Life and Work in the U.S.

In this issue we continue our New Immigrant Survival Guide series, sharing perspectives on life in the U.S. from remithome members who have immigrated here from the Philippines.

While each of us will have a different immigrant experience based on whether we have friends and family here, what part of the U.S. we live in, the nature of our work, and our own personalities, we can learn a lot from what other immigrants have experienced. As Groucho Marx once commented, “It’s important to learn from the mistakes of others. We don’t have time to make them all ourselves.”

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 New Immigrant Survival Guide: Living and Working in America
Second in a Series of Articles

In last month’s newsletter we provided First Impressions of life in the U.S. from some recent and not-so-recent Philippine immigrants. We continue in this issue with additional observations we’ve received from remithome members about living and working in America.

Life in the U.S.

• “Filipinos are such a big fan of food that they are already thinking about what to have for dinner while eating lunch. Like you hear ‘I’m stuffed. What shall we have for dinner?’ I’m guilty too! So when I moved here in the U.S, I noticed that when you order a meal in restaurants/fast food chains, you get a large amount of food plus a bottomless drink at no extra charge (which I really really like by the way!). In the Philippines, a burger can be finished in three ‘normal’ bites and you have to pay more if you want your drink to be refilled. Here in the U.S, you can barely hold a burger in one hand (unless you have an oversized hand) and there are times that you won’t finish it all. Since you will have leftovers, you don’t have to think about ‘what shall we have for dinner?’”

• “The postal system is very reliable here and mail arrives unopened. People even send checks through the mail. And there are mailboxes on street corners where you can mail letters and small packages without having to stand in line at the post office.”

• “Pedestrians have more rights, so drivers need to respect them. You can get a traffic ticket if you drive through an intersection while a pedestrian is trying to cross the street.”

Working in the U.S.

• “There is casual business relationship with our managers, no ’sir’ or ’mam’. You can raise your opinions without fear. People expect you to be more assertive. You can ask a favor from your boss if it’s part of the job.”

• “Blue-collar workers are more appreciated here in the U.S. As long as you have an honest job, you are respected.”

Shopping in the U.S.

• “Customers are always right. Complaints are taken seriously. Products can be returned and you get your refund right away.”

• “In stores and malls there are not so many staff or security guards as in the Philippines. In some U.S. department stores it is even difficult to find someone who can answer questions or to pay for your purchase.”

• “People use credit cards for everyday purchases instead of cash. A credit card is a necessity, not a status symbol. It is difficult to rent a car, buy a plane ticket, or check into a hotel if you don’t have a credit card.”

• “You can buy almost anything online, even cars.”