Before I came to Australia, I was very nervous about moving here. When I packed my clothes into my suitcase, I asked myself "What will Australian people think of me?" I have lived here for almost three months now. I think I get along well with the locals, but they see me a little differently than Americans do, especially when I first meet them.
My parents came from the Philippines. My brother and I were born in the United States because my parents moved from the Philippines to California when they were young adults. My brother and I look Filipino, but we are American citizens who enjoy American things like watching the Simpsons and eating burgers from In-N-Out with our friends. When I'm at home in California or at college in New York, I think people see me as a Filipina right when they meet me. They will ask me questions like "When did your parents come to America?" or "What's your favorite Filipino food?" They aren't really surprised when they find out that I was born in the United States. A lot of immigrants, like my parents, come to America and have children, who are American citizens since birth.
In Australia, my experience with meeting people is a little bit different. When I have a conversation with them, they notice my American accent right away.
