Sweet Home Chicago: Why Students Make
the Windy City Their Home

By Anna Gogala
July 28, 2010

When people make a decision about leaving their country and moving to another place, they usually first think about a specific country they would like to go to. There are many different reasons affecting the decision. Despite some political reasons, most of the people decide to change their place of living because of their economic situation. The U.S is still considered a country where you can find a better paying job and increase your standard of living.

However, there is a great difference between choosing a country and choosing a city within that country.  Some of us know exactly what city they would like to live in, but it is a difficult decision for those that don’t.

What are the most important reasons that make us choose one place versus another? The answer is easier than we may think. Most of us like the idea of moving to another place on Earth, but we like to have somebody familiar there.  It doesn’t have to be a family member.  Sometimes it’s enough to have someone speak the language of our origin. The majority of people that I have talked to chose Chicago because of the family or friends they have here.

“It must be very hard to move to a foreign city full of strangers, especially if you don’t know the language well. I feel lucky that I have some friends here,” said a student from the Philippines.

Some of us cannot even imagine moving to a foreign place with no familiar faces around. For example a student from Russia said she wouldn’t have thought about moving if her aunt wasn’t in Chicago. She went on to say, “It is so convenient because she offered me help and I can stay at her place and I can just study and don’t have to worry about many things.”

So many people from different parts of the world choose Chicago as their new home making the city more diverse and interesting.  Many students I’ve talked to said that they like living here because of the variety of people they can meet. They are happy when they can spend time with friends and family from their countries, but at the same time they have opportunity to get more familiar with the history and culture of other countries.

Other very attractive reasons people choose to make Chicago their home are the architecture, natural scenery, and social scenes.  A student from Poland said, “I’ve been in different places in America, but I like Chicago the best. I’ve just found it very attractive as a city. I like the fact that it has the lake and downtown is great. I also love the weather during the summer.”

It seems that most of us like to visit new countries or cities, but when it comes to choosing a place to live we prefer familiar places that might remind us of home.  When people have a hard time getting used to a new place or when they miss their home, they often like to talk to someone in their own language. They also like to go somewhere they can find their favorite kind of food, buy a newspaper, or rent a movie from their country.

I believe that only those of us who don’t feel a strong connection to their culture or family members they left behind can easily adapt to a new society.  However most of us find it difficult and stressful, even if it’s the most beautiful place in the world.

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