My name is Avery, and I am 11 years old. My mom and I just arrived in America from Mexico, and we are at Ellis Island in New York City. We hope to find new job opportunities and live the American dream here.

    I feel a bit nervous about being in a new place. Everything is unfamiliar, and I worry about how I will fit in. But I know that with my mom by my side, I will be okay. Many people from different countries have come to America because they want a better life, just like us.

    Our first task is to find a new home. Luckily, my aunt has offered to let us stay with her, but we will need to help her pay rent. I am excited to start this new chapter in our lives and find our new home together!

    After my mom and I left Ellis Island, we began searching for our new home. New York City is very big, so it was hard to find the right street. My mom asked a local person for help, hoping they could point us in the right direction.

    Once we found the street, we carefully looked at each house we passed. My aunt had told us to look for a statue of liberty flag on her porch. That flag would show us we were at the right place.

    Finally, we spotted the flag! We were so excited to find our new home. We knocked on the door, and my aunt answered with a big smile. She was just as happy to see us as we were to see her.

That night, we rested together and talked about our journey. It felt good to be with family and to know that we were starting a new adventure in America.

    After my mom and I set up our new home, we got jobs at a clothing factory. There, we sewed different kinds of clothes for our factory owners. They would judge our work, and if we made mistakes, it would cost us some of our pay. We were also shocked to learn that we had to work 13-hour days for very little money.

    The working conditions were really tough, but we kept going. It was hard to see that there were even children as young as six years old working in the factory. This made me realize how serious our situation was.

    We heard from other workers that if our factory owner found out we were complaining, we could get fired. So, we decided to keep quiet and just focus on our work.

Even though it was difficult, my mom and I were determined to make it through. 

    While I was sewing clothes at the factory, I met a girl named Lily. She told me that she immigrated to America when she was just six years old with her mom. Hearing her story made me feel less alone in this new place. I explained to Lily that I wasn’t very good at sewing, and she kindly offered to teach me how to do it the right way.

    For hours, Lily showed me the correct way to sew. She encouraged me to keep working hard, and I started to feel more confident in my skills. I really enjoyed making a new friend, especially since I often felt lonely in this new country.

    After Lily taught me her sewing skills, we went outside to enjoy our short lunch break. It felt nice to take a break and chat with her. I was grateful to have someone like Lily by my side, helping me learn and feel more at home.

    During our lunch break, Lily and I spent time getting to know each other better. She told me that she wants to be a pastry chef one day, and I told her I believe in her dreams. Lily also mentioned that her home country is Germany. She misses it, but she understands why she had to come to America.

    I shared my own dream with Lily. I told her that I want to be a singer when I grow up. She smiled and said she could imagine me singing. I explained to her that I came from Mexico with my mom and that I didn’t like working long hours with short breaks. Lily agreed and said that we weren’t being treated fairly.

    As we continued talking, we learned more about each other’s lives. Our short lunch breaks flew by as we chatted about our hopes and dreams. By the end of lunch, I felt like we were becoming close friends. I knew that this friendship would help us both as we faced challenges in this new country.

During my break with my mom, we went to the grocery store to buy food for my aunt's dinner that night. While we were shopping, I wanted to ask my mom about our working conditions at the factory. I was curious if they were fair.

    I finally asked her if we were being treated fairly at work. My mom told me that we weren't getting fair treatment. She explained that some people had started to protest against the unfair conditions. I felt hopeful when I heard that others were fighting for change.

    I then asked my mom if we would ever join one of those protests. She shook her head and said no. My mom explained that we still had to pay rent to our aunt, and it wasn’t sure our boss would make any changes. Hearing this made me understand how hard our situation was. Even though I wanted to fight for better conditions, I knew we had to be careful.    

    As my aunt cooked dinner, my mom and I set the table. My aunt was a great cook, especially because she always made my favorite dish, Pozole. Tonight, she prepared it just for me, and I was excited to eat!

    While we enjoyed our dinner, I listened to my mom and aunt talk about their lives. They shared stories about being immigrants in America and joked about their childhoods. They also talked about my grandparents, which helped me learn more about my family.

    After dinner, my mom and I helped wash the dishes and clean up. We wanted to thank my aunt for all her help. It felt nice to work together as a family, and I appreciated everything she did for us.

Once we finished cleaning, we knew we had a long day of work ahead of us. Even though it would be tough, I felt proud to be part of a family that supported each other.

    The next day at work was just like usual. We sewed for hours, hoping we wouldn’t make any mistakes. I had seen what happened to those who did mess up, and it was scary. But today was special because I ranked up from training and became a true seamstress!

    I was excited to tell Lily about my promotion, but I was surprised she wasn’t there. We never got days off, so I wondered where she was. After my promotion, I went to my new area, and I was happy to be closer to my mom while we worked.

    Just as I started to settle in, I heard the factory owner call my mom downstairs for a meeting. My heart raced because I didn’t know what was going to happen. I hoped she would be okay and that she wouldn’t face any trouble.