The promise of a better life, economic gain and opportunities for a new career all make up what the American Dream is all about. For immigrants all around the world, the United States appears to be filled to the brim with opportunity.

In this day and age, immigration is a normal occurrence for the US, and for the people who travel many miles to seek the promise of an improved life, there’s no end to the new experiences and new prospects that the country has to offer.

“I was so young when I migrated from London to Houston, Texas, but I go back to London every single summer to see my family and it’s like a feeling I can’t really put into words. London obviously feels like my home, but Houston holds more chances for me to get a great education and job in healthcare so I stick it out for my future; as do most immigrants, I think,” sophomore Zuena Karim said.

According to the Migration Policy Institute or MPI, in 2013 there were approximately 41.3 million immigrants living in the United States. This country remains a popular destination for immigrants, attracting about 20% of the world’s migrants because of the country’s large economic opportunity factor and promise of a better life. Likewise, immigrants accounted for 13% of the total 316 million US residents.

“The effect immigration has on America shouldn’t be ignored, with it impacting the education systems, job force, and community on the daily, it’s human nature for people want to know more about a subject that is usually swept to the side and forgotten,” sophomore Alexandra Marine said, who is a strong believer in alien rights and a keen adherent to many immigration policies, “I have a firm stance on this particular topic, my mom is from Russia so I’ve always believe in this sort of thing.”

It’s not just the numbers and statistics of the matter that attracts attention, but also how these people feel: walking into unfamiliar alien territory, a countless expanse away from home and the comforts that it encompasses, trying to locate a method to the madness of just finding the way around. It’s fresh and exciting, but can be a daunting task of getting out of the comfort zone one so deftly establishes.

“I moved to America about a year ago from Oslo, Norway and I’ve never felt such culture shock than when I started my first day at Oak,” sophomore Julia Zonneveld said: “I went to an international school where the whole school population was about 600 students, and then to come here where the student population is like 4,000! I’m so happy I got to see this side of the world though, it’s very fresh and puts things into perspective.”