In Social Studies right now we are learning about immigration. This morning we interviewed some immigrants. My group interviewed Mrs. Hildebrand. She is from Hong Kong. She told us about some of the similarities and differences between our cultures. She said that one difference is the respect level between children and adults. Another difference is that people in Hong Kong put other people above them. When Mrs. Hildebrand first came to the U.S., and someone offered her something, she would say no because someone had to do something special, extra, or out of their way for her. It took her a while to figure out that its not always like that in America. In school in Hong Kong the teacher was talking and the kids were only listening. Not asking any questions or interacting with the teacher at all. She also told us about some of the challenges that came with coming here. She didn’t have any friends or family here. She didn’t know how to pronounce most people’s names or names of places/stores. She said that the food is very different here and that it took a while to get used to. She still makes some Chinese food in her house, but she says that American food is much easier to prepare, so she likes making American food. I really enjoyed talking to her because it gave me a new view on life in another place.