I am Heewon Moon and I came to the United States for a new challenge as an immigrant from South Korea. I have been living in the suburbs of Philadelphia for the past 3 years since I met my husband. We have planned to stay longer in the United States and we live happily with one adorable cat.
As an immigrant, I ran into a barrier of English and I tried to make new friends as an opportunity to experience and speak English. In Korea, I studied English only for my exams at school, especially grammar. As a result, it was very difficult for me to SPEAK ENGLISH. I was always worried about whether the grammar was wrong, whether the expression was correct in English, or what the correct answer was.
As soon as I arrived in America, I had to face a pandemic situation, which made learning English much more difficult. Well, this was pretty much the opposite of my original plan. But while taking several ESL classes at the Philadelphia Free Library, I found that the best way to learn a language was to talk to other people.
I met Yushan Chou in a writing class, and she invited me to the Let’s Talk Philly conversation circle as a facilitator. At the time I didn’t even understand what it was, but I jumped in to do it. I was fortunate enough to meet Maureen as my co-facilitator in Let’s Talk Philly conversation circles, and she led me through amazing things. I learned how to set an agenda and lead the conversation in the circle. After that, I wanted to be fully involved in the conversation circle as a participant. I was able to laugh and chat with the participants. We joked with each other and sometimes shared small routines. Things I do with my friends and I was able to overcome my homesickness with them.
Maureen asked me to join the Let’s Talk Philly Core Team and I gladly accepted. Let’s Talk Philly was a precious program that allowed me to endure a difficult time together, so I wanted to give my support. In this way, I felt myself growing and learned how to interact with others. In the process of trying to communicate everything, not just the verbal aspect, but the gestures, facial expressions, nuances, and emotions, I gradually developed my abilities and skills. The conversations were much more effective than reading a book or watching a video alone.
Through this place and experience, I was able to participate in the Intercultural Wellness Program at The Welcoming Center and had the opportunity to meet more people. I also gained experience working as a team by creating my own action projects and giving presentations in English. And by participating in in-person and online events, I felt a sense of belonging for the first time in the United States.
I came to America alone with no family or friends… Now I can say that I AM NOT ALONE ANYMORE. Ever since I got to know one person by chance, I have been able to meet people. They are gems. There were so many immigrants who had similar difficulties, experiences, and consensus as me. There I found comfort and a lot of cultural resources. In the state of 0, I could feel the satisfaction of being filled one by one. Thank you to all the wonderful people at Let’s Talk Philly for making my beautiful story in America. It was a gift to me.
