Our Untold Stories by RAHS EL

Our Untold Stories

written by

Roseville Area High School Level 4 EL Students

Our Untold Stories

OUR UNTOLD STORIES Written by Roseville Area High School EL Level 4 Students

OUR UNTOLD STORIES Copyright ÂŠ 2017 by Roseville Area High School EL Level 4 Students. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

For more information, or if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to purchase a copy of the book, contact James Housworth at james.housworth@isd623.org

Book and Cover design by Canva Design

Contents MY FIRST BREAKUP by D.E. .................................................................. 11 ROAD TRIP by J.Y. ...................................................................................... 14 GOING TO THE AQUARIUM by M.R.................................................. 17 MY BROTHER, I HAVENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SAID GOODBYE by K.P. ................... 19 THE LOSS OF MY LIFE by T.W.N. ........................................................ 24 THE STORY ABOUT ME by A.L ............................................................ 29 FIRST TIME CAMPING by S.D.P ............................................................ 31 FINDING HAPPINESS IN LIFE by T.M.H. ......................................... 33 LOSING MY GRANDMA by I.C. ............................................................ 35 CAMPING WITH YOUTH by T.D. ......................................................... 37 MY STORY IN AMERICA by E.Y. .......................................................... 40 FROM THAILAND TO AMERICA by P.D. .......................................... 42 MY LAST DAY IN VENEZUELA by R.P. ............................................. 45 FRIEND by D.D. .......................................................................................... 48 THE CHANGES IN MY LIFE by P.V..................................................... 50 A HORRIFIC SUMMER by V.P. ............................................................... 53 THE DAY I LEFT NEPAL by S.G. .......................................................... 55

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CHRISTMAS OF 2012 by C.H. .................................................................. 57 WHEN I MOVED TO THE U.S. by K.B. ............................................... 59 BEING FAR FROM LOVED ONES by A.S. ......................................... 62 MY STORY IN NEPAL by S.M. ................................................................ 65 STUBBORNNESS by N.C. ......................................................................... 67 COUSINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WEDDING IN TEXAS by P.P............................................. 69 HUNTING by P.B. ....................................................................................... 72 SEEING MY DAD by S.C. ......................................................................... 74 STRUGGLING LEARNING ENGLISH by N.G. ................................ 76 HOW I TAUGHT MYSELF SOCCER by D.Y. ..................................... 78 MAKING LIFE BETTER by J.M. ............................................................. 80 SCHOOL LIFE by C.B................................................................................. 82 THE MOVE by R.I. ...................................................................................... 85 KNOWING ABOUT ME by A.M. ............................................................ 87 MY STORY by H.H. ..................................................................................... 91 CHOICES by Q.V. ........................................................................................ 93 THE SISTER I NEVER KNEW by H.R. ................................................. 96 TROUBLE IN COLORADO by L.A. ....................................................... 98 MY FIRST TRIP TO TEXAS by A.A. .................................................... 100 LEARNING ENGLISH by S.B. ............................................................... 102 LIFE BETWEEN BURMA AND THAILAND by S.W. .................... 104 BACK FROM INJURY by A.D. ............................................................... 106 MOVING TO MINNESOTA by C.B. .................................................... 108 WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO LAS VEGAS by R.M. ......................... 110 NEPALI LIFE by B.B................................................................................. 111 6

Our Untold Stories

Dedicated to our families

MY FIRST BREAKUP Written by D.E.

“W

ait, are you breaking up with me? But why?” “Because I’m moving to a new country and we’re not gonna be seeing each other anymore.”

Some of the hardest thing in my life was leaving the people I loved behind in Nigeria and breaking up with my first girlfriend. I hated it because it was about hurting another person's feelings. When we were dating we started learning new things around us about life and most significantly about ourselves. Our first love was the purest and truest love. But it can be deceitful because it was still the first time we were experiencing it, so we couldn’t say much about it. I thought my first girlfriend was the best girl I could ever have been with, but it was at the beginning of our relationship. One day when I arrived home, my mom came to me with the most shocking news. She told me, along with my brothers and sisters that we should pack our stuff. “We’re leaving tomorrow, early in the morning, around 4am.” Then I asked her, “Where are we moving to?’ She said, “We are moving to Minnesota, a new country in the U.S.” Everyone in my family was very happy that we were moving to the U.S, even a part of me was happy, but the other part of me was very sad, because I was leaving my girlfriend behind. I wasn’t able to sleep well at night because I was busy thinking of what I should do.

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“What am I going to do?I’m so confused right now, should I break up with her and tell her that I’m leaving? I should...wait!, mom said we shouldn’t tell anyone that we are leaving the country until we get there!” I took a deep breath and told myself to relax, then I went to sleep with a lot of things on my mind. It’s was 3am, the alarm was beeping so loud , I had felt my heart was dropping down slowly. I woke up with a serious headache, because I was busy thinking about what I was going to do with my girlfriend. Around 3:20am, my mom came to my room because she knew that I was going to wake up before everyone. She told me to wake everyone up. I stood up from bed with a serious headache, I took some medicine to calm my head down and then I was feeling better. On my way to my brothers and sisters rooms, I heard some voices coming out from across their rooms. I saw that they were already dressed and prepared. I was so shocked because I was always the one who woke up early before everyone. I went to my mom's room and told her that they were all set. It was 4am when the Uber’s came to pick us up, we had so much stuff that my mom had to order two Uber’s that day. When we were about to leave, I noticed that my dad wasn’t in the car. I asked my mom, “Why is dad not in the car?”, then she said “your father is not com…”. As she was about to complete her sentence, my dad came knocking on my side of the window. Then I was rolling down the window so that I could listen to what he was about to say. Then my dad said to all of us ,“ I know you guys are so excited that you all are moving the U.S and I know you guys won’t be happy about what I’m gonna say”. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry to say this, but I won’t be joining you guys to travel to the U.S”. I didn’t know what to say. I was so heartbroken when he told us that he was not going to travel with us to the U.S. After saying goodbye, I put up the window slowly with tears dripping out of my eyes, as my heart shattered like a glass falling from the sky and hitting the ground. Coming to the U.S without my dad was the worst thing I could ever think of. My dad is one of the best dads in the world and also my one and only best friend. He is the only one who I can share all my secrets to. He is the only one who can take his time to listen to all my problems and then gives me the best advice I could ever have. Right now I could write

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a full paragraph about how great and awesome my dad truly is, but thinking of him too much is going to make me cry. “I miss you dad” It was 6:40am when we arrived at the airport. As soon as I was about to enter the plane, something came to my mind: “Christabel”. That was the name of my girlfriend. When we were on the plane, I brought out my phone and I viewed 102 missed calls from Christabel. Then I texted her on an app called WhatsApp. She started to question me, asking me where I was and why I was not picking up her calls. I took a deep breath and I explained everything to her. I told her that we were moving to another country and we wouldn’t be able to see each other anymore. She was shocked that I was moving to another country and she was so sad, as if she lost someone whom she really loved. Which was me. I took another deep breath and I said: “Christabel I’m sorry, but we have to break up. If you’re thinking that you did something wrong, then you’re wrong. Christabel you are the best girl I’ve ever met, sometimes I feel like I’d dirty you just by touching you. You always make my sadness disappear with your beautiful smile. You know what? I never, ever planned to like you this much and I never thought you’d be on my mind this often. Came as a total surprise but I’m loving it!. My life has never been the same since I met you. I miss you so much and I’m sorry it has to end up this way. Again I’m sorry, bye”. *Heartbroken* After what I told Christabel, I decided to take a nap on the plane. I spent two days on the plane and we finally landed on Minnesota. And now I have a new ahead of me . “I miss you dad”. I will never forget my first breakup, because she was the first amazing girl I ever fell in love with.

ROAD TRIP Written by J.Y.

“W

ho’s ready to go to Rochester?” my dad said closing trunk of our van. “Everything is packed and ready to go.” “It’s gonna be a long ride though” my mom added. I just sat in our van and looked at the bags in the trunk “I’m just gonna sleep in the car the whole ride” I said. “That’s fine, you’ll only just miss fields of grass” said my mom. “Alright time to go” my dad said in a kind of Smoky low voice, He even added a little giggle. “Mom Teddy’s bothering me!” My sister yelled “Stop bothering your sister” my mom replied. “I’m not bothering her she’s lying!” “Nuh uh you’re lying” “STOP!” my mom finally yelled. While they argued the van rocked me away to sleep. A rotten smell made its way into my nostrils and when I woke up I realized what it was “ewww” my sister said disgustedly. “It’s cow poop” my dad said. I stared and I looked away it’ll pass I thought to myself “I can’t wait till I go catch some fish” my dad said while I slumbered off again. My brother woke me up and I looked up out of the window and all I saw was grass. “What is this place?” I asked. “It’s Rochester” my dad said gleefully. “Help me grab the poles and chairs,” my dad told me and Teddy, we helped him and he said Eden could hold the bait but Eden ran off. “Why do we have all this fishing gear when there’s no water?” My dad said, “Follow me”. I followed him and saw a pond to me it was

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really pretty but now that I think about it, it wasn’t all that special there was a beautiful white fountain though that sprayed out glittering sparkles of water we picked a spot far left from the fountain and fished for a little bit. My cousin came and we played at the park near the pond, there was tire swing and we were standing on it while it’s winged and spinned until it was time to go. We got a hotel room on the second floor and my cousins room was across from us four doors down to our left. We were in his room and I was watching tv while my cousin and my brother were play fighting and everything was ok, I started to get nervous because they were shutting off the lights. “Stop turning off the lights” I said. “Okay chill” one of them said, I listened to them and they stopped turning off the lights I noticed that everything was quiet then everything went black. The only thing that was lit up was the tv but that got shut off to “hide!” I think my brother said it startled me so I fell of the bed and hid in a corner. Everything was very quiet and I heard shuffling near me “teddy?” I called out in a whisper, I didn’t hear a response but I heard footsteps coming towards me. I backed up more into the corner but somebody grabbed my arm and lifted me up onto their shoulder “let me go” I shouted but they didn’t listen. I wriggled around and at that point I felt myself slipping I was trying to process what was going on but it was too late. I fell and my face was warm and numb what happened? I thought to myself I couldn’t feel anything “turn on the Lights!” I yelled. My cousin turned on the lights and I looked at him and he was wincing. “Why are you making that face?” I asked I ran to the mirror in the bathroom and look at myself. There was blood everywhere on the bottom half of my face but I couldn’t feel it because my face was already warm and numb. I looked closer did I lose a tooth? I thought, I looked again and half of my tooth was broken off. I walked to my room and knocked “oh my god” my mom said frightened “go get cleaned up!” I went to the bathroom and started washing my face. I heard my mom and my cousins mom yelling at them but I couldn’t care less, I got a pack of ice and put it on my lip while I slept. I woke up and we packed up we were leaving the hotel and I was glad it felt like last night was a dream but I could still feel the pain of my bottom lip.

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Before we left we ate at an Asian restaurant but I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat much because of the pain. We got home and my mom called a dental place to see if they could fix my tooth since it was broken in half and I eventually got a fake tooth to replace it. But, after my experience now I know to never hang out with my cousin when my brother is around because they think of the worse possible fun things.

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GOING TO THE AQUARIUM Written by M.R.

could feel the burn, and pain from my left knee. Blood was dripping as if a ball with fire had struck my knee at high speed. I had slipped and fell from a van while I was getting out and scraped my left knee on the concrete. I was crying and screaming as if someone had punched me on the face, but all what happened was I scraped my knee. When the horrible day was finally over, at home my family and I waited and slept until the next day came so we could go somewhere in the mourning. When the next day came I woke up and changed clothes rapidly so we could go to the aquarium. I was so excited because of course which kid wouldn’t be excited to see animals. I waited for my parents and sisters to get ready so we could go to the aquarium. When we left my dad drove and the trip wasn’t that far it was only 16 minutes long. When we were there we saw the entrance sign that said Galveston’s aquarium and around the aquarium were sea creature figures and paintings. You could kind of smell most of the animals because some tanks were open on top. There were displays on the animal's skin by the animals, and some felt soft, rough, and some even squishy. I saw lots of animals at the aquarium such as, sharks, crocodiles/alligators, other sea animals, and some land animals. When we went around and saw everything at the aquarium we went to a big room with allot of seats and a little pool at the middle. We waited for something to start while other people were taking their seats.

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We were sitting and waited till something happened, and while we waited I was wondering what was going to happen in the pool because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been in one of these places before. While we waited suddenly a dolphin just bursted out of the water and did a double front flip. Two more dolphins did the same thing but with a woman. The three dolphins were swimming with the woman and followed everything she told them to do. The dolphins were splashing water at the people two which was kind of hilarious. The whole crowd were having a great time because the dolphins were exciting to see. When the show ended the three dolphins were waving at the people who left, and they screeched as if they were pterodactyls. When we left we went home I sat on the couch and was going to play a game, but my mom suddenly asked how my knee was. I looked down and saw my knee scraped, and I remembered what happened and how much it hurt. The excitement of going to the aquarium and especially the dolphins made me forget about my knee. That day was the best day, and I got a plush toy from the aquarium as a memory.

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MY BROTHER, I HAVEN’T SAID GOODBYE Written by K.P.

“Be happy with who are happy, be sad with who are sad.” -The Book of Romans

“G

o up to you uncle house and tell him to bring my clothes and foods in the hospital” my mother yelled at me very quick.

Me and my sister ran very fast and we were very tired. When I got to my uncle house, I told him what my mom told me to. “ My mom told me to tell you that, go to hospital and bring her stuff. “ What happen?” my uncle ask. “ My brother is very sick” I said. When I was in Thailand, me and my sister, brother, and my mother were at home. It was summer time before school start. And It going to be my brother first year of school, he was very excited and he asked my mom to buy his school uninformed for him. My mom bought it for him, he was very excited but he didn’t got to wearing at school. My

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father was not at home, he was going on his mission, and he have to stayed away from home, he have to go very far and it hard to contact with him. My brother was very sick at home for few day. When he became more ill, my mother rushed to hospital. Me and my sister, we had to sleep over to my uncle house. The hospital and my house was a little bit far, so we didn’t visited my mom often to hospital. I have to sleep over to my uncle house for a few day. Me and my sister will go visited my brother in hospital and played with my brother. We only visited them only twice or one in day because it very far and you don’t want to stay in hospital too, there many people sick and it also smell bad. We will always go down to hospital to carried foods for my brother and my mother every morning. It been a few day since my brother in hospital. One day me and my sister went to sleep over to my parent close friend house. We slept over there and we played with their children. They were very nice to us and taking good care of us while my mother had to take care of my brother in hospital. We slept over there for a night, and early morning I woke up, also I woke my sister too because we thought we going to visit my mother and brother to hospital and bring the foods. When I woke up my parent close friend told me that I don’t have to go hospital anymore. “ Why?” I ask. “ Your brother already home, he passed away last night” she said. I didn’t said any back, I was surprised to hear that. Me and my sister went down to our house and we also saw our friends waiting for us at the bottom of hill. “You brother passed away last night” one of my friend said “ Really? “ I asked. “ Yes “ the other friend said. I remember that time it was very hot and it summer. we head many children and adults was sick too. I felt like I not worry about it at all because I was young I didn’t know how to feel when someone die. After they told us, we rushed back to our home. When I arrived at home, First I saw many people in my house talking and when I went inside my house I saw my brother laying on the soft blanket and wearing nice clothes. We will dress someone very nice when they died. I don’t know why they dress then very nicely, I think that the culture of Karen people wanted. In Thailand the parents are always give their children a vaccine shot, and they will give it the beginning of the year and, they will not give their

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children shot in summer time because it can kill Their children. I remember my mother told me that, at that time there was a very bad disease that make people very sick and can kill people too. My mother told me that my brother was getting more ill, so she call doctor for help. My mother told me that the doctor was drunk and he gave my brother a shot, my mom know that it will not be good but she not the doctor so she doesn’t know it will be helpful or not. The doctor gave my brother the shot and in the morning I heard he was dead, most of the people said he was died of that disease not the shot. When people ask my parents what happened, they will say because of that disease, so when people ask me I said it was the cause of disease. I saw my mother crying but I didn’t know what to help her. I was sitting in the backyard side with my friends, and we we’re cheating and eating snacks. My sister went cried in the back of big bottle filled with water. We used those water to cook and we used those water for taking shower too or cleaning. My sister cry there for a long time, me and my friend laughing at her. And then my mom saw me without her. “ Where is you sister? “ my mother asked “ She was crying in the back by big bottle water” I said My mom go get her and bring her back to home. After I saw my sister cry I wanted to cry too, but I didn’t because my friends were there and if I cry, I will be embarrassed by my friends, I worried that they will make fun of me so I didn’t cry. My mother sent a letter to my father and saying what happened back to home. After my father received the letter, he came back home with a sad day. My grandma and my cousin also came visited us from different refugee camp. She came a long way from here and she have to ride a boat, she will take one or two two boats because the boat didn’t go direct to when you want to, you have take different boat to get to a place you want. They also have to ride a truck and it cost a lot of money, same as my dad he have to ride a boat and car too to get to home. I was very happy to see my father because I haven’t see him like two month or 3 month. When he got home he will go direct into the house because we been waiting for him a long time. When we heard my grandma and cousin here at home, we won’t let her in the house because we worry that she might passed out, she come a long way from home and didn’t know what happened so we worried that she might passed out. So we let her stayed in my neighbor’s house for couple hours and we slowly told her what happened. Also our neighbor will brings foods for us or

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they will cooked rice for us because we alway have to feed people when they visited us. While they bring the rice, I saw they looked at my brother lying on the floor and they crying. Also my parent’s friends will come visited us and giving us advice. We have to keep my brother at home for three days before the funeral. Couple churches will come and we devotion. So people will bring flowers and we will bring it to funeral time, also my mother brought the flowers too. I remembered I was sitting in the kitchen while the devotion and my father aunt came over to my house. She lived away from us, she have to drive for couple hours to get to my house, and she came with a young man so she doesn’t have to drive. And I saw she was coming towards me and she was crying very hard. The next morning, it was my brother funeral and It was also my first day of school. It was not really my first day of school, but i have to go to school and looking for I class and we also clean the classrooms too. If I didn’t go to school, I worried that I might get into trouble because that school have more rules and it a better school, they teach more subjects than other school does. So I went to my school instead going to my brother funeral. I went to school early, when I went to school my family didn’t go to my brother funeral yet. I was cleaning my classroom very fast because I hope I will be there in my brother funeral. Once I was done cleaning school, I ran down very fast down the hill to my brother funeral, when I got downed on the hill I saw people coming back to my brother funeral. “The funeral is already done?” I asked one of my neighbor “Yes, it already done, where was you “ he asked? I was feeling bad that I didn’t get to said goodbye to my brother. I came home very sad and very tired. After couple weeks we have a CD playing of my brother funeral. I watch it with my family and cousins, so I guess I saying goodbye to my brother in the video. I was feeling kind of guilty about not saying goodbye to my brother, I feeling I didn’t give my time to him. Me and my brother we have good relationships, my brother like me more than my sister. And I feeling like i am left over person who not giving the time to her brother who was died and I guess everyone in my family got to said good bye except me. I learned that we should be happy those who are happy because that can build strong relationships and we will feeling like as a community we are family. And we should be sad with those who are sad because we need to care for each other and we have to worry about each

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other too, to show that we are part of them. If we not willing be sad with them then they will not be sad with us, they won’t care about us. “Be happy with those who are happy, be sad with those who are sad”

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THE LOSS OF MY LIFE Written by T.W.N.

Part 1

y entire life changed in those two horrible seconds,

My name was Ryotaro Nagomi until I got adopted and I changed my name to T.W.N. Here is my story. My dad was japanese and my mom was from the Shain people from Burma. She loved her villages, so my dad had to stay there to marry her. My mom always got a snacks for me and my dad always sing for me at night and my mom will always tell me this sad turtle stories every night and I never get bored with it. One day people were talking about soldiers attacking my village but my mom still didn’t wanna leave her place. My parents were arguing but my mom didn’t want to leave still. My dad’s best friend was eating with me. He told me not to listen to them, but when he said, “Don’t listen,” I wanted to listen even more. I was talking to my brother about my mom and dad, but he didn’t seem to care about it either. The next morning my dad was sweating and looked so worried. I was so confused and sleepy. I remember he carried me and woke my brother up. My dad was talking to my brother about protecting me or something. I wasn’t fully awake until I started hearing gunfire. I was sleepy and my dad pushed me and my brother into the closet. We were hiding in the closet and I was so scared, nervous, worried all at the same time - this one feeling that is really hard to describe. When I was in the closet, I heard my mom and dad screaming. Some guys started cursing at my mom and dad and I heard gunfire and

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laughter, then I heard nothing. One of them finally said, “Let’s go. We don’t have time over here, you son of b****” And then, they left. I heard footsteps after they left. It was a sound like running. It was my dad’s friend and he opened the closet really fast and hard. He carried me and said, “Let’s go. We don’t have time.” He tried to cover my eyes while we running out but I saw my mom and dad with a bloody pool close to the table. I couldn’t say or do anything until we arrived at a river. I was so scared and I really thought I was going to die, too. My brother was really mad and he wanted to go back and take revenge. But that was when my dad’s friend said, “Look at your brother. He needs you or he won’t survive and you won’t either.” My brother stopped a minute. He took a deep breath. “Hufff...” Then the anger from his face changed to a fake smile right away and he turned his face to me. He asked “Anata wa kufukudesu ka?” (‘Are you hungry?’ in Japanese). I replied, “Heii.” (‘Yes’ in Japanese).

Part 2 The next day I woke up. I started to felt sick because it was really cold and a lot of mosquitoes had been biting me all night long while I was sleeping. I didn’t have a blanket but I cuddled my dad’s friend and my brother. It was terrible and while we are walking to the city, my dad’s friend found a beehive. He said it was our lucky day, but I was scared. He took me and my brother to the place far enough from the bee house and he said, ‘Stay here until I come back!” Then he ran off, and we waited. There was a lot of mosquitos around there and my brother tried to make a fire. He made it for the first time and we both laughed. We stayed close to the fire, but my brother said that we needed more wood to burn. He said he would be back, and then he ran off too. I was completely alone and scared, When I heard the grass moving I was really scared, of course it’s more scarier than a kid woke up in the mid night just to go use the bathroom, it was dark, bugs are making sounds and I was alone with a fire and there is some weird sounds. But I didn’t say or do anything, because sitting and waiting is all I could do, with a little hope... Uncle Kabuto eventually came to me with the beehive. He had used his shirt to put the beehive and he said, “Fireeee!! Good timing!” He used a stick and stabbed the beehive and then he put it in the fire. He

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scared me for a bit because of his face and his back. He had been stung by a lot of bees, I stared at him for at least a minute, and then I started to laugh. “Hahahaha!” I laughed until I choked and I still kept laughing. My brother came back and saw me laughing and then he looked at Kabuto’s face and he laughed too and Uncle Kabuto laughed with us.Uncle Kabuto had tried to make a fire and my brother cleaned the fish. I just waited. We ate the fish together and it tasted really good. We ate the beehive. I remember there was bee's eggs or smalls bees in. I remember it was little and white. I didn’t want to eat it but my brother and Uncle Kabuto were enjoying it and I was so hungry, so I just ate it. It was really sweet and delicious because I hadn’t eaten sweet stuff for a while.

Part 3 We continued walking and we found a really big truck. The side said (UNHCR) I believe. The truck stopped and there were some people who are injured on the truck. I was really tired and sick and I passed out. When I woke up, it was all dark. The truck was jumping. I thought I was dead because I couldn’t see anything, but then I was wondering if I was blind now. I didn’t want to say anything because I was scared. I just fell asleep. When I woke up, it was kind of morning and the truck was getting really hot. There is about 20 people in the back of the truck. I saw a couple of guys who had guns on their waist and they are pretty scary. Suddenly when they started talking to each other, I looked around and I saw my friend Ku Ku and her sister at the end of the seats. I tried to scream but I couldn’t scream, my throat was too dry without any water. I remember my lips were dry too.

Part 4 We rode in the truck for a long time and then we finally arrived in Bangkok. Soon I overheard my dad’s friend was on the phone with my grandma, I never met my grandma in reality before but I had seen her pictures and she always smiling and she lived in Yokohama, Japan and she owned a store. I remember falling asleep and waking up in an airplane. We arrived in Tokyo and then we rode a boat to Yokohama.

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That is when I met my grandma for the first time. She was so kind and always smiling. I barely saw my grandpa because he was always busy and his job was to travel a lot. One day he came back and asked me and my brother if we wanted go to Malaysia. Of course I wanna go because I was a little boy and I thought everyone wants to travel no matter what. I was in the Kuala Lumpur Airport for the first time and then we were in a hotel in Pudu, Pudu is the small city near Kuala Lumpur and it’s the most dangerous place in Malaysia because there are a lot of bad peoples and Malaysian police are scarier than a gangster. The next day we were walking on a small block to get some breakfast when 3 guys on two motorcycles tried to rob my grandpa. He didn’t want to give his backpack and so they choked him with a knife and they ran away. I tried to ask for help but nobody understood me. There was one guy who followed me and then he called an ambulance, but it was too late. We didn’t know where to go or what to do. We become homeless after 3 days because we didn’t have any money or food.

Part 5 Me and my brother started to steal food to survive. We lived in a mall close to Time Square and then I stole foods from there. There was a lot of punk kids who always bullied me and then I always had to run away. I hated it. I always stole foods at a Chinese restaurant. The food was delicious and easy to steal. We always stole from her and she always chasing me or my brother. It was the best childhood ever because we never worried about tomorrow or the next day - we just went with the flow. We learned to speak in Malay so fluently and my brother started to work at a restaurant but it’s paid so little. One day I was under the bright close to the mall The Mines. I heard some people were speaking Burmese. I could understand a little bit and then the man came to me and asked, “Where is your mom?” in Malay. Then I said, “I don’t have one.” Then he asked, “Are you hungry?” I was of course really hungry. I had been planning on stealing some food from a small store, but he offered me food so I didn’t have to steal it anymore. Then he asked who I lived with. “I live with my brother in a restaurant,” I said. His face looked

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kinda sad and he asked me if I wanted come with him. “Ask my brother,” I said. He asked my brother and we got adopted by them. I was 14 or 13 and we never had to steal again. One day with my adoptive mom and dad, we went shopping close to TIme Square. We went out to eat at the Chinese restaurant where I had always stolen food. The lady looked at me for a minute, and said, “Aww, it’s you, little boy.” I was so nervous, but I just smiled. “I missed you,” she said. I was so surprised. “When you guys always came and stole noodles from me, I was mad. But when you guys didn’t come anymore, I was wondering why.” That night, she gave our family free food. She was a nice and kind lady. I’ll never forget that kind lady. After they adopted me, my adventures didn’t stop. We still had many experiences, good and bad, before we finally made it to America. My first days in America were really difficult because I had to learn about a new culture. Because of all my life experiences, though, I am fast learner. It’s still difficult to fit in but my hope for everyone is that they could be happy with where they are, right now. Life is too short, and family is too important. There are always good things in bad situations, so always find the good things.

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THE STORY ABOUT ME Written by A.L.

was born in beautiful Thailand to two happy parents and raised by those two parents. I lost my mom when I was about two years old. I had lots of family members: I had a younger brother, A older brother and older sisters and little sister I lived at Thailand Tilled was 8 years old and I moved to U.S.A. When I first saw snow, it was the most beautiful thing ever because I’d never seen snow before and when I saw it, things looked so beautiful. When I first saw snow, my eyes was so white and looked at it. I just fell back to sleep . Things looked so different than in Thailand. In Thailand, we don’t have snow and Thailand was hot every DAY. When I saw snow, people were playing with it. i thought we were supposed to eat snow and when I first saw it,I was wondering why people were playing with it. Then I learned that we don’t eat snow - we play with snow and make snow balls. People said, “Snow is made for playing, not eating!” And I couldn’t believe it. I also wondered if snow in Minnesota is forever. My friends laughed and told me that summer would come. Throughout the years as time gone by when I was at Minnesota, things changed because I learned a new language. I was so happy to speak English because I learned a lot of things and known what to do when people telled me to do something. I was bullied by people when I was in 5th grade. I was not a happy kid like others. I had a bad childhood with bad childhood friends. I

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had good friends when I was in six grade and those friends helped me out a lot. I never knew that they would help me out like that but I was blessed. My friends helped me out with the bullying at school with other people that didn’t like me. I talked to the teachers if they could help me out with the bullying thing and they did help me out, but the bullying didn’t stop until I was in six grade. That was when I got into a fight with them and that’s when they stopped messing with me, because I shown them that I’m not a kid that gets bullied and doesn’t do anything about it. I stood up for myself but I still see people bullying, and I think, “Just see what they do to the person until they fight. Then I will go in and help out.” Bullying is a big thing for me because it hurts our feelings. What they say or what they do to us is not okay and I don’t like seeing people get bullied. When I was young, my dad got married to a new wife and she was my step-mom since I was little till now. She has always helped me out and she gets me the kind of things I want. My mom been yelling at me if I do something bad. My dad has always been there for me in my life. Sometimes I don’t see the smile on his face, though. I always want to see my dad smile at me because that will make me happy and will make me work hard at school. When I moved in with my stepmom things was little different because I didn’t get to see my big sister and my cousins. But then years go by, and I get to see everyone that I want. I am always so happy to hear from them because i miss them and I’ll always have them in my heart. My stepmom got me everything I wanted but then I had to listen to her and sometimes I got yelled for getting phones calls from school. Right now, she and my dad ask me things like, “Are you ever going to change your life or will you always be the same person?” I said I’ll change myself to become a good person and I’m still trying my best to become a good kid for my parents. These days, my parents are always sad and never look happy because what I have done and what I did not do. They never smile when I’m around them. I see my mom and my dad smile at me but now they don’t smile because I got into a fight. They said just work hard in school and don’t ever get into a fight with other people. My dad was especially sad and I was trying to make him smile but I couldn’t. So now I have to try my best to do good in school. Working hard at school and never let my parents be sad again.

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FIRST TIME CAMPING Written by S.D.P.

was surprised seeing a big turtle, It was eating something big and scary. I was the only witness and I was at a bridge fishing for big Catfish. The Turtle didn’t move at all when it see me eating chips and fishing at the bridge. That was the first day of my interesting, scary camping trip. My first time camping was so fun, but it was during spring and it was so cold at night, and that’s the thing I don’t like. my family drove at Wisconsin and they were stuck at traffic. Once we arrived at the camping place we all go to sleep because it was a long traffic road. Me and my cousin were walking around the campus because we wanna explore and then we started fire to make foods. There were so many frustrating things happen. At night it was cold and I wanted to use bathroom but I too scare to walk to the bathroom waking up in the middle of the forest was fun, but it was cold, at afternoon. The weather was so hot, we decided to go swim at the River, The river water was so warm and there were a lot of people’s. People be taking pictures all the times. I was breathing hard because it was like a five miles to walk up these stairs and while carrying backpack and stuff. By the time I get up there the views were so beautiful. My family and I went back to camp to eat . We brought rice, chicken, hotdog, chips, pork, and some Pepsi drinks. My cousin went fishing and caught big CatFish at the lake. He told me the lake was dry and muddy, and I decided to go fishing and I caught nothing but I saw a bug turtle eating little fishes. After that great day me and my cousin started fire and fry some Marshmallow. It tastes

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nasty to me because it was burnt. I realized that the camping place as scary because the bathroom places where all like the horror movies. My cousin told me that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be scare because your heart is just playing with you. I was like okay and then he Yell! outta nowhere. I was scare and surprise. My dad went fishing and I wanted go with him but he say no because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ghost. Until then I never talk to him my cousin always tells me that people who laugh at their own mistakes will get everyone else to laugh along with them. That say I learned that he is right. We are ready to go home and ready to eat. I could hear the rumbling of my very disappointed stomach then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one last piece of chicken thigh. I got so excited to go home and it was a good morning for me. Because I was the first one to get to eat chicken in the morning. It was along road and stuck at the traffic again. Camping was an amazing experience that taught me an important lesson. Next time I go camping, I will remember to bring my pillow and my shorts so I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be cold.

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FINDING HAPPINESS IN LIFE Written by T.M.H.

“A

re you okay?” I heard my coach say. “Um, I think I feel fine coach,” I said in response. But I was lying. But he didn’t let me continue playing the match.

After I got home I started to feel pain in my stomach. I was talking to my mom about the pain and then the pain didn't stop and it continued. She felt bad and took me to the hospital. The doctor did a lot of testing one me but they couldn't find the pain. My mom was like “can u tell the doctor that is their medicine that can make your pain go away”. Then I talked to one of the doctor and he said “There's medicine that you could take, but it won't last long”. I told my mom about it, the doctor told me I should do surgery instead of taking the medicine because the medicine wouldn't lasted long and I would die if I doesn’t do the surgery. I told my mom and she started to cry because she was scared of surgery. She told me “A lot of people dies doing surgery”. My grandpa died during surgery and she worried that she might lose me too. But I told her “If i don't do the surgery i will die” then she start to cry more. Then i went into the surgery and my was praying for me, when i got out of the surgery room I had to stay in the hospital for a week. I felt sad about it because I made a lot of friends and none of them wouldn't came to visit me. Then I told my mom

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“Mom why don't my friends come visit me” then she told me “It okay and you will get better soon so don't worry about anything”. When I got out of the hospital I couldn't do anything and I was depressed. I had to be in my room everyday and sometime I would get mad at myself. After I got a little better I log into my computer because I didn't have anything else to do. I remembered a game in the computer called “League Of Legends” that my friends played online, so I started to played it. I saw that none of my friends would came visited me. Before that I didn't like playing that game it was boring for me because I was outgoing person. When I started playing rank I felt stuck because it was hard and a lot of things were going on around me like family problems. But then I kept playing rank after my cousin visited and went back to his country. I learned a lot from him and I was happy. Also rank when you are in different level and if you play rank you will face strong challenges. All my sadness went away, but I became a indoor person. Now I am different and I face new things in life and gaming is different it helps me when I am depressed. There is still sadness in me and I will never forget what I have been through because it hard to come back where you feel happy. I will be ready for it when friends and families are going through these hard times so I can help them. But I hope I never went through this again and I hope my friends won’t go through this feeling.

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LOSING MY GRANDMA Written by I.C.

hen I was little I had the world’s best friend ever and she was my grandma. My grandma is the best person I ever met. She was always the one who took me shopping and took me out to eat. My grandma was always that type of person. When I had a problem she know what to say without judging me. She always taught me to do the right thing even if it hurt. She always said. “If you ever see a Butterfly, think of me.” She always said that when I was little because she wanted me to feel safe and because butterflies were our favorite, We always like the yellow ones. My grandma always took me to this one park by the lake and we always seen so many butterflies and we hold hand and we ran. When we were running all you can smell is the beautiful flowers. My grandma always put a really big smile on my face. When it was May 4, I went to the mall to go shopping for my sister because her birthday was on May 5. I was 14 years old and when I finished shopping, I went home and fell asleep. around 1 am I got a phone call but I didn't answer. I was way too tired to do anything. Around 3 am, I got another phone call and I finally answered. At that moment, I heard my sister say, “I don't think grandma is gonna have enough time to live.” When I heard those words, I have never cried so hard in my life. When I was on my way to the hospital, my sister said the doctors were supposed to save her life but they didn't check her chart and gave her a medicine that she was allergic too. When I heard those I was imagining what type of awful things I can say to the doctors but at that point I knew I was so mad and thought like there no point for me to do anything if it wasn’t gonna change anything. When we got to the

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hospital, I had to sign in and they told us where the room was at. When I started walking to the room where she was at, I opened the room. It just hurt so much seeing her laying down on the bed. When the doctors came back to the room, they told us they couldn't do anything else to help her and that they had to turn off the machines. Before they disconnected everything I was holding her hand and she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will always be here for you and I'll always watch over you, just remember, everytime you see a butterfly, think of me.â&#x20AC;? When she said that, I burst out crying. She haven't said that since I was 6 and right after she said that, they turned off the machine and all I heard was the beeping sound. I will never forget those moments I had with my grandma. If I had another chance to see her again, I would. I would give her a huge hug and tell her that I love her so much and that I will never forget about her and everything she did for me. I would never forget what a big smile she always put on my face.

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CAMPING WITH YOUTH Written by T.D.

“H

ey, hurry up!” my brother said to me as he went downstairs to go get his car keys to get ready for church. When I was downstairs my mom said that your brother was already in the car waiting for you. When I went to his car, he asked me why I was late. I didn’t say anything, so we just went to church. It was a beautiful sunny day when I was going to practice singing a song for Sunday with my brother. When we were done practice singing a song, our leader asked all of us youth to stay and discuss whether we are going to a camp or not. The camp was really far it and it was between Minnesota and Wisconsin. It was a camp where we took a place to visit for 1 week and do our thing as a youth like pray and practice our youth song. Everyone from youth agreed to go to the camp to learn more about the Bible. The next day as we got there at church and my leader hand each of us a t-shirt. The next day, as I started to pack up my stuff that I will bring to the camp and then, my brother drove to pick up people that were going. Then he came back to pick me up at the end. Later that day as we got to the camp, my leader announced that we will have to build a tent. When we were done building our tent, he told us to go and get the food and our stuff that we brought and bring it down to where we are. After that we did our thing like having fun with friend and talking about how these day will go. Then it was night time, we got ready for bed and also we all gathered up in a circle to say Bible

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verses if we wanted to. Than we ate and we went back to our tent to sleep so we wouldn’t get tired in the morning for another beautiful day. The next day we did our routine. And then we had free time so we played on our phones and some of us were playing volleyball, soccer and sleeping. We had a lot of fun because they gives us free time. We talked about random things because we were bored and also we walked around to see what other people were doing because that was the only time we had. Then we talked about going swimming because there was not a good shower place. So we asked our leader if we could go to swim somewhere at the beach maybe in Wisconsin. Our leader say that he will go and check if they have a good place for us to swim he will let us know if there is a place we can swim. And at the end our leader said that we could go swim in the Wisconsin beach because it was close to our camp. When we got there to the beach, some people were arguing because the water was short and it was not long and big place for some of us to swim, but at the end everyone appreciated and was just having fun with there friends. When we were done swimming, everyone want to go back to the camp because some people were tired of swimming. When we got back to the camp, people from church brought us food to eat since we were tired and hungry at the same time. We were getting the food that people bought for us and when we were done eating, we take a break for 20 minutes. Then we followed the directions as people tell us to and sat down to talk about God and Bible verses. After, that it was night time so we drank hot chocolate milk and ate cookies with it. Then we were done eating and we separated our way and, said goodnight to everyone and went into our tent with our group of 4. Our leader reminded us that it was going to rain in the morning. As he went to tell each group independently. The next day early in the morning, some people woke up another group and all together everyone woke up and gathering to say where they will be staying because of the rain is getting bigger. Some of us ran into the car, and some ran into a place where it was not wet. It was a place where you could sleep but it was cold. As for us when we got there at the place where they tell our group to stay but we didn’t see anyone there so we thought they had run back to there’s tent to sleep, but that is not what happened. They were all in the car without telling us, so my other 3 roommates got mad. After that, we waited until the rain stopped and went to go get our stuff that are still in the tent and pack up and we bring it to the van to

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take our stuff to church. We praying on our way back to church because we did not want to cause any trouble on the way home. When we got there to the church we ate, talk and hanging out with our friends. After that, we played many games with other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s . We had so much fun after playing many games and we were tired and sleepy from doing many things on that raining day. But as soon as I got home I become really sad because I missed my camping experience. I will never forget my experience at camp because it was my first time camping with my youth. The things that we did together I will never forget. I will always keep it in my heart, because they are important to me. They taught me about the Bible so I will know about it in the future. It is also exciting for me because now that I know how to say some of the verveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s I would like to teach other people about the Bible verse. When I was there we did many things and we participated in many games because the people that were there telling us how to cooperate together as a teammates and leader. This would be the best camping for me but then I was scared of some of the small spiders and other kind of little animal there. These thing that I am experience at that camp with the youth are the perfect moments of my life.

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MY STORY IN AMERICA Written by E.Y.

hen I first came to America I didn’t know English and I didn’t have any friends until I went to school. First I was in 5th grade and didn’t know any Karen or any other people in my school. I was lonely at that time and a week or two later I met one of my first Friends in Arizona. Later on, he moved to a new school, and I was left all alone. I didn’t miss him at that time. I didn't want to bother anyone that are in my classes because I lost my first friend in America. It was in Arizona 2 or 3 weeks later that I started talking to my classmates. I felt myself again. I didn't really care if they want to be my friends or no because I know That I don’t want them as a friends. Well they became my best friends later on. It won’t feel anything better than before, I never thought of having another best friends. It was so soon after that I moved to Minnesota a year later. It was in 2013. I didn’t expect that there were a lot of Karen kids in Minnesota. I guess that is where I met a lot more people. The people here in Minnesota are way better than Arizona but Minnesota weather is bad. It is so cold. Arizona weather is way better even Though if a is winter the snow does not come in the cities. When I was in Minnesota, I didn't know that I could have more than one friend, and I got like 10 friends that were really close to me. But when 2015 came everyone started to move more and more. They were gone for a long time and I only have one left of my closest friends, L.D.

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He is a awesome dude that I'll always have fun with. With all those pain I have gone through, he was the one who were there when no one else was. I have another best friend. His name is P.D. He were really close to me too but Sometimes I might just hang out with him and sometimes we were both are in pain for no reason but we will always be friends whenever we need things from each other. I really wish I could have the good old days back from the past few year with all my friends who lived in Minnesota not in Arizona. I was really young when I came to the USA and now I'm all grown up and acting like a kid like I always have. I been in St. Paul since the day I come to Minnesota. I never lived in Roseville but I go1school there because all my friends are there. I hope one day we will meet again and remember the old memories. It was always fun with them. I hope they come to my graduation. All of them should come.

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FROM THAILAND TO AMERICA Written by P.D.

he day before we went to America, we woke up early in the morning, we cooked and we were loud, and before we went on the bus we pick up the bag that we need it for the trip to be prepare. And while we walked to the bus our family’s and friends were also walking with us to our bus stop. While we walked we were chatting about how my new life going to be in America if I am there. When I get on the bus, I picked the last seat on the bus and near the windows so I can see them. I was scared because I was thinking “what if I don’t get to see them ever again” when I left my country I was seven years old, I really don’t want left my family’s and friends, but my parent decided to and they wanted to come because they wanted me and my sister to have a better life and better education and healthy food in America. Family’s and friends that were left in Thailand were seem sad because they also worried they won’t ever see us again but obviously they won’t get to see us for a long time. We get on a big blue bus with many people on it and other were staring down in the windows, looking at their family’s and friends and waving goodbye. While I was on the bus I was hoping to see my grandma and grandpa again someday. When the bus started to move we were feeling very sad and not just us other as well and some people cried. We rode the bus for a long time to get to the resting place where people rested and used the restrooms and buy some foods because after

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that we have another bus to ride on another bus is probably longer than the First bus, while we resting i have to watch out for out for my two little sister because there’s a lot of people and it was very crowded and i didn’t want them to get lost, After that we get on the new bus after we rested, and the bus was more comfortable than the last bus to. The bus have a comfortable seat and a bathroom inside it, so we don't need to stop for another break and go right to hotel. Inside the hotel it was beautiful than ever, it has a door handle where i have never touched it or feel it, it was shining like a gold, and it has a big white bed. When i sit on it, it feel very soft and very comfortable and it also feel bouncing, so me and my sister jumped on it because we have never been on a bed or sit on it before, and also inside the hotel it has a small refrigerator, when my mom open it, i felt cold and it was clean inside it. Inside the refrigerator there were five coke, when i drink one of them, i felt good and also tasted good. We slept there overnight and after that a guy with hat driving a yellow car with “taxi” on the top of the car, he took us to the to the airport, before we went on a airplane my mom took out something to show them so they will allowed us to get in the airplane, we went in the airplane with a lot of white people with long nose and yellow hair, we rode on a plane for half an hour to get to japan and we get on another plane to get to Chicago and about half an hour to Minnesota. My first day of Minnesota it was cold, it was during November, my cousin picked us up at a airport and we sleep over there a night. When i woke up early in the morning, i went to the window i looked outside and see a white thing looked like a white salt, couple days later my family move to an apartment, after we move there a week later my mom sign me up for school, i was nervous even though i'm nervous i couldn't do nothing about it, but i try to tell my mom that i didn't want to go to school because i was scared my mom reply me back she said “son we came here because i want you to have have an good life and good education” even though i was nervous i have to anyway. My first day of school it was snowing and cold so i wear a jacket and a snow pant. i went a yellow bus the bus took me to school, people were looking at me and laughing at me i didn't really know why but i ask a guy name Bah he was Karen. “Do you know why these people laughing at me for?” i ask him “Its is because your wearing a girl jacket and a snow pant” he told me

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Soon my life was getting pretty good living in the U.S because a white family helped us to get free clothes and EBT and y life has been good so far. I made friends but they were not white, there were Karen just like me. I enjoyed going to his house and play PS2 grand theft auto, i went to his house everyday after school but i was still focus on the future to see my friends and families. I wish they to have good life and not pass away before i get there, and i was hoping that i can send them some money, but right now i don't work even though my parent work i couldn't send them money because we need to pay a lot of bills.

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MY LAST DAY IN VENEZUELA Written by R.P.

hat do you think about your life? Are you happy with your life?

I remember when all this started, that travel in 2015 that change

my life I’m going to write about my last day in Venezuela, but before that I have to talk about why I move here, in 2015 me and my family come here to Minnesota because we were going to visit my aunt, my parents love this place since the first time that they saw it, so they decided move here, and I was so excited to move here because in that moment I don’t have nothing or no one in Venezuela, but in 2016 I started to make better friends, that year I meet the girl that today is my best friend Fabiana, and also I meet Valentina my girlfriend. Also that year I meet local and real friends, It’s a funny think that I pass all my life with the wrong people in the wrong places, but at the moment that I have to move here I make real friends, I meet this incredible girl and after that I have to leave that to come here . Now how do you feel if someone say to you that you have to leave all your life and restart in a new place? But I’m not going to talk about how I pass all my life with the wrong people, so I’m going to the point now.

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My last day in Venezuela was a Friday, the night before I couldn’t sleep much because I stay thinking, I wake up in a friends house, I have to stay there because the night before some problems happened in the city so I have to stay in that house, I wake up really early at 6:00 AM and that moment feel weird because I was the first person that was awake in that house, The time pass and my dad go to pick me up, I go to buy the breakfast with my dad in a little place close to our house( in my city all is close to all). When I was already in my house there was my mom, my sister, and Chela (the women who took care of me since I born. I remember that I think in how long I know Chela and how I don’t know when I’m gonna see her again, in that moment I feel something, I feel sadness because my life it was changing. In that moment I almost exploded, I was so angry in that moment that I decided take a nap( also I was exhausted) when I wake up I ate my last lunch in Venezuela with my family, but all people in my house was sad, we were all leaving our lives. Later that day I went to the country club( in Venezuela we have clubs for families and we go allot to that clubs), my friends Winston, Zuzu, William, Mora, Abreu, and DaSilva went that day too (something that you have to know is that in my town is normal call the people by his last name or nickname), also my girlfriend went that day (that’s weird because she almost never go to that club), that day was amazing I pass all the time with my girlfriend say to me “In 10 minutes I have to go” in that moment I feel like my world it was falling, I remember that last conversation perfectly. I remember that I was looking to her eyes, they were big and brown eyes they were so perfect, we were talking about how this is gonna be, she there and me here, she almost started to cry I try to stopped that because I can't see someone that I care crying, I hug her so hard, I remember how fast it was my heart in that moment, I just could think on how much time is going to pass Before see this incredible girls again, I remember how beautiful she was that day, when her mom come I walk with her but we stopped and that moment almost Kill me, that last hug, that last kiss, that last look almost Killed me. When I leave her in the car I say hi to her mom and after talking with mom for a moment, I say to my girlfriend “You’re wrong if you think that you’re going to get rid of me” She laugh, after that we said goodbye and I went back to the club with my friends.

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When I was inside I talk to my friends and in a moment Zuzu say something to me that I never forget “This thing that you are doing in one point all people have to do it”. All that happened that day makes me feel angry, know that most of my friends are there and I can’t be with them makes me feel angry. And here I am counting the days to be able to return with my people, living something that I don’t wanna live that is something that kills me every time, most of the time I try to be happy but sometimes I can’t, feel that your love is in another place is the worst thing for a person.

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FRIEND Written by D.D.

was upset and disappointed.

In 2013, At 4-5pm, we played in the beach. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable like will have something going on to him so I told him go home early, but he didn't listen. I will never forget the result. He swam at the beach and drowned. He was dead. *** On of the day of weekend, my class invited him to go to play soccer at the beach, I went with him to the beach and met my class in there. We won in the soccer game, and they wanted to say" thank you" to him because he invited us to go to the food store and eat. He said to the other people, go first and leave him alone. He included me. I agree with him go with my class let him stay there. He said "I want to swim little bit and I will come there, don’t worry." I was nervous I said," you should to go home early don't swim." I tried to explain for him this is a dangerous I don't want he go but he said "It's ok, just 10 minutes, I will be fine don't worry." He smiled and said: “I will wait you there. Don't take too long. When you are done call for me. Let's me know you are still good"- My voice weakened. My class and I waited for him 2 hours but he didn't come. I tried to call him over 20 times but he didn't answer. I was scared, I called for his mom but his mom answered, "No, he hasn't come home. I am still waiting for him. Are he going with you?" his mom’s worried said. I

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thought something happened with him, and I need to go back to the beach to find him. Then, we went back to the beach and this place was really noisy and chaotic. I asked someone in there and they said," one boy dead, they tried to connect with his parents ". I passed a lot people to go to the human circles. I saw him but he was dead. I was crying and I called his mom, my friends. After that, my friends came and they were not believe the happen is real. Some girl in my class is cry and scared, the boys follow to the people bring him to the ambulance. When they bring him went away, strangers were dissolution, but still there sat down in the sand. I cried and cried just think back the memories between him and me. When he and me childhood, when he protect me out of the people bullying me,... My friends were quiet sat next to me, i said with them: “they just go home, i be there short time and i will go home soon. I want to be alone.” they went one by one they said:” don’t be think is stupid.” In the end, his mom bring him go to the morgue to leave him there to prepare a funeral for him. We came to help his parents do it. I saw his mom’s tears to show: she lost her son, her big love, her future she put on him. He was one thing she supports and hopes for. I could not keep my tears and thought" why didn't I stay with him, why didn't go with him just 10 minutes, only 10 minutes.” If only I turn back time to save my friend I will do that but in the life doesn't have word:”if only”. This was a real thing I need to accept i couldn't change it. I said with his mom, “He was dead but you continued live because not only for you still live for him, in the Heaven, he didn't want see you sad, haggard. You were a beautiful woman for him forever. Don't give up.” She said in her tears: “I will be fine, thank you for your help.” After that, she walked away to talk with her cousin who came to visit him one last time. I am no longer with him. I just want to say: Goodbye my best friend. You are more than friend, you are my family, you are like my brother. You will in my heart forever. R.I.P.

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THE CHANGES IN MY LIFE Written by P.V.

t was 2014 at 6 or 7 pm at my house it was just me, my mom, and her friend we were eating i ask her why my dad and her divorces, she say that when i was a baby still a couple month old it was dark, i was crying so much i don’t know why my dad and his parent lock her outside all night . My mom say that when she was outside her friend came to visit her and stay with her outside it was still dark her friend was kind enough to stay with her until morning but they saw something dark like a person moving they get scared, her friend have to go so she left and went home my mom was so scared that she have to go to my grandpa parent house to stay there until morning. It was about 6 am when she came back home, i was crying when she told me that i feel really bad for her, she also say that my dad would go hang out with his friend until morning and come home drunk he would also hang out with some other girl and cheat on my mom my mom also say that he would take all of our money to buys drink and use the money for bad stuff he would sometime come home and yell at my mom and hit her a lot ,a couple day later she say “ enough is enough “ so my mom packs all of our stuff and left him and went to stay with my grandma. We only stay with them for a couple of month , it was still 2003 September when my and my mom left thailand came to America we went to California to stay with some of my relative until 2003 was over.

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It was 2004 when my grandma they came to America St. Paul, the police send me and my mom to live with her my grandma since then i been living with my grandma she always take care of me when my mom go to work , my mom always work until 3 am in the morning. When i was old enough to go to school i want to a elementary call phalen lake elementary i only stay there until i was in fourth grade, my mom say I’m moving school i was sad but i have to move i went to a Hmong school call Hmong college prep academy (HCPA) i was scare on my first day but lucky for me, when i get there i have to take a test on the first day and second day, on the third day i have to to my classroom and meet everybody. I start to make a lot of friend i stay there for four year when my mom said i have to move school again because i live in maple wood now i use to live in st.paul we use to move three time in st.paul my grandma want a house with four or three room and two bathroom because of my grandpa he old and we have only one bathroom and we take to long, if my grandpa have to pee or poop he can’t hold it he might Pee or poop right where he is like standing or sitting down on a sofa or chair. When I was in third grade my grandma we move again to a four room house And two bathroom it was kind of close to the old house and it close to my mom and our house. Me and my mom we use to have our own house but we give it to my Auntie and her family, my grandma we stay there for about 3 year. My grandma want to move, my auntie and my uncle they keep on visiting house that on sale and some house that close to our church. My grandma they finally found a house that close to our church with a good prize, they decided to buy it so we have to pack up and move i was so exciting to move to a new house, i was in 7th grade in Hmong college prep academy (HCPA) but i have to move to Roseville Area Middle School (RAMS) when I’m in 8th grade. I have finish 8th grade and it was summer vacation, over the summer we did my birthday and did a lot of party for fun like always and it was July 4th we went to July 4th where a lot of people go there to see people play game or watch people do talent show and model or just go there to have fun it was maybe July or August when I was invited to go camping with my cousin Girl Scout it was fun we went swimming and did a camp fire we only stay there for three day on the last day me and my cousin we were walking to our cabin and we decided to take a shortcut the shortcut has a lot of tree root popping out and a lot of rock. Me and my cousin we were walking and I start to walk faster and she

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start to walk faster after me, then I ran and she ran after me and I trip and twisted my left ankle it hurt so bad that I yelled a bad word a lot loud , my cousin didn’t even help me she just stand there and laugh at me and i laugh after her it was kind of funny I guess but we just keep on laughing when we get to the cabin there was couple of stair so I have to hop to get to the door we went in, me and my cousin we're still laughing, my cousin took off her shoe and went to my other cousin bed and wake her up. I can’t even take my shoe off because of my ankle but I finally took it off, my leader saw I was hopping to my cousin, she ask if was okay I say “ I just twisted my ankle “ , she say she will ask the nurse to give me a ice pack and look at me ankle. It was time for breakfast my cousin and one other girl they went to prepare breakfast for us, we get all ready and went to the cafeteria to get breakfast, my cousin have to hold me all the way to the cafeteria. When we finish eating I was left alone at the cafeteria with the staffs then the nurse came and look at my ankle and put ice pack on it , she helped me get up and take me outside. I sat on a bench while waiting for my cousin to get their stuff and my stuff , the nurse say that she will drive me to the bus, the bus is kinda far from the cafeteria, when we get to the bus I have to sit by myself while listening to music and waiting for the other people to get on the bus and get their stuff on the bus. All of the people and stuff were on the bus and it was time to go, it was a long drive we have to drop off other Girl Scout off first our was the last stop, I can’t even move my leg I have to hop down the stair bus one bye one , we all get our stuff we say bye to the other Scout member and went to my mom car, My cousin have to carry me while my mom carry my stuff , my other was already in the car waiting for us with my grandma. We have to drop off my cousin and drop off my grandma at a funeral, and then me and my mom we went home she say we will go to the doctor to see if I break my leg or sprain it. The next day we went to the doctor they say it was a sprain so it was okay but I’m not allowed to wear sandal which was sad, after a couple of day my leg heal, i was so happy to walk again. The summer was about to end and I was starting high school a freshman I was so scary but the first day of school was okay, in my English class we have to write a story about our personal narrator and I choose to write a part of my story life, this story is important because it have a meaning to it, an important meaning.

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A HORRIFIC SUMMER Written by V.P.

ow could a person hate someone as much as I hate my father? My father has a habit of leaving his kids behind with a hope that someone else will randomly just take his place. My father has 6 kids in total with several different women, he doesn’t even know one of his kids, he forbid three of his kids from seeing him because he hit their mother and there was a restraining order against him. And he has one kid with his current girlfriend who isn’t much of a delight either. Here’s what happened with me. In June 2017 I had recently just moved back with my dad when he got out of jail. The only difference this time is that we had two new additions to the family: his girlfriend Ana and their baby Hectorcito. The relationship I had with Ana was good at first. When my father was in jail we would always talk about the fun things we would look forward to. I really got along with anaAna when’s no one else was giving her a chance to be apart of the family. I gave her the chance to be my new mother figure and I was really excited about that. But once my father got out of jail she became very different t . This woman would tell my father lies about me. “She did this to me!” “She did that to me!” ”She didn’t do this!” “She didn’t do that!” She took every opportunity she could to make me look bad. My father has a habit of preferring his women over his kids. No matter how bad she’d treat me, as long as she was happy my father didn’t care. I only lasted 2 months with my dad thanks to her. One day I refused to listen to her because she's not my mother, so she told my father I attacked her. And she ended up calling the cops

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because she’s pregnant and she thought if she told them that I got her that they’d take me. And that's exactly what they did. My dad knew the truth, but because me leaving made her happy, he went along with it. I was put into a crisis center for people with mental problems and criminals. I cried every night wishing to go home. After 2 weeks or so I was finally discharged from that hell. My dad only picked me up to take me somewhere else. His girlfriend didn’t want me back there ever again. Therefore my dad didn’t want me because me being gone was what made her happy. I love my dad but it’s the decisions he makes that make me hate him. When I was younger my dad would always tell me he would be here for me and now at my hardest moments, he’s nowhere to be found. My dad isn’t in my life anymore, and I’d like to keep it that way. I'm happier than ever. My life's brand new and all I can remember about him is that happiness is only temporary.

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THE DAY I LEFT NEPAL Written by S.G.

t was winter time and I had never seen snow before so that was fun. When my parents first heard that I had to leave Nepal I was not very happy with them, and I ended up fighting with them all day. I remember saying “ I don’t want to go to another place I have all my friends here in Nepal” and my mother saying “ You don’t have to worry all your friends will eventually leave Nepal as well and you will get to meet your friends again”. But at the time I didn’t pay attention to what she was saying so I was still mad at them. After a few days my father was angry at me for acting so childish about this matter, So he decided to teach me a few thing his way. (By the way his way was hitting me for anyone who didn’t figure that out). It was the day before I had to leave Nepal and I decided to have fun with my friends one last time before I left. I called all my friends to my house and we decided to a little drunk. After that we got hungry and went to get some food to eat, And after a while everyone just fell asleep. My sister was also spending time with her friends and having some fun them self, But there was one guy who she spent a lot of time his name Moni Raj. They were dating at the time and they both were pretty sad about leaving each other. Moni Raj promised my sister they would meet again and they did in US (now they have been together for 8 years in 2017).

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The big day had arrived and me and my family were at the bus station getting ready to leave. I clearly remember seeing so many other family saying goodbye to friends and relative. I had seen many people leave Nepal before and when THEY cried I always thought “what’s the big deal why are they crying” But now it was my turn and I thought to myself I would not cry and I didn’t for the most part. The buses started to leave and at that moment I don’t know why but I started to cry and I remember my sister saying “ Don’t worry we’ll come back once we’re older”. We had arrived at an airport after a few hours on the bus, and this was my first time seeing an airplane so close. We flew to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, and we stayed there for a few weeks. While staying I had made some new friends and I was having a pretty good time, but at night I would cry almost every time so either my sister or my mother looked after at night. I also remember thinking “ I’ll just come to Nepal once I’m a little older ” to make myself feel a little better. After a few weeks we flew again to New York and we stayed there for 1 day, but I will never forget the view I first had of New York. There was all this tall buildings and things you never see in Nepal. At that moment I really felt like I had left Nepal for good and that was sad, but I was so busy looking out the window I didn’t even notice I was still crying. Finally we had arrived at Minnesota and it was winter at the time and I had never seen snow before so that was really fun. After we arrived here in Minnesota we stayed at our other family house until we moved to our own house. After a few months had gone by I had grown to like this place and I slowly started to forget about Nepal. I have grown to like Minnesota and have made some new good friends, and my parents had also started to like this place. I want to go back to Nepal some day, so I hope I will one day return to Nepal my home.

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CHRISTMAS OF 2012 Written by C.H.

t’s Christmas in 2012 It’s the favorite time of the year for my family where everybody come to my aunt's house and eats and celebrate not just a religious holiday but a day where our whole side of my family gets together. This year it was a bit different though. The adults wanted all of the family to do secret Santa this year. It was something different for me I haven’t done something like this in my life so my mother told me how it works and how she did it as a child with her family. So days before Christmas we all chose a paper that was inside a hat And on that paper was a name and we had to get a gift for them. I got one of cousins who I didn’t know much about since I never really talked to him. He was a quiet kid he wasn’t like my other cousins that loved to talk and hang out with the rest of my cousins. He would usually spend his time on his phone and just avoid talking to anyone. So getting something for him was hard because I didn’t know what he liked on what he didn’t like. My parents told me that wanted me to choose the present instead of me so I would get to know my cousin more. So I was honestly kind of scared because I didn’t want to ruin it by telling him what he likes because or else he would know I was his secret Santa and my cousins didn’t know what he like much or then to just be on his phone. So when I was at the store to get something for him I was really scared to decide but since he was a boy I just thought of myself. I thought he would like some of the same things I liked because we were both the same gender. And at that moment I thought about basketball I knew every boy likes sports and getting him a basketball would just

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bring us closer as cousins. So I went to the front counter and bought him a basketball. When Christmas came I was just eating all I could because I used to love to eat a lot. But at the same time I would just look at my cousin hoping he would like the present I got him. A couple minutes after we were all done eating we would just all go to the living room and the adults would talk about how they been or rumors they would hear and tell the whole family. While all of my cousins would just play tag around the whole house or play hide and go seek. I would usually play with them but that year I didn’t mostly because I was nervous and at that moment I thought why not go talk with my cousin before I give him a present. I looked at what he was doing on his phone and asked him what he was doing he looked at me and said, “just playing a game”. I wanted to make myself seem cool to him so I told him “oh I played that game too and I’m good”. He laughed and said, “this game is difficult how would you be good if I’m not even that good”. I told him “it’s easy all you have to do is kill the other players”. He said, “ it’s more difficult than that you have to have a strategy”. At that moment I don’t know what to say because I for real never did play that game but I lied to make myself seem cool so I told him “ right” and then we just stopped talking but I kept looking at what he was doing since it actually seemed interesting and in my mind I thought oh no wonder he’s always on his phone and then at that moment I realized he has more games and I was like so surprised. A couple minutes after it was time to do the secret Santa. I was like the fourth one to do it and when I heard my name I was really nervous of what my cousin was going to think of me. But I got my present that I got him and gave it to him. He looked surprised and I was too after because after he opened it he actually looked happy and that got me happy and surprised he told me he actually liked basketball and that he is on the school team so it made it better for him. To have a back up basketball. A couple turns after it was his turn to give a present and I was surprised once again because he gave me a present to me and when I opened it I got happy because he knew I wanted a WWE action figure and he got me one and after that we got closer as we both started growing he started to teach me how to play basketball and wanted me to get better it’s now 2017 and we gotten closer since then and we now talk every time we see each other.

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WHEN I MOVED TO THE U.S. Written by K.B.

remember carrying wood through the forests of Nepal like it was yesterday. It was heavy and hard on my hands as a seven-year-old, walking past the graveyard at night was the scariest part “maybe there are ghost behind me!” I would think. The second scariest was the highway after graveyard. A lot of people got hit by cars there, so I was very scared of that. When I think about Nepal, I remember how hard it was there. I was born in a refugee camp in Nepal. Refugee camp is the place where every Nepali who got kicked from Bhutan live. In Refugee camp we didn’t had electricity because we was poor and I had to carry wood from forest. I woke up at 7 am in morning to go to school. School in Nepal are made by bamboo. It was cold in winter and hot in summer. People in refugee camp they don’t understand English. They all speak Nepali. They taught you 1 to 10th grade for free but you have to pay for college. My brother was the first one who finished school. He didn’t go to college. I had a two sister but they married away. One of my sister lived close to me and my other sister lived far away from my house. I mom but I don’t have dad he pass away since I was 1 year old. I was the youngest one in our family. There was no job in refugee camp so my brother went out of refugee camp for jobs. After 1 years he came back and he got married. After one month he went back to work. And my sister in-la helped my mom. And my brother came home from work and

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my brother had alcohol issue. He was drunk and fight with my mom. He keep arguing with my mom. He moved away from our house. My sister in-la and my brother lived in other home and me and. My mom lived in other home. So my. Mom had to work because I was young and I have to go to school. My mom worked at making buildings she said “it's hard i have to carry stone and other heavy things”. She can't work any more so she started working at fields. She grew food and vegetables at field. So when I came back from school I helped her working at field. I couldn't do my homework at home, no one helped my do my homework at home. In Nepal they opened international organizations migration. They helped refugees to go out of Nepal to other country to live there. They helped you go to place like Europe, Canada, U.S and Australia. They said, “ if you move to this country your children will have better future, they will have better jobs”. Lot of people in refugees camp started moving so my uncle move to Texas in United States. He told other “Come here it's better than Nepal” so my grandfather and grandma moved and all of my uncle and aunt family moved. They told us moved. And my mom told my brother about American. He agreed to moved to American. My brother said if we wanna move let's move to Minnesota but all of my family were in Texas. My sister told him to moved to Texas but he didn't listen to her. They agreed to moved to Minnesota. Because in Minnesota my sister in-la sister lived. So our first flight was Bharatpar to Kathmandu. It was my first time in plane I was scared because I had never flown in plane before. So we stayed in Kathmandu for 5 days. Our next flight was Kathmandu to Delhi. We fly right away from Delhi to Belgium. And we stay at airport for one night. In morning we flew Belgium to New York. It was cold, show flowing from sky it was winter. We stayed in New York for 4 days to hotel because the weather was bad they can't flew airplane. They give us American food it was my first time eating American food. I didn't like it. it test bad. After 4 day we fly New York to Minnesota. I was like wow they was electricity everywhere light were everywhere. Water was at home bathroom was inside home. After three weeks I joined the school there was heater and A.C at school. We move to another apartment and my brother and my sister in-la live with us. After 2 years I went to Texas to meet my family. I didn't know how they look because I met them after 8 years. My brother started working and he never drink alcohol again. I will never forget carrying wood through the forest because my mom worked hard in Bhutan. She carrying Heavy stuff through the

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mountains and when we got kicked out from Bhutan. I get to help my mom. I helped her with hard stuff that she did before I was born and she gave me life. Now I don't have to do that stuff. I have more opportunity. I could study instead of carrying wood. I can have better jobs in future.

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BEING FAR FROM LOVED ONES Written by A.S.

could feel my tears coming down my cheek when I watched my mom and dad for the first time after eight years. My parents has been in the USA for eight years. My mom and dad came to the USA before my sister and I did. When they left me I was five years old. My mom broke my heart when she told me that they are going to leave us to my grandmother. The day that they were leaving my face was so red because I was sobbing so hard and I didn’t want to let go of my parent’s hands. From that day on, me and my older sister started our life with my grandmother. My grandmother is the sweetest person you will ever meet. She is always there for me when I need her. She raised me really well to be a good person and she always thought me how to do good things. She is my role model. My grandmother, she made me feel not to worry so much about my family by giving me all the love I want had. I really enjoyed every moment I was with her. Even when sometimes I felt lonely, she was always there to made me rejoiced .She meant a lot to me. My parents they always gave me phone calls so I wasn’t that worried. In USA they got 4 children two twins and two single 4 of them are girl they are all born in USA. After a few years, my parents decided to bring me and my sister to USA. After all the processes and all the struggles, we came to the USA. We finally arrived to Minnesota. When I saw my family after 8 years I could feel my heart beating so fast just like a drum. I dreaded like

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it was coming out. I was 12 years old when I saw them and my sister is 14 years old. I was so guffawed to see them again - I was hugging them for such a long time. I just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wanted to let go of them. I hugged them so tight in my head thinking that to never be separated from them. I felt the tears on their cheek I mystified to burst out with tears, I couldn't wait to go home and see my siblings that I had never seen before. When I finally got home I observed my siblings. I was so happy as a pig in the mud to see them. My new siblings are so beautiful and lovely. I loved all 4 of them at the first site. But I had one problem I had hard time understanding them because I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak English, and they mostly spoke English. They could only understand Oromo. I mean, if I said something to them they could understand what I said, but they couldn't speak back to me in my language, I struggled communicating with them. Other than that they are really good kids. They knew how to respect people and they behaved really well. They also tried their best to teach me how to speak English. I kind of struggled saying some words but it was fine. Sometimes when I replied things incorrectly, my sibling would giggle and correct me. After living in MN for one month, I really hated MN because it was so cold and I came in the winter time. At that time, I started going school. I want to Washington Technology school it was located in MN, Saint Paul, I really loved that school because there were different race of people. They were also helpful people also they all loved each other in the right way. On my first day of school, I was so nervous my face turned red. My cheeks were blushing to see all those kinds of people so I took a really deep breath and told myself not to get nervous. The hardest thing for me was finding my classes. The school was really huge. It made me really confused. When I started school there were only 2 months of school left so they just put me in 6th grade and it was regular not EL. So that made it hard for me, but with the help of my siblings it became easier for me, they put a lots effort on themselves to teach me how to speak English us much as they can. I also started communicating with my siblings they were really helpful to me. As I learned English I started talking with my siblings to improve my speaking skill, also in my education it helped me to learn faster. Now my life was getting easier which made me really satisfied. Even though my life is lovely now, I still think of those first days in America often. One day, I really wish I want back to Ethiopia with my family and see my grandmother again. I wish all my family could go

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back to our country and live with my sweetest grandmother. She is everything to me I love her more than she ever know. Hopefully I will see her one day.

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MY STORY IN NEPAL Written by S.M.

was born in peaceful place of Nepal, where people know each otherat least in my village. We did not have any technology except for a TV and when you felt depressed there are no technology like a laptop to make you happy. If you wanted to make yourself happy, you needed to have friends or find away to make yourself happy. Now onto my story. Living in Nepal was pretty fun for me because I was not lazy, I would go outside and play with my friends. One of the ways my friends and I would have fun was by playing soccer but we did not have a soccer ball, so we used anything thing that looked like a ball and would bounce, like a volleyball or tennis ball. I remember one time, I was cheering for my team (not really) and when they took the ball from the other team, I could hear the other team and my team yelling something like, “Go, Go, Go!!” And from the other team “Come on, Get the ball”. When the game was over (I am not sure who won, I just know that I was watching the soccer game) I was with my friends on the sidelines and I remember saying something like, “Let’s go back home” because it was getting dark and in Asia if don’t come home when it’s getting dark most of the time kids are going to get beaten by their mom. Lucky for me because I made it back when it was just like pink in the sky, so there was no hitting for me but I don’t know about my friends, there house was pretty far away from me. Another memory I have from Nepal is, after the Soccer game was over I got a word about my aunt inviting us to her house. She had not visited us for a very long time. My mom said we were going there because she had not called us over for a long time, so that day we went shopping for something like a gift to give her when we arrived there. The

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next day we started walking, but when we did, it was getting dark. We could see, but not that clearly. As we were walking without seeing that clearly, and suddenly there was a snake right in front of us. We could not just run straight or we would get poisoned by the snake. Then we decided to wait for a little longer so the snake would go away, but it looked like it was not going away so my mom exclaimed, “Get ready to run away” and she looked nervous like she was going to do something. Then out of nowhere my brother decides to grab a rock from the side and throw it at the snake. That made the snake finally decide to move. But he didn’t move away from us, but straight at us! So as the snake was coming at us, we were ready to run away. All of a sudden, unexpected the snake just went into the water to the side. We were just so overjoyed that it didn’t attack us, no questions asked why. Thus ends the short story about me in Nepal. I will never forget these memories because they are something I still remember from my hometown in Nepal, now that I am in a new place, far away from Nepal. They are an important part of who I am and I’ll always carry these memories with me.

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STUBBORNNESS Written by N.C.

MASH!!! The car crashed and bumped into another car. The window cracked and smoke started to come. Me and my cousin really wanted some hot wings and pizza so i was asking my mother to take us to domino’s, she didn’t want to take us , in fact she didn’t wanna go anywhere because she wasn’t feeling so good she had a rough day i guess . I got really frustrated, mom and i started arguing so she got tired of me and she decided take me and my cousin to Domino’s. We were just driving to the store to get food and we got lost we had no cell phones so we couldn’t look at GPS and find our way back . we had nowhere to go it was dark and a stormy night , it was raining like hell and my mom could barely see the roads so i was getting scared and freaking out . My older cousin was trying to calm me down but my heart was beating so fast and at the same time my mom was yelling at me and she was blaming me for all this “ look at the mess you created now your dad is gonna be pissed at me”, saying my stubbornness got us in the place we were in but she was just being dramatic. Somehow my mom found our way back to home so we were driving back home i was really angry because my mom was blaming me for everything when all i wanted to was some hot wings and pizza. In the middle of all of this, my mom was turning the car and suddenly another car came flying and my mom didn’t see that car and she crashed into that car and our car slide into someone’s backyard and broke their fence i started crying cause I thought my mom was dead but no one was hurt. My mom told me and my cousin to stop crying and get the hell out of her car because she didn’t have a license, she only had a

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permit so she would get in a lot of trouble drinking me and my cousin around since we are underage You so me and my cousin walked home while I was literally crying because I was so scared. I thought maybe it was all my fault, if I wasn't so stubborn then all this wouldn't have happened. I kept crying and freaking out until we got home. My dad went to get my mom from the place where she crashed her car. I thought my dad would be really mad at my mom for taking that risk but he wasn't that mad I mean he was mad at first then we all laughed about it at the end. No one was hurt I think one of my mom's arm was bleeding because when the car's window broke it got into her hand and she had a little cut but she was all fine. At the end of the day we survived and we lived happily ever after.

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COUSIN’S WEDDING IN TEXAS Written by P.P.

could feels the excitement in my heart that I going to Texas for my cousin's wedding. I woke up at 4am and I also woke up my family. Me, my family, and my others relatives are all ready to go to Texas for my cousin wedding in Texas. We were suppose to leave at 6am but the car got switch, so we have to leave at 7am. We were going with two cars, one car fit seven people and the other car fit five people. The car that rode is the car that fit five people. In the car, there is me, my sister, my cousin, my dad, and a man who is helping my dad to switch driving the car with him. While I rode the car, I would toke out the snack and drink that I brought from Minnesota and I would shared them with my cousin and my sister. Also, when we stop at the gas station. My dad would fill in the gas for the car and I would go into the convenience store to buy food or go to the restroom. I think we stop at the gas station about 4 times to get to Texas. We rode the car about 18 hours to get to Texas in Amarillo. I think we arrived in Amarillo around midnight. At soon as I arrived in front of my cousin apartment, I saw my uncle that I haven’t see in 4 years and he looks the same just like 4 years ago. His wife and his daughter also waiting for us in front of their apartment and they also hasn’t change. His wife and his daughter already came visit us last summer, so I was happy to see them again. I was happy that they are welcoming us by waiting for us in front of their apartment. My uncle

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have 4 daughters and 2 son, his second daughter is the one who is going to get married. When I first went into their home, I saw a long stair that you can go up to the second floor and they also have 2 bathrooms in the second floor. That night I was happy to meet all of my cousin and they were try to give us the clothes that they don’t like anymore, so I had token a few clothes that they give me. My sister would sleep on my right side and my cousin would sleep on my left side that night. In the morning, my 2 others cousin would go to school early in the morning, so we didn’t get to spend time with them on that day. Instead, I get up to washed my face and brush my teeth. Next I went downstairs to eat breakfast with my mom. After breakfast, I went back up to the second floors to take shower. When I done taking shower, I went outside of the apartment with my sister and my cousin that came with me from Minnesota. Threes of us take a lot of picture in front of the apartment, so we can looks back at ours memories in ours phone. Since we get nothing to do on that day, my uncle wife suggested that we should go to place called “Palo Duro Canyon State Park”. About 11 people get into the van and when we arrived, I saw many mountains and a lot of rocks. All of sudden I take out my phone and take a lot of pictures of the amazing view that I never had seen in my life before. We all walked up to the big rocks and take a family picture. I think going to “Palo Duro Canyon” was a great memory for all of us. When I arrived back to my cousin apartment, people are already preparing the food for tomorrow wedding. I helped out a little bit, but not a lot. The food are going to be rice, meat, chicken, vegetables, fruits, and different kind of drinks. I think rice is the main food for Karen culture. I remembered Karen people’s used to eaten those food when they are having wedding. Around 3pm after my cousin came home from school, we went to see how things are decorate at the church, since my cousin is having her wedding at the church. We also helped out to decorate the church to be beautiful. “Wake up, wake up” my cousin yelled and It was 6am in the morning. My cousin and others people are starting to dress up, do their makeup, and also curly their long hair. My cousin who is going to married dressed up in a long red Karen dress. For me I just wear a white T-shirt with a black dress.

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When I arrived at the church, there were not a lot of people. As time passed, people are started to come to the church. I was very excited for the wedding to start. I sat at the first row with my sister, so we can see everything better and takes a lot of pictures of the wedding. The wedding went very well. After the wedding, people are shaken hand with the bride and the groom. They also takes pictures with them. Then, I went to eat the food that was made yesterday for the wedding with my cousins. When I arrived back at the apartment, I was so tired from waking up early in the morning, so I went to sleep about 2 or 3 hours. We spend 2 day and 3 night at Texas and I very sad that I have to go back to Minnesota tomorrow. I spend the night sleeping with my cousins on that night. At 5am on the next morning, all the people in my cousin house are all waking up and I know it was the day to say goodbye to my cousin family. When we were started to leaves, they all come out of their house to say goodbye to us and they were standing in front of their apartment until they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the car anymore and I would goes back to Minnesota just like I came to Texas. I remembered my uncle said that his first daughter going to get married next years, so I would love to go there again, but the place does not take place in Texas, it going to be Arizona. Also, my uncle said he promised us that he going to visit us next year with his daughter, so I very happy to able to see them again next year.

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HUNTING Written by P.B.

ANG! I asked my brothers, “Is he down?” I was so nervous and think that the deer isn't dead. After I shot the deer I saw it running to the river as I was still on the tree. My brother got down the tree and I got down the tree so we could follow the blood as my lag was shanty and thought that I will not make it there. When we saw the deer my brother said we knew what for dinner to night and he laugh at me. My brother call my dad on a walkie-talkie (radio) and say I got one. I was so mad and say I got it not you, He was laughing he said I was just kidding and call my dad again if he there to come look and take it back to the car. 12 hours earlier My Dad, Me, Brother and Friends, we want to Joe’s to buy deer license and say to my brother if I got a deer you have to give me 20 dollar and he said if I got a deer you have to give me 20 dollar too. I didn't say anything back. Deer hunting is hard. I started hunting deer when I was 13 year old. 2014 and 2015 I didn't not get any deer. First time hunting deer my dad told me to stay on the tree, but is was so cold so I got down the tree and look for the deer. Hunting ever on the ground is not good the deer can see you from faraway. Second time hunting, my dad told me to stay on the tree and I did. When I was on the tree I went to sleep. I didn't know how i fall asleep on a tree and didn't fall done is was cold and I think that I can't sleep but I fell asleep somehow. After we bought the deer license we went home to get all the stuff we needed for hunting. I was the first toner done and I went to sleep. My brother and other didn't want to sleep and woke me up at 12:00

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PM to go put my stuff in the car, I was still asleep. We got in the car to go get pick up my dad friends. It took us 4hr to get to the hunting places. We got there at 4:30 or so and want to sleep and woke up at 5:00 am to cook. After we ate, we got our and other stuff that we needed for hunting. We went up the hill to go to our deer stand. Me and my brother went together. My brother got to has deer stand and was 20 yards away from him. When I got to my deer stand I said to myself is time for the waiting. When I was on my deer stand for hour or two. My finger frozen and the air was cold. My feet were freezing and thought that my socks were ripped. I took out my socks and look at it but they were not rip at all. My feet are just frozen but not my socks. 5 hour have pass and didn't saw anything. I look around and down the hill and saw a deer, then I took out my gun and put the bullet in. BANG!!!

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SEEING MY DAD Written by S.C.

irst my mom went to drop me off at the a airport. Then I was by myself the whole way to El Salvador and I was received by my uncle and brother. We went straight to the house I was going to stay. A few days later, a gangster killed a police officer. It was scary because it was in front of our house After having fun with my brother and uncle, Dad’s cousin came and picked me up so I could be with his family for a week. I had so much fun. I got to see cows and horses. After that week passed, i went to one of my mom’s friends to stay with her for a week, but I was scared because I didn’t know her like that. So I called my mom and said that i didn’t want to be there. My mom talked to two of her friend that are from Honduras to come and spend time with me I was so happy because I hadn’t seen them for three years. We spent so much time together, but one week was too short for me. I didn’t wanted them to go back to Honduras. So I had to call my mom to see if I could go with them because my dad was In Honduras. I convinced her because I wanted to go see my dad After 8 hours of being in the bus we finally got to Honduras first thing I said I was going to do is look for my dad in the house we built but he wasn’t there. The only people there were his new wife’s family. This was in the house my mom and dad built together, so obviously I was sad and went to my mom’s friend’s house. Then the second day at night my dad came to look for me. He canceled work and had to drive two hours to come out. It was the worst feeling I ever experience. I had no heart at that moment because it was broken in a million pieces. So I hugged him

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and started crying on his shoulder. It brought so many memories. I only got to spend hours with him. I had to go back to El Salvador so my dad dropped me off with my mom’s friend so I could get my stuff. Passing by my mom’s and dad’s house, I told my dad I wanted to go inside. My dad was ok with going inside. It made me feel weird because my stepmom was there. She offered orange juice and I said, “Yes, please.” I wanted to leave so fast because it felt like it wasn’t our house anymore. I remember later that I went to my friends’ house because I missed her so much. I went to surprise her. Her mom was a principal from a school and she cried later on that day. After that my dad took me to my mom’s other friend so she could take me back to El Salvador because my dad had to go back to work. Then when I got out the car he started talking with my mom’s friend about me and I couldn’t hold my tears in. I couldn’t stop crying for and hour. At 5am in the morning we had to go back to El Salvador. I found my mom’s friends and finally made it back to America. But I will never forget my trip to Honduras and El Salvador.

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STRUGGLING LEARNING ENGLISH Written by N.G.

“W

ake up ! It’s time for school!’’ I heard my dad said. His voice was so loud that it scared me. I woke up fast and said, “Alright dad”. It was my first day of American school.

When I first came here in school, I didn’t know any English. Other students teach me some words. I thought I was making friends. So when I said the word they teach me. My teacher gave me a letter to take home. I got happy, I thought I was a good student and I show it to my parents. They got shock when my sister read it to my parents, it said that I said a bad word to the teacher. I got shock when I heard that I said the bad word to the teacher. My parents got worried but I explain to my parents that it was not my fault, a group of student teach me the bad word. They understand me and my parents stop worried about me. So I tell my sister to write a sorry letter to my teacher and write everything what I just said. Next day I show it my teacher and the students who teach me the word got in trouble. My teacher hug me, felt nice. Last day of my school, my teacher tell me that I was gonna be 3 grade not 4. I didn’t know what to say, so I just moved my head up and down. My teacher said to me that I do my best and learn English more and more.

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Next year, when summer was almost over, I learn that English kids here like to make fun of immigrants. So I start to learn English more and more. I start to make white friends and their was less bullying. I learn about United States, holidays, Christmas, Thanksgiving. I hope I start making more new friends. I wish there was less bullying in school.

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HOW I TAUGHT MYSELF SOCCER Written by D.Y.

hen I was five, my friends requested me to play soccer with them. I was like soccer is the worst sports in my opinion because I never got a chance to kick a ball. But in few days later, I brought a soccer ball and started to practice on my own. I never did well on my practice but it gave me not to give up on my skills. I worked hard everyday and I started to ran and proved my speed. When I started to do these things, it made me relieved like I'm getting better at it. One day there was a club and a club is where people work together. They called me to try out for the team. When I got there, I saw a lot of young people getting into groups so the coach could test them and see who was good. If they are really good they could play on the pro team but I told myself that I wouldn’t make it because they were all taller than me and I laughed at myself. That made me so scared but my family told me not to give up until I tried it. I steamed very nervous and shy to show off my skills. It was my group’s turn and we started to play. At first I didn't get the ball, but then later, one of my teammates passed the ball to me. I told myself, “This is my chance to show everyone what I got”. I scored and past everyone with my skills. I think I will made it to the good team. After the try outs, I had to wait for a letter to see if I made any teams. The day the letter came, I am so excited to see it. “Guess what happened?” I made it to the best teams!! And that call C1 and C1 is the

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top team in the whole club. It was the best day of my life because I got into a club that I thought I would never be in. The club that I joined is NSSA. I told myself that working hard can bring you anywhere even when you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re never going to make it. YES!! That how I taught myself until I made it. I can't wait for the soccer season to start again. I had never told anyone that I was really good at soccer because I thought to myself that I don't need too tell them, that one day they will see my skills. Now I knew that practice will always make me a better person at sports. Now I know working hard can help me go through anything. Now I know being nervous can bring me good things. One day I will get to play in the World Cup and got famous. I will never forget how much I tried to be good at soccer and every time I'm in a bad mood, I always remember that soccer will change everything. I can be in a good mood, even though it is really hard at first, but then if I work hard, I will get what I want. Soccer will always be in my heart because it is the first sports I ever started to play. I love soccer so much because it gave me power and it feels good to have power.

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MAKING LIFE BETTER Written by J.M.

have lived in Roseville for 5 years and I made new friends When I move there, I had to go to 5 different schools. First lived in St. Paul on Maryland Avenue on the East side, but we had to move because there was too much gang violence where I was living. When I was little, I had curls but my dad was bald so he asked me if I wanted to cut my hair like his. I was little so I said yes. So I was bald at the age of 2 and my curls never came back. My hair was straight but I hope I get my curls back soon. My dad was a gang member and my real dad left me when I was 3 years old. Luckily my stepdad was there when I was 3 and he still is my step dad. He is like my real dad because he was there for me these last 7 years. These days, the problem is my mom and stepdad sometimes fight. So that's why I might move schools but maybe next year. If I move, I might have to make new friends, but I don't like making new friends and I don't like going to new schools. I like some of my friends, but some of them I don't like. I don't know what school I want to go to. It is either Spring lake park high school or this other school, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure what school. This year I'm lacking and I can't be lacking because last year I was lacking very much. I started to hang out with the wrong group and I did bad things. I also got in trouble with the law. I used to skip class all the time for 2 months straight. I never did my work in class, but this year I have 5 classes so I thought it would be easy. It is not easy because in math I get homework everyday and in English we have this book project but I don't like book projects. That means I have to get homework everyday. In Spanish, I don't have homework because we finish it in

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class, but if we don't finish it in class, then that's our homework. I have a bad grade in there because was sick when we did a test and I asked her if I could take it again. She said no. In EL, I have a bad grade because I didn't do big projects but I'm going to get my grade back up because don't want to go to summer school. I want to work in the summer because want to have money in my pocket. I want to buy myself shoes and shirts. If I get a job, I can help my mom with the bills. She always pays the bills but I want to help her pay them. I want to save up for a car so I can be driving to school.

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SCHOOL LIFE Written by C.B.

was confused, I didn’t know what I was going to do, everyone talked to each other, but I did not. Why? More than a thousand people were there, but I didn’t have anyone to talk with, I was alone. It was first day of my new school. My family moved from different city, when I was in grade two. It was my first day of new school. My school was very big and it has many students. The school name was very popular, all of in Ethiopia and another too. That school was established in remembrance of Ethiopian hero who won the Italy during occupation period Ethiopian. His name is L/ K Abdisa Aga. Students of the school were proud students. They looked at themselves like a hero, because of the school name. It was my first day of class. All students sat by group. My teacher assigned me to group. That group had six boys and one girl. The boys in group were kind to me but who girl in that group was very jealous. She didn’t like me in that group. I were ready for my lesson and I finished my homework before I go home. When i go home, I study for next day of class, because of that of that our teacher like me very much. One day, a girl who was, jealous of me, came to the class with angry face. Hey! My girl, what’s wrong with you today i asked politely. Don’t talk to me! I had heard what you say from my friends, during break, she said angrily . What? What are you talking? Who are your friends? I do not understand what you are talking about, I said. She said, don’t try to change what i’m saying, you know everything. Yesterday, you backbited me with your friends, she replied . I’m sorry, I don’t understand, what you are talking about! I said again. I heard

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everything, from my friends, it was hard to believe, I never thought of you, in that way she said. OMG, i said! Are you okay today ? I asked her. Don’t try to change the topic, I know you don’t like me , she said. Hey! My friend, calm down please, I don’t have any friends to talk about you and I don’t know you out of class. You can say whatever you want you can say, but I will never leave you forgiveness, and she warned me. I don’t have any friends, at that school, because i was from another city and another school. I was afraid , because she warned me without any reason. When the bell ring, at the last rang out of the school, until I reached my home. My body was shivering I couldn’t talk, because of shock, and too much running, my heart was beating quickly. My older sister was at home when I arrived home. She tried to calm me down , but I couldn’t. Please tell me Mimo, what’s wrong with you, what happened? She said. Slowly, I… I…. I….. I’m in trouble , my classmates warned me and she… she…. said I will never leave you, because you backbited me to your friends, I replied beed and start crying. Then, my sister, even not warning you if she said anything about you I will never leave her, she said! When my sister says that, oh thanks God I said, with big breath. Next morning, my sister went to school with me and afternoon when I came back from school she waited me in front of the school. She waited my classmate and she warned her for the last. After that day, she didn’t say anything to me. After couple of months, I got new friends from another class. I knew them at Church. We sing song together and we were attending Sunday school together. They were two girls,and both like fighting everyday at school. They knew what happened on me past months, so they told me how to become a winner, while fighting. They were showed me the action too. In the class I was very quiet, I don’t like to talk with anyone except teacher. So, one day two boys were disturbing the class, while teacher was teaching. Then she told me sat between them. They were not happy about me. both looked at me with angry faces, because they couldn’t talk to each other. Both started pushing me in both side, it was not comfortable for me, then I asked a teacher, I’m not comfortable they are pushing me, I couldn’t pay attention to what you what you are teaching, I said. When I told her, she warned them and she said, this is the last warning for both of you, if you did something wrong again, you never attend my class.

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The next hour was the last and it was Sport, so we went outside and we play in the grass. While I was playing with friends, one of the boy who in the class teacher warned came to me and he tried to fight me. I got some advice from my friends, so I didn’t afraid of him. Come on if you are a boy I said loudly. He stood in front of me, all of classmates were watching us, and one of his friends, spitted on to the ground, and who can removed this , said loudly. quickly I removed it, and the boy who want to fight with me, hit me. Then the fighting was started. Our teacher was little bit far from us, so she thought we were playing. All classmates start saying who is the winner, who is the winner say loudly. I abated him and I hit him again and again, then he started crying. Before, our teacher thought that we were playing, because she was far from us. Because of his sound, she came to us and she said apologies to him quickly before i call your family, she warned me. Ok i said and I did it but he anyone don’t stop crying. His friend was angry to me, and say something, when I was going to home. I come back to him and hit on his head by water bottle. In my life, I don’t like to fight people, I like to finish the problem by discussion, but their view push me to that reaction. Generally I had only fought with two people in my life except the two grad. In conclusion, school life is the most important in everyone life, because more than 50% of our life done at school. It is very important too. School life is amazing life.

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THE MOVE Written by R.I.

t was 2 years ago when my dad wanted to move to Minnesota. Before, he made that decision we all had to agree but we didn’t. So we stayed since me and my mom didn’t want to start our lives over because we have hard times starting over. A couple years went by without moving and then the same topic came up it was the end of 8th grade summer. The family is doing their own thing and then we hear my dad calling “ Everybody come to the living room I have something important to tell you.” The whole family thought it was going places but, what we didn’t know was it was bad news. As my dad was speaking we heard a knock at the door. My mom and I were kind of curious what was going on things changed once we found who was at the door. The house authorities came in and the words that came out of their mouths just changed my mom’s expression. “Sir Mohamed you still haven’t answered us back.” “I was trying to talk to the family first but it’s okay Mohamed said I already have my answer for you, my decision has been made and I am trying to move.” There was a lot of emotional and anger voices out when the authorities left. While I thought this was all a joke I just went on with my day acting like nothing happened. The next day comes and it’s the last day of the week and I get the check out sheet a lot of people huddle over ne with emotional one of my friends said “We will miss you it’s been like a long time since we knew each other i will never forget you” that actually hit me hard so I tried my best not to cry. I understand I’m going to miss people I went to home and talked myself into thinking I change my dad’s mind that attempt failed. I adjusted the fact that I was moving and had to get over it. That night I could barely sleep tossing and

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turning and crying. My mom woke up and made me feel better we watched some movies to waste time. I came from school and my mouth drops i see my mother cleaning. I tried to hold back my tears this whole time i thought it was just a dream but I guess this is reality now. After I saw everything and opened my eyes I went into my room and started crying because I knew I wasn’t going to see my closest friends. After I was done crying my whole room was full of water from my cries. I heard a knock on the door “are you okay honey?” I recognized that voice it was my mom she’s always there to comfort me. I felt better and started helping my family clean and pack. It was midnight my family were watching tv and my dad was at Minneapolis that whole time but he came back while we were watching TV. My dad and another man came in the house all the kids hugged my dad “We missed you so much dad!” My mom and I were just having a conversation with each other and then out of nowhere the guy that was with my dad called my name. I was confused for a sec “Oh my god is that you! Come and give me a hug I haven’t seen you in years.” that moment we got to know each other and stuff. I just realized the guy that was with my dad was my uncle I thought it was a stranger this whole time but I guess we related. He told me how I had a lot of cousins in Minnesota and that I wouldn’t be alone he had a daughter my age so it was going to be okay. That made me feel a lot better I had a good night sleep that time. It was the morning we had to move I was in a good dream and sleep I wake up to people yelling. I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth do my usual routine and then I went to say goodbye to my family and relatives and then we were off on the road. We got some coffees and we were on our way I cried a couple times but it was okay. 3 and half hours I get to Minnesota I get use to the place and got to know my cousins it felt like home but next summer I’m going back to visit

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KNOWING ABOUT ME Written by A.M.

n Africa I thought life in America was easy or would be easy because in Africa i use to go not Quran school. My mother got me out of school to finish Quran I got out of school at the age of eight I was in sixth grade I spent three years in Quran school the came to America. Let's go backwards the lifestyle of an African. In Africa there is lack of jobs but there were some jobs but not a lot of people worked so people had family members in America they used to send money to whomever family they're from. But a lot of people were not not as lucky as other people they didn't have family members in America so those people were the people who worked hard to earn a living. But other some people did the same very thing everyday went to school and came back home but the schools in Africa are different you go to school in the morning and come back at night by that that time your day in over with. But for me remember I didn't go to school for three years i go to Quran school in the morning and came back home at midday ate lunch went back to Quran school after you go back you spent three more hours and you have the rest of the day to yourself. But when I was twelve years old, everything changed we moved to Kenya because my dad told us the sponsor is about to be ready so go ahead and move to Kenya and i had a lot of friends it was emotionally moment because we were friends for long proud for time. The next day my mother got the tickets to Kenya that's when it really hit me I'm going to America because when i used to go to Quran school there were a lot of kids who came from America they use to fill me up with the greatness of America. They use to say America you don't do nothing at all they use to say how to go to school and don't do nothing you just play games and

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you get a car and basically America was heaven to me. When they used to talk to me about America i used to look at therm a fantasize about it. So i was excited the whole bus ride to Kenya. When we got to Kenya we rented a house because the embassy said my older brother was going to get his visa first and he will leave be before us. My brother was so excited i was jealous about it he left two days later we took him to the airport we said our goodbyes and we came back home as we were coming home i saw kids playing soccer so i figured i will stay here for two weeks i might as well make some friends i walked up to them and ask if I could join they were friendly enough they welcome me and i played soccer with them. After the game i somehow ended up in one of the kids house You might be asking yourself what had happened for you to be ending up in the house. What had happened was as we were playing i overheard a boy saying i beat every single one of you in the game of cards when i heard this i said to myself this boy has no idea about what he's talking about i say this because back in Uganda when i came back from Quran school i used to rip people apart. So i yelled out even though I didn't know the kid i said i bet you can't beat me. He said ok after the game the cards are in my house we go there and we play so we went to his house we played best of three be beat two games and i won the other one. As i was walking back home thinking to myself what happened to the kid who used to rip people apart long story short I never played with him ever again. Two weeks later we received a vise but the visa was me and my elder brother a week later we got our tickets my mother took as to a place because we couldn't go to the airport straight way i forgot the name of the place but there were a lot of people leaving to. But basically we stayed there for almost seven hours then this bug bus arrived to take us to the airport me and my brother were so excited to fly because we never been in the a plane before. So we got to the airport we filled out some paper. Two hours later we got to the plane i got the window seat i was so happy I couldn't wait for takeoff few moments later the instructor was instructing how to use the seat belt and in case of an emergency what to do then the big moment the captain said ready for takeoff i was so apply so was my brother. But everything changed though once the plane got in the sky i started hating it minute after minute i left like i was in this big machine that's making a loud noise. Eight hours later we landed in England the biggest airport in the world. Welcome to heathrow airport

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the captain said we got off the plane a lady took me and my brother to a room with Xboxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and candies flowing around the room she took as to this room because we were minors we couldn't stay at the airport by ourselves. There hours later she said let's go us time to leave but this time I wasn't as excited as the first time i got in the plane so we boarded nine hours later we landed in Chicago but our destination was Nashville TN so my father and my other brother who left before as pick as up they drove six hours we were already exhausted we drove back six hours back. After along ride we got to the state TN slept the whole car ride we got home it was a two bedroom apartment and one bathroom i was so tired I slept on the rag because my dad just rented the apartment and we had no furniture. My brother yelled out welcome to america we all laughed. As i was sleeping i remember what the kids in Quran school used to tell me about how fan america is i continued sleeping. When i wake up my dad said get ready guys we are going to the mosque. We got to the mosque my dad introduced us to his friends and friends kids. After a week i noticed there is not a lot of moments going around because we stayed home everyday i was boring but i did beat myself up because i was thinking to myself that I'm going to start school and get out of these. The first day of school was alright i was easy proper were friendly and classes were easy. School lived up to my expectations. But that all changed when i moved to MN i was excited to come to MN when it was in TN people used to say in MN it snowed a lot and i was excited because it didn't snow in TN so couldn't wait to move to MN. Two weeks later we moved we came to MN during summer time. I was chilling the whole summer it was coming to an end it was time to school. My first day at school i was surprised about my classes because i had EL math EL science i only thought EL was only in English classes because in TN EL was only in English class. School was getting hard for me day after day because here in MN school you have to earn all a hundred points. But in TN they give you fifty point by showing up so if was hard for me. And I started hating MN because everyday you are in between the school and the house. In America I met a lot of depressed kids because they're always worried about school and grades and coming to school knowing that Yates will go back home and staring at the four walls that surround them. Back in Africa no one was really worried because there is nothing to be

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worried about everyday people were live happily. I hope America will be what my friends in Quran school use to tell me.

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MY STORY Written by H.H.

here are so many memories from back in Thailand. When I was in Thailand refugee camp I had so much experience back then. I had spent time with my family, grandfather, cousins, aunts and uncles in Thailand. Thailand is beautiful and peaceful to live

with.

Life in Thailand was pretty fun. We always got to spend time with family and friends. Our home was made with bamboo in a refugee camps and peaceful to stay with. And our home were not that far away from our neighbors’ home. We always got to spend our time with family and hang out. In 2011, my mom, my older sister, younger brother and I went visiting our beautiful and handsome grandfather and grandmother in Burma. I was feeling nervous and excited to meet them at first, but when I started to get to know them I was scared of them anymore, and I was loving them. We had so much fun in Burma. I am so happy I met them both before they passed away. It was my first time to meeting them because I never saw them before. My Trip to Burma was pretty fun because you have see something makes you surprised like you've never seeming before. It was amazing. I was so blessed and excited to visit there and get close with my cousin. My relatives were so nice. “They were happy to met us” and away come visit us. In Burma there a lot of beautiful small rivers and mountain that you can enjoy with and relaxing. I always went fishing and hunting with my uncle because I didn't like to stay at home because it's bored to stay home. It was a great time to visit Burma. I met my

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grandmother and grandfather and got to know and get close with my lovely relatives. Back in Thailand, especially when is before Christmas, we always celebrating Sweet December Night. Every year, we made food and drink and invited some neighbors to come pray with us. Eating the food together. The day that I was born I never thought I could meet someone who as nice as my grandpa. He was the nicest person for me in my life. And I loved him more than my parents. He always gave me money whatever I asked him for. Even if he tried to refuse me, he always gave it to me. He never yelled at or hit me. Whenever I miss him, it makes me cry. The most important thing I remember in him was going to church and praying. Before I came to America he tell me to not forget him or miss him. He wanted me to study harder and go back to visit him. I left him without saying goodbye and hugging him, which makes my heart ache every time I miss him. This is a little story of my grandfather. Life in America has been great but the only thing is that my grandfather is not with me. If he was with me, everything would be perfect. I am so happy I got to meet my grandparents and have them by my side before they were passed away. It still makes me sad that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to see them while they died. I am so happy that I still have good memories of them. This are the reason why I had spend time in Thailand and with my grandparents. I hope to see my grandpa one day if i go visit back in Thailand.

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CHOICES Written by Q.V.

aking good choices is always important for becoming a good kid. It is something I’ve always struggled with, but I’m doing my best to make better choices for a better future.

I was born on March 28, 2002. My dad named me Q. and my mom gave me my Hmong name Qucce but I got my last name from my Dad - it's V. My family was living over in East side of Saint Paul. When a couple of years passed, we moved to North side of Saint Paul and I started going to a Hmong school at the age of 6. I had a lot of Hmong friends and met a lot of teachers. I remember after lunch we went outside and I was always playing soccer with my friends and playing with family. Later on the school year I kept on getting bullied by older kids...they were about 6th grade kids. Every morning when I was outside waiting for my bus, the kids always picked on me and they always pushed me around. I remember me getting bullied and my little brother didn't do anything because he was scared. When the bus came, me and my brother hopped on the bus and we both sat on the front of the bus just in case they tried to bully me again. When we got to school, I walked my brother to class because I wanted him to be safe. After that I went to class and my teacher handed me a packet that we had to color. I went and sat down alone and one of my classmates asked me, “Do you want to sit by us?” And I said, “Sure. Why not?” with a smile on my face. Later it was time for lunch. There were a lot of people in the 1st grade to 6th grade lunch. We were eating rice with chicken and drinking water or pop. I remember seeing my older

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sister at lunch and I was so happy and told her “HIIII!!!! I miss seeing you!” She ran up and hugged me and said, “I miss you too!” I never got to see my older sister because she lived with my step mom. That day, it was time to go home and there was this Hmong kid who drop his books and his water bottle. I walked up to him and helped him pick up his stuff and he said, “Thanks.” I replied, “No problem”. The next day we hung out together and sat together at lunch. Then later on, we became really close with each other and his name was K.Y. Two years had passed I moved away because I was getting bullied and there were too many Hmong gangs in the area where I lived. So my dad moved us to Little Canada where I went to Little Canada Elementary School. The first day I didn't really talk. I didn't make any new friends because I wanted to be alone. Later on in the school year, I made a couple of friends but I didn't really talk to them. When I wasn’t making good friends, that was when I remember starting to hang around with the wrong kids and to not listen to the teachers. I got into a couple of fights at that school but then when I was in 6th grade, I started to change myself to become a better kid and a better brother. When I went to middle school, I did pretty good over at the middle school becoming a good kid. I was waiting for high school to start so that I can start new again. When I move to Little Canada my dad and us didn’t really celebrate Christmas as much but we celebrated Thanksgiving and Hmong New Year. Ever since my mom and dad divorced because my dad couldn't take my mom anymore so my dad decided to take all the boys and my mom take the girls. Everything has changed and my little brothers don't really feel the same anymore as back when my mom and dad were still together. One time my little brother asked me, “Are mom and dad gonna go back with each other?” And I had to say, ”Nope, not anymore.” It was terrible to have to tell that to my little brother. That’s when my dad came in and he said, “Mom doesn't love you guys and mom always wastes money for her own stuff. She never uses it on us and she never takes care of us but she always goes out at night.” That was really hard for me to hear. Then I started to break down and went to my room and to cry because that hurts to hear. The next day I woke up and told myself that everything will be fine, and deep down, I know that my mom will be fine without us.

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Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I decided that I will work hard in school and graduate high school and go to college. I will get a job that can pay A lot of money and help my family. I also want to help myself because I wanna move out and live on my own happily. I hope that later in the future I will look back at my high school years and think about all the hard work and good things I put when I was young.

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THE SISTER I NEVER KNEW Written by H.R.

hen my sister was born, I was like few months old or probably 1 year old. I don’t even really remember, because I was really young, who would remember what happened? When you don’t even remember when your sister was born!! That might probably sounds dumb but trust me even you wouldn’t remember if you were at my position. My life was hard and sad, my sister died when she was 1 or 2 years old, by that time I was probably few months old, I don’t even know. My parents told me that I had a sister like few years ago, and now I’m 16 years old, they told me on 2011 like 6 years ago I asked them where was she now and they didn’t tell me anything, I asked another question “how did she died”? They still didn’t answer me cause they probably didn’t want me to find out what happened with her or they probably didn’t want me to feel sad, but I found out, I found out cause I heard them talking to other people like my family members, I was in my room but I could hear everything they were saying because my room door was open, my dad didn’t say anything because I don’t really know I was in my room and I didn’t knew why he didn’t talk or say anything but my mom was talking to her friend about how my sister died and what happened after that, then when she said that I heard that they really loved her and they miss her, they were saying if she was still alive she would have been like 17-18 years old cause now I’m 16 and she’s few years

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older than me, when I was like 5-7 years old I used to get beat up by my parents because I used to be really bad just like other kids, but you probably don’t know how Asian parents are, they want you to be good, when you're young so when you get older you can you end up being good without getting in any trouble but my life used to be good, when I think about now i feel like it was right, but when I was a kid I used to think it was wrong and I hate it, because my parents used to beat me up and I felt like they didn’t love me, I always felt like they hated me, I thought they beat me up cz they didn’t love me, but I was wrong, they loved me that’s why they used to beat me up so I’ll turn out to be good when I get older, so now I’m scared of my parents and others parents, if my parents hadn’t beat me up when I was young, I probably wouldn’t know how to respect someone older than u but I do because of my parents, now I listen to everything they say cause I’m scared of them. After my sister died we went to down to 3 family it was Me, My mom, and my dad, it’s boring when you don’t have anyone who you can fight with, play with, annoy with, it’s like your life is dead, I used to think about my sister and how she died, by listening to my parents, when they used to talk to their friends, I Someone used to hear them, I don’t even know how but I used too be there, just hearing about it made me miss her and tear up, I wish I had a chance to see her in my life. I also hope that I had a sister who I can annoy, brother, play with, and someone who I can tell everything too.

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TROUBLE IN COLORADO Written by L.A.

ne day my mom and my aunt were on the phone, and my aunt said, “One day you guys should come visit me. I really want to meet my nieces.” So then my mom was trying to convince my dad to drive us out to California to see my aunt. My dad finally said, “Ok in two weeks because I have to check that everything is ok with the car.” My sister, my mom and I were so happy and excited. I was very excited because that would be our first road trip. A week after my dad took the car to get the oil changed, it was a day before we were supposed to leave. We were so happy. We were packing, making sure we weren't forgetting anything. Then at 4:00 in the morning, we left to California. On our way we stopped by a gas station to get drinks and snacks and so my dad could check that everything was alright with the car. A few hours after that, the car started making a strange noise and we were all confused. We were wondering what was going on. Then smoke was coming out with a really gross smell. It smelled like something was burning. Then on the right back side of the car, the wheel had came out. we were on a highway brigade. My dad had the right amount of time to pull over the car on the side but when the wheel came off, we thought the car was about to fall over a bridge. Luckily that didn't happen. We were so scared because everything just happened so quickly i feel like I won’t ever forget that feeling.

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My family and I were in the middle of Colorado. We didn't know if we should go home or see our other family again. It was kinda hard to choose. We decided we would still go see my aunt. It took us two days to fix the car. We had to stay at a hotel in Colorado. Once the mechanic called to tell my dad the car was fixed, we continued our road trip. We were just very scared it would happed again. I feel like I have no words to describe how scary that was. In a day in a half, we finally got to my aunt's house. When the car had broken down, we told my aunt we were going to go back home. We just wanted to surprise her. We knocked on the door. She was so surprised she cried. My mom and my aunt hugged so hard because they hadn’t seen each other in almost 20 years. My aunt is older than my mom. She got married many years ago and she came to the United states to find a better life for her future kids. My aunt had had to say goodbye to all of her family. My mom was so little and she didn’t want her to leave her, but she said, “I have to go, but don’t forget I love you with all my heart.” Those were the last words my aunt had said to my mom all those years ago. Their reunion was one of the happiest moments I have ever seen. I’m so glad we didn’t go back home when the car broke down because my mom looked so happy to see her sister once again. I was so happy to finally meet my aunt. We gave each other a really big hug. I hope I see my aunt once again. That meeting was a moment I won't ever forget. I learned beautiful things can come from bad things.

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MY FIRST TRIP TO TEXAS Written by A.A.

y first time going to Texas, I thought it was going to be a long flight. but it was two hours long. The view was very niceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The clouds looked very nice. I fell asleep on the flight and then I started eating and watching movies There was a reason I went to Texas . I wanted to visit my aunt and I had a basketball tournament there, for three weeks. I also went there to see my aunt third baby. Mostly I spent time with my aunt in Texas. She took me out to eat and to Six Flags. It was very fun and I had fun with my aunt and her kids. She took me to buy a lot of stuff, like basketball shoes, clothes and accessories. She would always buy me expensive stuff. She would always come to all my games and supported me but she always shout out my name if I did something wrong. She was acting like my best friend. I had all my games in the morning and my aunt would always take me. She was there for me She always got up to take me to all my basketball games and my practices. My aunt is the coolest person that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ever meet. This was my first time going to Texas. When my mom told me that I was going, I thought I would hate it but it was actually fun. first I did not want to go to Texas but my mom made me, so I had no choice. I just went but I had no idea it would be that fun. Texas is not like Minnesota. It is way different. They have bigger buildings. Everything they have is just big big and way better than Minnesota. When I was there, I was starting to like it. I was thinking

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about going to school there, but I couldn’t because my mom wouldn’t let me. I was there when my aunt was having her third child. I thought it would be a boy but it was a girl. I was OK with that though because she was very cute. The things I hated about Texas as it was very very hot and the weather was bad. I’m surprised that they get snow! I realized every store I. went into had air conditioning because of the weather. Of all my games, my last one was the best because I scored 25 points and I crossed a lot of players. There were scouts watching me so I had to get scholarships. and go to good collage. It was my last week in Texas so I went go spent time with my family in Texas. We all went out to eat and the next day it was my last game on the team. So all my family in Texas came to see me play that day. I scored about 26 points and the next day it was the day I was leaving Texas. I went to the airport and when the plane was taking off I was happy because I had a lot of fun.

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LEARNING ENGLISH Written by S.B.

t is pretty hot, I see people taking their coats out. I hear sounds of cars running in the freeway. I turn back and i see big buildings and lights all over the place at night. I am walking in an ieal of the Airport with my family. me and my family at Chicago airport. The day me and my family gat to us. It was hard because me and no one from my family know how to speak english. I couldn't understand anything in the airport. I tried to read the signs, But i couldn't. My grandpa and grandma were old they had no education and so did my parents. But somehow I figured the way out of the airport. Than i called my aunt and my aunt came to U.S five months before us so she speaked english better. My aunt came and picked us up. I had lots of fun at my aunts home because she bought toys for me. The first day of school was hard. I couldn't understand the rules of the school because in my country the rules were different. But I still tried to work and I tried to speak english. It was hard my parents to they had to find jobs and they didn't know how to speak english. I struggled a lot doing my homework and my class work but I tried my best. In this paragraph i will be talking about the time were I believe that I can learn english. It's not bad thats what i thinked I said to myself i can adjust in U.S. This was after i went to school for four months and I started talking and understanding english. The time where I felt like i am fine in U.S is at school when my friends helped me with my work that is the time where i felt like i am fine in U.S. I can adjust in U.S i Felt like that because my friends helped me in learning and understanding more and they all wore really helpful and nice.

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This is when I started speaking english better, because at my school my friends helped me with my work and speaking english. I started understanding english more. I was happy that I am learning and understanding english more. Before that i struggled doing my homework at home buy now it's much better I understand the words more and how to do it. Ar school I still kind of struggled on understanding the teacher, because the teacher speaked fast and english was my second language. So it was hard to understand when someone talked fast. But i didn't give up and keep on trying. After few more months I get better at english i was happy at that moment, because i had to struggle a lot before that when i went to school. As the months past by my english and understanding improved and everything went well. I hope that me and my family will have a nice future in a new country. I hope that we live an happy and a good life. One of the wish of mine is to get education and get a good job.

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LIFE BETWEEN BURMA AND THAILAND Written by S.W.

y life in beautiful Thailand and Burma was hard. I lived in Thailand with bad education and bad community. We started hearing that people were going to America so me and family also decided to go to America. After a few week my family's interview came to go to America. The first interview was hard for our family to speak out in front of people. We kept trying and trying our best until we passed the interview. The most honored new was that we found out that we got to come to America. The sad part about got to come to America was that we had to say goodbye to our family and friends that were left out in Thailand and Burma. I also feel emotional when I looked at them reaction and their speech about wishing us the best. â&#x20AC;&#x153;May God follow you every step,â&#x20AC;? they said. I also know truly that I will visit them again in 10 years. When the live finally came, I knew I would never forget my experience in Thailand and Burma, but that things would change in our new place. When I found out I got to come to America, I was blissful and depressed at the same time. I am happy because it Is like a dream for me. people all they said is we get to come, but it was a hard process that we had to go through during our interview. We had to practice so many

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times to prepare for interview. The good thing, though, is we were positive and had no struggles with what we had to do. There were still so many families that were not pass the interview and that is still so sad. During the interview I remember I had to agree with my parents about everything, so we can get to fly faster. If you not take it seriously, you would have to spend your life forever in a refugee camp. That was the thing that motivated my family during the interview and we talked about our real life narrative story about life in Burma and Thailand. On our way crossing the Thailand border was heavy hearted. We slept in the car for one night to get to place where we have to stay for a week. For that whole week, we had to care for our health so well because we had a check-up with a doctor everyday. I had to get four shots on my right arm. We can not slept after the shot when we drove back to place where we stay. It hurt when we layed down and it took one or two days to feel better. My sister get very sick. We very distressed that we would not get to come. People who we left were praying for us very well that we would get to America and have better life and stay communicated and help get back our nation. We were very strong and we trusted our God that we would get to America. We believed everything, even our future plans were all in God hand. A joyful life and better place were waiting for us in United States . Our first week living in America, every morning I woke up always feeling weeping that I was in Thailand bed. I knew right away that I would never forget the place where I born and I will always remember how life changed through out living in America. I always talk to friends and family who left out there. They always ask us how it is going. We always say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Great! It is always positive to be in God plan.â&#x20AC;? I know that my life will end up here living in America, but will never forget my story and experience. Living in America was not really good but we always have motivation that this way of life is much better than back then.

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BACK FROM INJURY Written by A.D.

got 19 and 3 assists and 2 steals and the last minute i made a crazy layup and we were away and there fans were saying defense and i broke one of the point guard ankles after that i did a crazy reverse and their center was trying to block he hit my hand and it was a andone the coach picked me up and my teammates were happy the fans were living there was barely fans. I was happy me and my mom and dad were happy making the shot. I had a career high 21 points and 6 assists i was really emotional i made good passes to my teammates overall i did great the coach was lovin it. The next game i did okay i had 14 points and 3 assists i was getting buckets and i am only 9 years old. The next game i didn’t play i really don’t know why but whatever it was only a game it wasn’t the last game of the season and so i was doing okay. Well it all started when i started playing Basketball and i was only 9 years old we had our first youth Basketball game the ages were 8 to 11 years old. My fourth game i had 8 points and 5 assists i did okay but i wanted to push myself and be the best the whole time. The fifth game i don’t remember how many how many points i got i think i forget i asked my parents they don’t even remember. My sixth game i was really injured it all happened in the second quarter i fell in the ground i was making a layup and i made it and it was a and-one, when i got up i was going to shot my free throw and i was in pain and they found out the i was injured and i couldn’t play for 3 to 5 games and it was my knee and i was in pain my parents were watching and my teammates and the coach. After about four games i was healed and in my mind i wanted to get buckets but i only got 7 points and two assists and i did bad it was getting in my head. The next day i went to the YMCA for the whole week and when i came back in i was really

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happy because i was getting buckets and that was the last game of the season and the whole season went good i was happy and i had fun ut i forget what team i played for.

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MOVING TO MINNESOTA Written by C.B.

uring my 8th grade school year, my parents were talking about moving to Minnesota. That summer, me and my dad came here to Minnesota to see what it was like. It was pretty similar to Georgia, other then that the apartment were dirty and smelly. Everything else was fine. After that, we went back to Georgia and I told my mom that it was fine, that we can move to Minnesota. So we sold our house it was sad because of all the memories in the house. The day before we moved here, we stayed in our uncle house. Before we left the next morning, I wanted to see my best friend, so my auntie took me to her house. It was about 10:30pm. Everyone was there. All her family and I walked to the kitchen. I said “Hey...so ummm..I’m leaving tomorrow morning and this might be the last time I see you guys until whenever.” Her mom was so emotional I could tell she was about to cry. She was like, “Why you have to leave you were my 4th daughter I will miss you so much….” Her eyes were getting watery and her face turned red. I didn’t wanna see her cry because I knew I would cry. My best friend was trying to be strong, not trying to cry, but I knew she wanted to. It was time for me to leave their house I hugged all of them one last time feeling emptiness, feeling like I’m leaving half of my life here. The next morning, we had to leave at 7:30ish. Everyone was down stair, Everyone had their sad faces on. My mom and my auntie were whispering and being emotional they’re try not to cry but I don’t think

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they could help it knowing they’re separating after so many years, they grew up together and now they’re gonna be far from each other. And my uncle was just talking to me and sisters about moving. He was telling us to help our mom over there in Minnesota. Now it was really time to leave, So my uncle took us to the airport. As we get on the plane I felt the same way I felt yesterday emptiness. But I was also feeling excited I wanted to meet new people. I felt sad that I was actually leaving the place where everything happened, the place where i grew up. In couple of hours I would be going to a place where I didn’t know anyone. I was feeling sad, mad, kinda lonely, but also really excited. But now, three months later, my only wish is to see my friends again.

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Our Untold Stories

WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO LAS VEGAS Written by R.M.

hen I moved to Las Vegas, my whole world turned upside down It is was so hot It was a desert so I can’t really blame the city for that. Anyway I didn’t want to move to Vegas. But we did anyway. Now that I think about it, I was extremely young so if it was up to me, I would have shouted no at the top of my lungs. We didn’t even take a plane to Las Vegas. We took a van from Minnesota to Las Vegas. Once we got to Las Vegas, it was so full of life It was seriously so full of life the lights that were on and all the casinos were open just imagine all those lights on. Of course I had to go school. Las Vegas is known more for being a city where you can gamble all of your money away, but Las Vegas has education system. My teacher there taught us the Hawaiian alphabet for some reason. He also wanted me to stay in that school in his class forever I’m glad I got out of Las Vegas and out of his class forever. I never regret that I never went back there ever again. I once had this dream where that teacher had taken over the world and we had to drive back here in Minnesota.

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Our Untold Stories

NEPALI LIFE Written by B.B.

lashback is the like a mirror you will you see yourself and how were you like. When i was 10 year old, I was at my home country Nepal living in refugee camp. refugee camp was little small, but it was beautiful for me even though we didn't had any hope for feature. My dad was hard working guy for our family, because He had done so much for us. My dad used to work in school as custodian when I was little boy age of 9 or so long time from now thought. Before that i used to hear that my bad used to work for camp guard ‘’ what is camp guard’’? Camp guard is a person who control camp crym by guarding the camp at night, In pass there was no any police around the camp so like my dad guard had to guard the camp. The camp guard was kind of carry work for, because you have to walk at night around the camp looking for drugs user. My dad and so many other like my dad had to guard without any kind of safety. Some of Drugs user carry gun and they might have gang behind them. That was carry for my dad, because He have family to feet so he don’t want to have any problem with any one. The work that my dad was doing in pass card my mom still. There was my uncle who used to work with my dad but he got shot on his hand when he was sleeping. That was very scary, but in one year later he went to india to work for 5 year but after one year he left his family in camp, my mom used to tell me that he will never come back because many people who left here family will never come back or if they do they return home dead. Many people go out for better job from refugee camp out most of them come back dead. The reason was someone take them to different country for work they have to pay money for them and they even don't know where they are going the people who

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Our Untold Stories

they pay knows the place and he put them in work. Most of the time the people who take them run away with money and they leave the people take their password . The people who he took wouldn't know the place and they will end up being homeless in the country where they got stock. This kind of things are very common in nepal because half of the people in nepal leave their family behind for better feature. After some month my mom told me that uncle were killed in india in tran when he was visiting back. My dad was about to go to india work also but my mom stopped him from going. I was 6 that time that's what I am thinking because I am riding this story based on what I heard from my mom and my family. My dad started working on school as custodian

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Our Untold Stories

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