At John Jay College, we know that our diversity is our strength. A vital component of that diversity comes from our proud immigrant community. Over 30 percent of the John Jay student population identifies as being an immigrant—a number that balloons if we consider students who are children of immigrants. In an effort to acknowledge, celebrate, and better understand the immigrant experience at John Jay, we’ve created this article series called “An Immigrant Story.” Here, we hope to share the rich, varied, and inspiring journeys of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni from our immigrant community.

Gloria Lee ’23, a Public Administration major and APPLE Corps student, has a unique immigrant story. She was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, but lived most of her life, in Bucheon, South Korea. “My parents came to the U.S. in 1992 in search of more opportunities, but after my sister and I were born here, they decided to move back to South Korea and raise us there,” explains Lee. “My parents are very proud of our culture and where we come from. They took us to live in South Korea because they wanted us to have that cultural experience, so that we could know our roots and history.”

After several years in South Korea, Lee’s parents decided they wanted their daughters to attend college in America, so they returned to Flushing, in hopes of providing them with a competitive and thorough education. Despite being born in the U.S., Lee often feels like a new comer to the country. “I very much consider myself an immigrant. I may have been born in Flushing, Queens, but I lived most of my life in Korea. Being back in New York now, everything feels new to me. I’m proud to call myself an immigrant.”

Feeling Cultural Pride
When Lee speaks of South Korea, her face lights up. There’s no denying that she feels a great sense of pride in her Korean roots. She loves Bucheon—“the city has such a lively atmosphere, we have 24/7 karaoke, the shops are always open, and people like to have fun”—and is particularly proud of the country’s history, more specifically her ancestor’s role in Korea’s fight for independence. “One of my favorite traditions in Korea is our Independence Day on August 15. My great, great grandfather, on my maternal side, was an activist and had a role in the struggle for Korea’s independence. Every year, on Independence Day, I ask my mom to repeat his story to me and to talk about our family,” says Lee. “I feel so proud of him and of my family’s history.”

Acclimating to an American Classroom
In 2014, at 16 years old, Lee moved back to Queens, where she says the transition to an American classroom wasn’t easy. “Going to school in the U.S., I found it really challenging, especially the cultural and language differences. In South Korea, there is only one race, and one official language,” says Lee. “Here in America, culture, race, and language is much more eclectic.” In her high school classroom, Lee was taken aback by the vast cultural differences between South Korea and the U.S. “Back in South Korea, we wore a uniform to school, and here there is so much freedom to wear whatever you want. That was really amazing to me.” Lee was also often corrected by her classmates in a manner that made her feel embarrassed. “I remember one of my first days in high school here, trying to get the teacher’s attention. I was saying, ‘teacher, teacher.’ One of my classmates, called me out and said, ‘Gloria, we don’t do that here. We call our teachers by their name.’ I was shocked, not only because I was being called out, but because in Korea, we refer to them by their profession.”

Interning in Public Service
One positive aspect of Lee’s high school experience was the opportunity to intern for Queens Councilman Peter Koo, where she got a taste of life in public service. “It was a five-month internship that allowed me to work directly with the Korean community in Queens. It was nice to speak with people who were facing similar experiences as immigrants and helping them find their way to resources and solutions,” says Lee. “Interning with Councilman Koo and working in his office showed me that I have a real passion for helping my community. It’s the moment I knew I wanted to work in public service.” With her passion for public service in mind, Lee started applying to colleges and zeroed in on her dream school. “I knew I had to apply to John Jay because of its close ties to community work and public service. And while I considered going into law enforcement, I thought I would have a greater impact on my community by majoring in public administration. I’m very happy I decided to come to John Jay.”

Finding Support at John Jay
At John Jay and in the APPLE Corps program, Lee has found a supportive and welcoming community that celebrates diversity, accepts cultural differences, and doesn’t judge. “When you are new in a country and learning the language, trying to understand the different cultures and customs, you can accidentally say the wrong thing and sometimes unintentionally offend people,” says Lee. “Here at John Jay, people do not judge me. They don’t make me feel bad for not understanding something or saying something wrong. Instead, they take their time to help me understand and help me improve. That’s made a real difference in my life.”

She also credits her APPLE Corps peer success coach and cohort for building up her confidence. “They have been incredibly supportive throughout my time at John Jay, providing me with academic, career, and personal support. They have always been patient with me and never made fun of me,” says Lee. “As an immigrant, coming to a College that is as diverse as John Jay—an institution that has a lot of immigrants in the community—has been incredibly beneficial and life changing. At the College I have a non-judgmental community that has embraced me and given me support 110 percent. It’s because of John Jay, I feel seen and like I matter. John Jay enabled me and my family to embrace this beautiful experience of being a global citizen. To me, that is a beautiful thing, and I couldn’t be happier.”