Giulia Brancato

What country are you from?

 Brazil.

Do you speak more than one language? If so, which ones?

I speak Portuguese as my first language and English as my second language.

How many years ago did you immigrate here?

Almost two years ago.

What is your current citizen status?

I have a green card.

How hard was the immigration process?

It takes a very long time to get a green card. Because we were moving for my mom’s job, it was easier for us, but we were nervous about if we were going to be accepted or not. Waiting for a green card takes a lot of patience. I know someone who applied for a green card two years ago and is still waiting for it to be approved. 

Socially, moving here was also hard. I did take 13 years of English at my school in Brazil, but it was just basic English. Everyone talks so fast here! It was hard, but you get used to it.

Why did your family decide to leave the country?

My mom’s job got transferred and it was a better opportunity for all of us.

What has your experience in America and at North Allegheny been like?

When I lived in Brazil, it was a really small school. We didn’t have as much opportunity as we do here. Since NA is so big, there are so many classes and you can choose your own schedule. It’s really different, but it’s really good.

Have you visited Brazil since you moved to the US?

The first time I went back to Brazil was in 2017 for Christmas and New Years. We all missed each other so much and were so glad to see everyone. It was really hard to come back here because it’s summer in Brazil and winter in Pittsburgh. I was going to the beach and getting tan on Christmas break then I had to come back to snow.

We went back this year too and it was the same amazing experience, getting to see everyone again and celebrating.

The food there was amazing as always. I was eating like crazy the whole time. I love the fresh juice there. Since you don’t have that here, I try to drink as much as I can when I’m there.

Is there anything that you miss from Brazil?

Almost everything. I have friends and family who all still live in Brazil. My dad lives there because my parents are divorced, so I really miss him.

The food. Oh my gosh, the food there. I can’t even pick what I miss the most because it’s all so amazing.

What’s the biggest difference in school life?

Everything. In Brazil, you’re in a class of 20-30 students and the teachers change classes while you stay in the same room. We have mandatory classes and we don’t get to pick anything. It’s really hard in Brazil. Here you have sciences 9th-biology, 10-chemistry, 11-physics. When I got to sophomore year, I had three branches of chemistry, three branches of physics, and three branches of math all at the same time. We had really hard stuff every day. Here, it’s more flexible, allowing you to pick what you want to do in your future.

One thing that I liked at school there is the familiarity with your classmates. Since you’re with everyone, you get to know everybody. You get to be friends with everyone.

Is there any change in the way people act or behave here?

In Brazil, people are warmer and friendlier towards each other. Here, people are more individual and keep to themselves. It’s two very different cultures with different manners and everything.

Do you get to go out more or are there more things to do?

The big difference is that everything here closes really early. In Brazil restaurants would close around midnight or 1AM. My family eats dinner at home around 10PM, but everyone around here is like “It’s 5PM! Let’s have dinner!” So it’s different.

Here you definitely need a car to go out to eat and have fun. Where I lived, you could get everywhere by walking.

How is the location different? 

I hate the cold. I have to say that. Brazil is a tropical country, so we don’t get snow. Our version of cold is like spring or fall here. It’s different because we don’t have heaters in our houses. When it would get chilly, we would go inside and just be really cold. It’s a big change because here it snows and half the year is winter.

I went to Chile once, so I had seen snow, but I had never seen it falling. It was really cool and really pretty.

Also having snow days is really nice.

What is the greatest opportunity you’ve had at North Allegheny?

The counselors. They really help us see what we can do and they can open doors for us.

NA has a lot of field trips, and I got to visit Kent State. We don’t have those kinds of trips and experiences in Brazil.

What is your favorite memory at North Allegheny?

Meeting different people. It’s a big school, so there are different cultures and so many people. I didn’t take ESL (English as a Second Language), but I get to know a lot of foreign students anyway and everyone is so nice and inclusive.