The essay that I chose to read was “Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl Habits” by Suki Kim. In this essay the author explains of a life altering experience where her and her family was living a life where money was of no object, a life where they were millionaires. They lived in a hilltop mansion with gorgeous scenery and perks that people of lower financial class were not privy to such as chauffeurs, private school and special aides to assist with homework. The author further explains how her life of luxury takes a dramatic turn.

Suki goes into detail about how they lost everything in one quick swoop. Her father’s businesses all failed and were bankrupt. She explains how in her country of South Korea that bankrupts was a crime that was punishable with a jail sentence. In a last ditch effort to avoid him going to prison they fled their country with no money to America. They relocate to Woodside, New York. The realization of her new life shows apparent when she explains how she hated her new brownstone home that they are forced to relocate to. She also takes a moment to introduce us to her first “friends” Andy and Billy.

The author then gives the reader the new and different experiences she faces as an immigrant in a brand new place. The young girl who had wealth and opportunity was now no more than another face no special than anyone else. She talks about the racial changes in her life as far as being labeled as Asian and learning that there is a conception that as someone from Asian heritage she has yellow skin. Teachers are another aspect she feels is vastly different. In her country teachers are to be bowed toward and respected and in her new public school.

In the essay she calls the group of teens she was learning the new language with the “1.5 generation”. From her context the 1.5 generation means that she isn’t a member of the 1st generation who are the people who were born in the country and then relocated to another nor a member of the 2nd generation which refers to the children of the 1st generation immigrants. She places herself in the group of the “1.5” meaning she brings with her the characteristics from her old country but continue their assimilation and socialization of their new home. She makes references to this statement by saying how they can listen to American new age music but still have the urge to do Korean karaoke, or celebrating lunar Korean thanksgiving as well as participating the American one. When she talks about this it gives the outlook that she is learning to be able to adjust to the changes in culture even if she still has problems with the financial constraint.

After reading this essay I feel the writer’s purpose was to educate the reader on the feeling of what it’s like to lose everything you had and to verbalize the fear one can having to start in a brand new country with no money having to give up the lavish life for one that requires one to survive and thrive.