Until two years ago, my home was in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My family has lived there for generations, but now we live in Brighton Beach, New York, where there are many, many Russian-speaking people. Russian students in my school helped me find my way when I first arrived. My brother just married a Russian girl he met here. We can go to stores where the shopkeepers speak Russian. Living in this community has helped us make the adjustment to a new country.

 Umsunsay Urmanbetova, age 16