Our readers write from Nebraska

My life in the USA
by Alicia Flores
( Benson High School Senior, Omaha, Nebraska)

   I came to the United States six years ago from Durango, Mexico. My first days here were very hard because I didn’t know anybody. I decided to set my first goals. I decided to go to school. Then when I would know more, in about one on two years, I would start looking for a job. I did it. 
   I am in high school, and I found a job in a Mexican restaurant called Guaca-maya. I started as a hostess and they paid me $6.50 an hour. Then I became a waitress and they paid me $7.00 an hour. But that got boring, and I became a cashier and they paid me $9.50 an hour. 
    But I hope to become a history teacher some day.  I will not be doing this for money.  I will be doing it for the pleasure of teaching. 
   This is my life in the past, present, and future in the United States.

The USA is a paradise
by Koevi (Nicole) Ayelevi
(Benson High School Magnet senior, Omaha, Nebraska)

When I was in my home country, Togo, people talked about the USA, that it was a paradise. On TV they showed beautiful places like California, Florida, Washington, and Arizona.
I used to say to myself, “One day I will come and live in the United States." In my country the USA embassy has something called a visa lottery. If you win that you can come to the USA and become a citizen. I went to play that lottery and I won. I had one year to find money. With the help of my father I came to the USA to live in Nebraska.

My favorite book
by Daisy Chica
(Benson High School Magnet freshman, Omaha, Nebraska)

            Many people don’t like to read. I don’t really like to read either. But I know reading is good for learning. I do have a favorite book though. It is called “Please don’t ask me to love you”. This book is really interesting. When I first started to read it I knew I was going to like it. I recommend people to read this book. This book takes you to another world where you can see things differently. I felt like I was living the story in real life. I have read this book so many times and I never get bored of reading it. It is just amazing. I can read it over and over again and every time I read it I live a new life.

Coming to the USA
by Sahro Hussein
( Benson High School Magnet, Omaha, Nebraska)

            I came to the United States from Somalia, Africa.
            It was May of 2006 when my beloved sister sent us visas. She told my family that we were accepted to live and work in the United States.  We were very pleased. Everybody thought that we are going to the most precious place in the world.  Our neighbors all cried because they were jealous of us.  If a person failed the interview for their visa that person would be crying all day. They think that they would miss the light of their clear future.
            I personally thought that money grows on trees in America. My sister Nasro thought that every American individual is rich and has three or more cars and houses. She never thought that there are poor or homeless people in the U.S.  America is not the way I thought when I was in Africa but there are a lot of opportunities.