First Days

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Nothing challenged my readiness to live in the US more than a chicken sandwich

When he first arrived in America, Afghan student Ali Shahidy knew his English was ready to tackle the tough language of academia. But he never expected to be tripped up by lunch at a fast food restaurant.

Nothing challenged my readiness to live in the US more than a chicken sandwich
Kenneth Rowe is in his early 80s, lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, and still does 60 push-ups every day.

Escaping from North Korea was just the beginning for this American immigrant

Escaping from North Korea was just the beginning for this American immigrant
Gilli Danenberg in second grade (L) when she first arrived in the US from Israel at the age of seven, and Gilli now, age 14.

'A lot of lies came out of my mouth that year'

'A lot of lies came out of my mouth that year'
Born in Afghanistan, Sonita Alizadeh got a full scholarship to go to Wasatch Academy, a boarding school in the heart of Utah.

Afghan teen rapper goes from poverty in Afghanistan to eating sushi in the US

Afghan teen rapper goes from poverty in Afghanistan to eating sushi in the US
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Hip-hop until dawn marked this Colombian singer's days in the US

Hip-hop until dawn marked this Colombian singer's days in the US
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Fresh from Burundi to America — this man is watching war break out from afar

Raphael Nzirubusa remembers feeling torn about staying in the US or joining his family in Burundi while war escalated there in the early 1990s. A priest in the US warned against leaving and told Nzirubusa, "We’ll pray for you, but you’re going to have to stay."

Fresh from Burundi to America — this man is watching war break out from afar
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How Dalí and RC Cola helped a poet laureate find his way in the US

After connecting with his art teacher, poet Alejandro Murguía discovered museums, French writers — and how to enroll in college.

How Dalí and RC Cola helped a poet laureate find his way in the US
Eighth grader Tanzid Sakib goes to public school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He arrived from Bangladesh at the age of 10.

Tanzid Sakib's first experience with an American school literally left him on the floor

Imagine having the chair pulled out from under you the second you walk into a US classroom. Tanzid Sakib can laugh about it now. The teenager from Bangladesh recalls his first days of public school in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Tanzid Sakib's first experience with an American school literally left him on the floor
The author, with her extended family, in India.

Her first days in America were lonely, but this immigrant from India built a life here

Life in India was crowded and full of people. In America, Naazish YarKhan learned to build relationships all over agin.

Her first days in America were lonely, but this immigrant from India built a life here
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Memories of fleeing Vietnam, landing in Idaho and asking people for candy

After anxious days in Guam, Joshua Nguyen remembers restarting life with his family in Idaho and trick-or-treating until midnight.

Memories of fleeing Vietnam, landing in Idaho and asking people for candy
The Truong family arrived to the United States not long after fleeing Vietnam in 1975, when the then-capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, fell to the North Vietnamese army. Thu-Thuy Truong, far right, places bunny ears above her brother, Sy.

New to America, this young Vietnamese refugee wanted to ‘erase’ his past

A brother and sister remember their abrupt start to a new life in America after they fled collapsing South Vietnam. It's one story among the many collected by StoryCorps from Vietnamese refugees whose lives were changed by the fall of Saigon in 1975.

New to America, this young Vietnamese refugee wanted to ‘erase’ his past
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She 'escaped' to America, but the pace of life, and even the words, made her miss home

Writer Ethel Rohan “ran away” from Ireland to restart her life in the United States, but she still remembers the fondness in her dad’s voice when she called home.

She 'escaped' to America, but the pace of life, and even the words, made her miss home
Author Nayomi Munaweera was born in Sri Lanka, and then moved with her family to Birnin Kebi, Nigeria, to avoid civil war. Here Munaweera stands with her mother, Mali, and younger sister, Namal.

After escaping turmoil in Sri Lanka and Nigeria, her next hurdle was surviving LA schools

Nayomi Munaweera was born in Sri Lanka, raised in Nigeria — and then fled that country for the US after a coup. Now, she's published her first novel and recounts the difficulties of learning the ins and outs of teen life in Los Angeles, including her first encounters with hairspray.

After escaping turmoil in Sri Lanka and Nigeria, her next hurdle was surviving LA schools
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When this Palestinian man first came to the US, the bus rides were tough but 'The Patriot' gave him hope

It was a rough start for this young Palestinian, who moved to Missouri at age 13. Once on his feet, though, he helped other newcomers get by.

When this Palestinian man first came to the US, the bus rides were tough but 'The Patriot' gave him hope
Eight-year-old Susan Cruz enjoying her first Christmas in the United States in 1978.

What does it take for a Salvadoran girl to make her way in America?

Music was a lifeline for eight-year-old Susan Cruz, when she and her mother fled violence in El Salvador in 1978 and headed for California. In this next in our series on immigrants' first days in the US, Cruz looks back on her tumultuous introduction to America.

What does it take for a Salvadoran girl to make her way in America?
Abu Eghan at Ohio State University, shortly after arriving to the United States in 1979. Back then, he says, he thought he would get his degree and head back home. But as the political situation in Ghana grew worse, his friends and family warned him not t

How music helped one Ghanaian fight off loneliness during his first days in America

Before email and Skype, a Ghanian remembers sending home cassette tapes filled with his thoughts about life in the United States.

How music helped one Ghanaian fight off loneliness during his first days in America
Marjorie Agosin

First Days: This Chilean poet recalls hiding in a closet to avoid going to school in Athens, Georgia

Poet and author Marjorie Agosin was born in the US but she and her family moved back to Chile when she was just 3-months-old. Then, when she was a teenager, they decided to move back to the US. They settled in Athens, Georgia. Agosin tells us the story of her first days in the US.

First Days: This Chilean poet recalls hiding in a closet to avoid going to school in Athens, Georgia