What is the gap between the life of new immigrants in the United States and your imagination?

Immigrating to the United States, many immigrants imagine a fast pace of life. Everyone dressed up and hurried in and out of the tall building. Holding a mobile phone is an investment of tens of thousands. In fact, the real immigrant life in America is not like this. Let me tell you the real life of American immigrants.

Brief introduction of American immigrants

government

The United States is a representative democracy, and its government has three branches: legislation, administration and justice. In Washington, DC, you will find many important places related to these three branches, including the US Capitol, the White House and the US Supreme Court.

The United States has federal laws that apply to the whole country. In addition, each state, county and city has its own government and laws to manage the sale of tobacco and alcohol.

language

There is no official language in the United States, but English is the most commonly used language, and English is the official language of some States. Because of the large Latino population in the United States, the usage rate of Spanish is increasing. Besides English, the most commonly used languages in the United States are Spanish, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, French, German, Korean, Arabic, Russian and Italian.

religion

Religious freedom is one of the cornerstones of America. There is no official state religion in the United States, but the diverse population believes in many religions and spiritual beliefs. No matter whether tourists go to small towns or big city centers, they can find places to worship.

Town life

As a native of China, most of us are used to city life and convenient public transportation. The discomfort of coming to a small American town may spread like homesickness. Maybe you live in a remote town, which is a few hours' drive from the nearest big city. There is only one street in the center of the town, only a barber shop and a few scattered small restaurants. Then the focus of your life will be on school, eating in the canteen, studying in the library, getting together in classmates' rooms, having a picnic on the campus lawn and playing Frisbee. If you want to go to a distant place for dinner and shopping on weekends, you must ask your classmates with cars for help, and then make plans in advance. Once in a while, I will suddenly feel a sense of excitement when I go to the city. For the inexplicable panic of the crowd, these will tell you that you have adapted well in the town.

Dress

Students who often watch American movies or TV series may think that Americans are very open and dressed brightly. Before you go to America, you may buy a lot of beautiful clothes, hoping to create a good image and leave a good impression on everyone. When you really step into the university campus, you will find that this kind of dress seems a bit out of place. The most common clothes for students on campus are probably cotton T-shirts or hoodies and jeans with the logo of the university name bought from the campus store. And feet are flip-flops or winter snow boots all year round. Their aim is to be comfortable and casual, and sometimes it doesn't matter if they look sloppy. If one day you go out dressed up, someone will stop to admire your dress and ask if you have any important occasions to attend. Therefore, when you return to China during the summer vacation, your parents and friends are likely to sigh, why did you go to the United States and become a native?

Like free food.

You may often hear people say that China people like to take advantage of petty advantages. In fact, Americans are the same. When Ben&; When Jerry's ice cream shop delivers ice cream for free, you will see a long line at the door of the shop. And you will be shocked to find that there are so many people in the town who don't know where they are at ordinary times and suddenly appear when they have free activities. Free food activities at school are also very popular, no matter what the content is. Although sometimes it's just pizza and coke, the popularity will always be high because of the gimmicks of free food.

Healthy diet

When it comes to American food, you must think of hamburgers, French fries and coke first, and then you will shake your head and sigh that they are all junk food. In fact, many Americans also attach great importance to the health of their diet, from calorie intake to nutritional collocation. The pursuit of health always leads to the overcrowding of salad bars and sandwich bars in canteens, because you can choose healthy vegetable salads and cold sandwiches that suit your taste. Similarly, you can choose a bottle of vitamin water or fruit juice. Usually, the menu in the canteen will also indicate the calories contained in each dish for your reference. Some serious students will also take out a small notebook with them to record their daily calorie intake in order to maintain healthy and nutritious eating habits.

study hard

Some people say that education in the United States is a happy education. Students don't do their homework and the academic burden is very light, so Americans don't attend classes and study all day, while China people work hard. In fact, American universities have a heavy workload. Many students can only sleep for four or five hours a day in order to finish a lot of homework and participate in extracurricular activities. When I arrived at an American university, I found that American students also worked hard and their serious attitude towards learning was simple. First of all, the attendance rate in class is very high. Because each class is rich in content and information, truancy is extremely rare. Moreover, American students are very active in class. Whenever the teacher asks questions or needs to discuss in class, everyone will be very devoted to thinking and discussing, and often express their opinions and face red. Of course, after-school study is also an important part. Often at one or two o'clock in the morning, you can see diligent students knocking on the keyboard to write papers in the library. This is especially true during the exam. Everyone seems to be racing against time, hoping to absorb something efficiently every minute. There are countless floors in the library. As a student in China who is often labeled as studying hard, are you under pressure?

Precautions for American immigrants

1. Many China people have no idea of tipping when they first arrive in the United States, which often makes everyone embarrassed. In fact, tipping is needed in many places in the United States, such as restaurants and haircuts. , usually accounting for10%-15% of consumption; Hotels, taxis, etc. Usually only need 1 to 3 yuan. In addition, you should also know that American restaurants usually have only one waiter at a table. Who ordered it for you in the first place? Ask him if he will be all right later. Because your tip is only paid to him, other waiters have no obligation to help you.

2. Rebate and cash back are both commonly used promotional methods in the United States. The so-called rebate is to fill out an application form, pay the computer bar code (UPC) of the product and send it to the manufacturer together with the receipt, and they will send you a check. Cash back is to return the cash directly to you when you check out. Ps: Good thrifty habits are the foundation of studying abroad.

3. Many occasions will require identification documents, especially those with photos, such as opening an account in a bank, ordering wine in restaurants and bars, shopping by check, and picking up packages at the post office. The documents that can be used to prove identity include driver's license (passport, birth certificate and residence certificate can be handled at the local automobile supervision station), student ID card and credit card. Ps: You can get a driver's license after the written test, but you can't drive. You need to take another road test before you can drive.

4. To study in America, you must have compulsory insurance. Most schools expressly stipulate that you can't register without insurance. The cost of student insurance is about 500 to 1000 dollars. The whole family is about two thousand to three thousand yuan. When choosing insurance, you should pay attention to the possible diseases, whether they are within the scope of protection and what is the proportion of protection. Insurance in the United States is a partial payment, which must exceed a certain amount. This amount is called deductible. The coverage of general insurance is "medically necessary". Attachment: if the school does not need to apply, the cost of dental treatment is not covered by insurance; Serious illness generally requires you to buy your own insurance.

American society is almost a card age now, so we should not bring too much cash to avoid danger. Sometimes it is not convenient to use hundred-dollar bills in restaurants. It is best to carry your own ATM card and credit card with you for easy use. Even so, you might as well bring more quarters. On the one hand, you can make a phone call. On the other hand, you can tip or use other coins. Attachment: If you withdraw a large amount of cash (more than 2000 dollars), you need to make a reservation by phone in advance.

6. All kinds of bills should be paid on time, and the deadline for payment will be indicated on the bill, preferably one week in advance. If you are late, you will not only be fined, but also lose your credit. Ps: In America, credit is more important than anything else. If the credit is not good, it will be difficult to buy a house, a car or even a job in the future.

7. Americans like to keep pets, especially dogs and cats, but it is best not to tease their owners' dogs without their consent. When Americans take their dogs for a walk in residential areas, they will bring tools and bags to remove the feces from the dogs. Responsible Americans will take their dogs and cats to the vet for birth control surgery. In the United States, dog abuse is equivalent to human abuse, and friends who don't like dogs need to avoid it.

When someone sneezes, Americans will say "God bless you" to him in unison, and the sneezer will also say "thank you". Avoid burping in public places. If you accidentally burp, you have to say "I'm sorry" quickly. Remember, knowing and following simple living habits will help you integrate well into American society.

9. Don't talk loudly in American public places, such as buses and subways, and pay attention to queuing up to get on the bus.

10. Halloween is a custom in North America. Children will knock at the door. You need to prepare some sweets, or your window may be unsafe. P.S. This is a custom in North America, and the police won't care. More preparation is the last word.

1 1. It's very important to rent a house in America. Schools are more expensive but the safety factor is higher; You are relatively free to rent outside, and you have more choices, and the cost will be relatively cheap, but it depends on whether the room rate includes various utilities. Ps: Try to avoid renting in the black area, which is relatively cheap but the safety factor is really not high.

12. Boxing Day is an annual discount day in the United States, and it is also the best time for Chinese to purchase. If you need to buy the goods you like, you need to queue up early, otherwise there will be no good things.

A popular immigrant city

The three states with the most immigrants.

According to CNN Money, Pew Research Center analyzed the number of immigrants in each state according to the data of 20 14 census. The data shows that California has the largest immigrant population, with1050,000. Since 1970, California has never lost this top spot.

According to Pew's analysis, 25% of legal and illegal immigrants in the United States are located in California. The immigrant population of Texas and new york is 4.5 million, accounting for 1 1% of all immigrants, and tied for second place. In recent decades, immigrants from Mexico, South Asia and East Asia have risen sharply, making the immigrant population in Texas and California grow steadily since the 1970s. 56% immigrants from Texas come from Mexico, and Mexican immigrants from California account for 4 1%. Immigrants in new york are more diverse. Mexican immigrants account for 6% of the immigrants in the state, which is the smallest group. Other immigrants come from Asia, Central America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean.

Many people from Texas have also left the United States.

According to a survey released by Pew at the end of last year, with the strengthening of immigration law enforcement in the United States, from 2009 to 20 14, 654.38 million Mexicans and their families (including American-born children) left the United States voluntarily, while 870,000 Mexicans entered the United States during the same period.

According to the CNN Money website, the study said that these Mexicans left the United States for a variety of reasons, the most important of which are two points: one is the slow economic recovery in the United States, and the other is missing their relatives in their hometown.

Immigrant-friendly city

Austin, Texas

The floating population is about 1.5 million, accounting for 1.9% of the city's total population. Hispanic immigrants have the largest population, nearly doubling since 1995, and the share of Asian immigrants is also large. The city has made continuous efforts to overcome the language barrier of immigrant life and created more employment opportunities.

Seattle _ Washington.

The immigrant population has exceeded 654.38 million, accounting for more than 17% of the city's total population. Most of them are from Asia, but some are from Europe, Latin America and Africa. The local police station has set up a 10 advisory committee to solve the problems of ethnic minorities.