experience.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

I think it largely depends on where you are moving to and if there is a lot of diversity where you'll be going.

In the great state of Georgia, there is not a LOT of diversity outside of the city of Atlanta. So if you are moving to a rural area in Georgia (like I did) there is not a lot of room for meeting people from Canada.

As for work, that depends on what you'll be doing as well. I am a teacher so it took me about 6 weeks to find a job and that was a job I knew I would hate but did it for a year so it could be a stepping stone into something I would enjoy - which it had.

Canadians are notorious for pointing out all things Canadian. "Oh, you like basketball...totally invented by a Canadian by the way". So that is how we get our culture across

Dying laughing because this is so true!

[General Buhari 46]

we will be living either in california or arizona, and im not sure if theres a diversity there or not, hopefully there will be

ive never worked before nor i have degree in anything, i will have to get a G.E.D too before applying for any real job so i guess as of now ill be working in a clothing store or maybe as a waitress, or any other place that will hire me.

haha thats funny fortunately israelis abroad are easily spotted! any loud group of people are potential israelis haha

coming where im from i already know a lot of people will be ignorant or biased but hopefully ill meet more educated people

thanks for the reply btw! was happy to read about your experience.

California is huge so it depends on the area. If you're living in a metro and even most suburbs that are very near metro then there's tons of diversity.

Personally I don't think you'll have any issue anywhere in the US if you keep your nose clean and pay your taxes. Oh and if you are in Texas just made sure that you like church and football or pretend that you do in company.

[Illiria 980]

Most places that requires high school education only ask if you completed it. Spanish is a good thing to learn if you can, gives an edge when applying to work in the service industry such as hospitality.

Amazon.com is my friend, I can order nearly all of the foods I miss from home. If you are in California then there is a chain here that does international food, a lot of different countries food.

I try to celebrate the holidays here but for California getting fireworks for one on the 5th of November is impossible due to fire laws. That didn't bother me the first year but really does this year, so don't expect to feel the same way about things every year as the home sickness comes and goes.

As mentioned people will not understand your country, or will have made assumptions about it. It has happened to all of us no matter where we are from. The amount of people who actually think I know the British royal family just because I am British is amazing.

If you are moving to a big city there may be groups you can join where you can meet other Israelis.

[kamw 93]

Congrats!! It will be different but this country is literally a melting pot so you will fit right in.

is it hard to find a job in the US when you get your work permit? i speak english very well but i do have a noticeable accent, has your accent ever been an issue? Depends on where you're headed and what industry. I'd suggest you work on your resume, create a linkedin if you don't already have one and start looking on indeed or monster to see whats available in your new city. put in the zip code and see what's out there.

i was thinking about learning spanish since the US has many spanish speakers and it will be a plus when trying to find a job, would that be a good idea? might be help depending on if there is a huge Hispanic population where you are moving and the industry you are going to work in. It can't hurt so go for it if you have the time.

is it hard to make new friends? did you search for people from your ethnicity/country that live nearby? or did you try to befriend anyone from the start? it's kinda hard as adults unless you are really outgoing. Like anything else it takes time. When you start working you'll meet people. Once you're here go places that interest you and you'll meet like minded ppl. For eg, if you like football (soccer) go to the nearest field and join a game. If your an intellect go to events at your library. Not sure how it is in your home country but back in Jamaica everyone is friendly. Your neighbors kinda become an extension of your family. It's not quite the same here. Most people don't know the ppl they live beside because everyone is so busy. GO to different events in your city and you'll meet people.

what was the first thing you wanted to do when you moved to the US (besides things that have to do with the immigration process)? I was young when I moved here but I know for hubby the first thing he was to do is eat a real steak (not something we have at home) and go to Walmart in the middle of the night. He doesn't believe there is a store that is just open 24 hrs a day. Everything back homes closes early.

how did your partners family react to you and to the marriage? Depends on the family. Some of mine are skeptical about the whole immigration process but I'm not super close to them anyways. The rest are exited about him moving here. Start building a bond before you come and discuss with your person how things will be handled if you and the family don't really connect. . were they interested in hearing about your country and culture?

and to those whove been in the US for a while - did you "bring your culture with you"? yes do you celebrate your countries holidays? yes cook the food you ate in your country? Oh yes. i love different cultures and that's one of the best things about America- you get to sample food from all corners of the earth and if you search I'm sure you'll be authentic food from where you're from. Most grocery stores sell stuff from other places and if not you can always find an ethnic store.

do you feel different or like an outsider? That's something that, in my experience, never goes away. To me most immigrants have a different mindset from people born here. We've had to work had to come here so we typically appreciate it more. We've had an entire life outside this country and that's not something everyone understands. It's a bit easier to bond with other immigrants on this as they understand what it's like to have two homes.

do you feel like people treat you differently because youre not american? or do americans not care about that? Because there are so many immigrant's it's not something that you'll come across often but you'll meet that one person who hasn't been exposed or doesn't agree with immigration who may say something(ignore them) . For the most people are tolerant and they are more interested in asking you about your culture than being negative towards you.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

almost every community has a support group for citizens from other walks of life. Look for one when you come

and culture? we have every culture, every religion and the best food from all

accent? try being from the north, thrown into the deep south / and I still can not understand some American accents like CT and Mass/ I have lived in 24 states.

making new friends will depend on spouse and family / can't answer that one

but here when meeting people and making new friends I find you will have one real good friend/ I am careful not to tell my

business and keep my life private only trusting a few people

celebrate your culture/learn the culture of area you live in which is different in the 6 regions of the US

and congratulations, what you do now is up to you to make a good future.

BTW job?? you don't say your education and experience

Edited July 20, 2015 by Adil & Jeanne

[avital 34]

Most places that requires high school education only ask if you completed it. Spanish is a good thing to learn if you can, gives an edge when applying to work in the service industry such as hospitality.

Amazon.com is my friend, I can order nearly all of the foods I miss from home. If you are in California then there is a chain here that does international food, a lot of different countries food.

I try to celebrate the holidays here but for California getting fireworks for one on the 5th of November is impossible due to fire laws. That didn't bother me the first year but really does this year, so don't expect to feel the same way about things every year as the home sickness comes and goes.

As mentioned people will not understand your country, or will have made assumptions about it. It has happened to all of us no matter where we are from. The amount of people who actually think I know the British royal family just because I am British is amazing.

If you are moving to a big city there may be groups you can join where you can meet other Israelis.

ah well.. ill figure this out and guess ill start studying spanish ASAP! are there any other popular languages there? i speak 2 languages other than english but i doubt ill need them in the US.

thats good to know! do you know what the name of the chain is? i think ill miss our snacks the most but ill make sure to check amazon

im not a really big fan of fireworks so i dont mind it gonna have to wait till im 21 to have a real party though haha. maybe you should buy some small fireworks

hahaha, ive been told more than once that americans arent really interested in other cultures and countries and dont really know much about them, even my fiance was surprised that israel doesnt look like a war zone with tanks on the streets!

i already found some groups of israelis from CA/AZ on facebook so i think i wont have a problem finding them

[Amhara 460]

Oh and if you are in Texas just made sure that you like church and football or pretend that you do in company.

I really don't agree with this. Houston is a miniature globe - you don't have to pretend to be a certain way in Texas. Be yourself.

While I am Native Sonoran (desert - not the county in Mexico) - from Arizona to be exact, I would suggest you save the site http://www.meetup.com/ You can look for or start any groups that may interest you no matter what area you find yourself. You will find a lot of different people to either chat with or even a friendship. You may even want to start a cooking class - Israeli/Palestinian cooking perhaps?? Or any kinds of hobbies. Start small and go with what you enjoy!

In Arizona, I grew up thinking Mexican origin people were the majority in America, so you will find a lot of native Spanish speakers. I think that's a great idea! You will find that many native Mexicans know English rather well, or they at least know Span-lish - but I think it would help in a job search. I hope you feel welcome when you come. Enjoy some great Mexican food! See and try some Tejano dancing! And last but not least - welcome to the US!

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

fortunately israelis abroad are easily spotted! any loud group of people are potential israelis haha

You have a good sense of humor. You'll do fine. Best of luck!

Edited July 20, 2015 by Russ&Caro

[D.Ba 85]

What are your other two languages?

When they hear Israel they probably think about scenes from the Gaza strip.

Edited July 20, 2015 by D.Ba

[avital 34]

Congrats!! It will be different but this country is literally a melting pot so you will fit right in.

is it hard to find a job in the US when you get your work permit? i speak english very well but i do have a noticeable accent, has your accent ever been an issue? Depends on where you're headed and what industry. I'd suggest you work on your resume, create a linkedin if you don't already have one and start looking on indeed or monster to see whats available in your new city. put in the zip code and see what's out there.

i was thinking about learning spanish since the US has many spanish speakers and it will be a plus when trying to find a job, would that be a good idea? might be help depending on if there is a huge Hispanic population where you are moving and the industry you are going to work in. It can't hurt so go for it if you have the time.

is it hard to make new friends? did you search for people from your ethnicity/country that live nearby? or did you try to befriend anyone from the start? it's kinda hard as adults unless you are really outgoing. Like anything else it takes time. When you start working you'll meet people. Once you're here go places that interest you and you'll meet like minded ppl. For eg, if you like football (soccer) go to the nearest field and join a game. If your an intellect go to events at your library. Not sure how it is in your home country but back in Jamaica everyone is friendly. Your neighbors kinda become an extension of your family. It's not quite the same here. Most people don't know the ppl they live beside because everyone is so busy. GO to different events in your city and you'll meet people.

what was the first thing you wanted to do when you moved to the US (besides things that have to do with the immigration process)? I was young when I moved here but I know for hubby the first thing he was to do is eat a real steak (not something we have at home) and go to Walmart in the middle of the night. He doesn't believe there is a store that is just open 24 hrs a day. Everything back homes closes early.

how did your partners family react to you and to the marriage? Depends on the family. Some of mine are skeptical about the whole immigration process but I'm not super close to them anyways. The rest are exited about him moving here. Start building a bond before you come and discuss with your person how things will be handled if you and the family don't really connect. . were they interested in hearing about your country and culture?

and to those whove been in the US for a while - did you "bring your culture with you"? yes do you celebrate your countries holidays? yes cook the food you ate in your country? Oh yes. i love different cultures and that's one of the best things about America- you get to sample food from all corners of the earth and if you search I'm sure you'll be authentic food from where you're from. Most grocery stores sell stuff from other places and if not you can always find an ethnic store.

do you feel different or like an outsider? That's something that, in my experience, never goes away. To me most immigrants have a different mindset from people born here. We've had to work had to come here so we typically appreciate it more. We've had an entire life outside this country and that's not something everyone understands. It's a bit easier to bond with other immigrants on this as they understand what it's like to have two homes.

do you feel like people treat you differently because youre not american? or do americans not care about that? Because there are so many immigrant's it's not something that you'll come across often but you'll meet that one person who hasn't been exposed or doesn't agree with immigration who may say something(ignore them) . For the most people are tolerant and they are more interested in asking you about your culture than being negative towards you.

thanks a lot for the replies im not in the US yet but ill definitely check it out when im there. luckily ill have a lot of free time right now so ill start learning spanish!

people in my country are pretty friendly too but im quite shy, but its a good idea to look for events, hopefully they have lots of museums over there

haha wow, ive been telling my fiance how much i want to try american junk food, he even promised hed meet me at the airport with mcdonalds bacon cheeseburger and a cherry coke! shops here dont stay open 24/7 either but i know that they do in some places i do want to visit walmart though, all the stories i heard about the freaky people there... gotta see it in reality!

i really hope his family will like me. he told all of them about me and they seem pretty excited and happy for us, and i talked to his mom and aunt on the phone they sound like really nice people

oh its kinda like israel that way, we have many many cultures here! so that is great, hopefully they have good hummus and shawarma or else ill have to drag my fiance back to my home country

well im glad i wont be treated differently by most people. ill be sure to ignore the close minded people and befriend those who accept people from other countries and cultures.

almost every community has a support group for citizens from other walks of life. Look for one when you come

and culture? we have every culture, every religion and the best food from all

accent? try being from the north, thrown into the deep south / and I still can not understand some American accents like CT and Mass/ I have lived in 24 states.

making new friends will depend on spouse and family / can't answer that one

but here when meeting people and making new friends I find you will have one real good friend/ I am careful not to tell my

business and keep my life private only trusting a few people

celebrate your culture/learn the culture of area you live in which is different in the 6 regions of the US

and congratulations, what you do now is up to you to make a good future.

BTW job?? you don't say your education and experience

thanks for the information im really excited about trying the food! i feel like ill be gaining a lot of weight there, better get a gym membership asap.

hahaha. most of the american accents sound the same to me, the only special accent i remember hearing is from the TV show "True Blood" but im not sure which state that was

and im a quite shy person, i usually keep to myself, but ill definitely remember not to spill my secrets to any person that i meet

thanks btw, as a daughter of parents who also immigrated from another country i know i will have to work extra hard in order to make a good future for me and my man.

I really don't agree with this. Houston is a miniature globe - you don't have to pretend to be a certain way in Texas. Be yourself.

While I am Native Sonoran (desert - not the county in Mexico) - from Arizona to be exact, I would suggest you save the site http://www.meetup.com/ You can look for or start any groups that may interest you no matter what area you find yourself. You will find a lot of different people to either chat with or even a friendship. You may even want to start a cooking class - Israeli/Palestinian cooking perhaps?? Or any kinds of hobbies. Start small and go with what you enjoy!

In Arizona, I grew up thinking Mexican origin people were the majority in America, so you will find a lot of native Spanish speakers. I think that's a great idea! You will find that many native Mexicans know English rather well, or they at least know Span-lish - but I think it would help in a job search. I hope you feel welcome when you come. Enjoy some great Mexican food! See and try some Tejano dancing! And last but not least - welcome to the US!

haha, i wont be in texas! but either way i dont like pretending to be someone that im not.

thanks for the link! cooking class sounds like a great idea, ive been cooking a lot lately so seems like a good hobby to master im an israeli, but my family came from the USSR so there is a lot of russian food in our kitchen.

there are many russians in israel and speaking russian definitely helped me a lot in communicating with people who dont speak hebrew very well - so hopefully if i learn spanish ill be able to communicate with people who dont speak english very well.

thank you for the warm welcome btw! mexican food is on my to-do list already, but im not a very good dancer guess ill just devour some tacos instead

[avital 34]

You have a good sense of humor. You'll do fine. Best of luck!

haha thanks, i do try

What are your other two languages?

When they hear Israel they probably think about scenes from the Gaza strip.

i speak hebrew and russian.

yeah, i assume so. i lived in israel my whole life so i know how things work here, and im not looking into getting into political debates so i wont try to make contact with biased people.

[avital 34]

i apologize if i made any typos by the way, its midnight here...