Gyuri Han
How has your or your family’s immigration story played a role in your life or shaped your identity?
“I moved to the US when I was nine years old, and I moved to the US without knowing a single word of English, so that was a really huge transition for me, especially in terms of making friends. So I would say I was pretty insecure up until seventh grade. That’s when I actually felt comfortable speaking in English. And I think that’s when I officially considered myself fluent in English. And, throughout that time, I think I was really afraid to speak to people. I was very insecure and actually pretty shy when I talked to people. But now I am very outgoing and I’m very social, and I would really love to talk to even strangers. And I think that’s also because I used to be too afraid to speak to people because of the language barrier - now I want to reach out to other people if they are shy to make them feel more comfortable.”
Is there anything you would want to say to your younger self when you had just immigrated? Or to any other immigrants who are facing similar hardships?
“The biggest thing I would probably say is to trust in yourself. If you feel that there is no one else to depend on externally, depend on yourself, because in the end, it’s you who will be comfortable fitting into the society that you are in. And in the end, you are going to be completely fine as long as you believe in yourself and trust that whatever you do is what you’ll be proud of, and whatever you do is what you represent as an immigrant and how you contribute to the society.”
What prompted you to share your story today, and what do you hope to give to your community?
“Well, I definitely feel like I’m not a unique immigrant. All immigrant stories are very unique and have individualities, but I feel like I’m just one out of thousands and thousands of people. And, I feel that the more stories that are told, the stronger the impact will be. I just want the rest of the campus and the rest of the society to realize that people do come really far from where they were, and that people can actually turn over the table and just show themselves and express themselves as who they are in a way that’s not affiliated with or, I guess, converted in an American society. We have our own little culture, and we are very unique, so I feel like sharing my story is good for spreading that.”
