Boxes packed, goodbyes said and a new city ahead — moving can feel like hitting reset. For Anthony Nguyen (12) and Alina Liu (12), the move to Memphis was more than just a change in scenery. It meant adjusting to new routines, new classmates and a different definition of “home” and what that feels like.
Nguyen moved from New Jersey to Tennessee during the summer of his fifth grade year primarily because of his family’s presence in the South and the addition of Memphis’s lower cost of living.
“I went from more [of] a lower-class [household] in New Jersey to more middle-class — like I live in Cordova,” Nguyen said. “I remember [that] I used to live in a really small apartment building in New Jersey.”
While Nguyen moved once, Liu moved through several cities both in and outside the United States before eventually settling in Memphis. Born in Athens, Ohio, Liu lived in Chicago, Qingdao and Montreal before her family relocated to Memphis when her father began working for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She has now lived in Memphis for seven years. Despite being born in the U.S., Liu did not know much about Memphis before she moved.
“[F]rom a foreign perspective, I guess, all I would know about America is New York, California [and] Texas — like the big [states],” Liu said. “I knew [Memphis] was [a] Southern [city, but] I thought it would be more rural [because] it was in the South.”
Before moving, Liu was excited to experience the “classic American high school experience” with homecoming, football games and prom. However, as she learned more about Memphis, she also heard about the city’s crime rates, which made her hesitant about the move.
“I was concerned hearing it was pretty dangerous [in Memphis] because I’ve lived in some pretty safe places,” Liu said. “[However, in my experience], it hasn’t happened to me where I’ve encountered a particularly dangerous situation myself, but I also see a lot of news from the other parts of Memphis that are pretty bad … But thankfully, I was just not in that part of the city.”
While Liu’s concerns were based on the things she had heard about Memphis, Nguyen noticed after moving to Memphis the difference between the walkability of his hometown and the extent of Memphis’s car-dependent infrastructure.
“[New Jersey] was a really walkable town,” Nguyen said. “I could go to the convenience store, walk to the high school, walk to my elementary school and walk to the local pizza joint. There would be more local stores and less big corporations per se. [For example], in Memphis, you have to drive on the highway to go anywhere.”
Like Liu, Nguyen also felt that the sense of safety and independence he had growing up in New Jersey did not translate to Memphis.
“[New Jersey] feels more like a community, in a sense, because Memphis is so big,” Nguyen said. “As a kid, assuming your parents would let you, you could walk across town. You could go to the playground; if you had money, go to a restaurant. If you’re a kid here [in Memphis], you’re totally unsafe, and you can’t do any of that. I remember I could walk to a different town if I wanted to and feel safe. Here, you’ll always be in Memphis — you’ll have to drive everywhere.”
Despite the shifty city infrastructure, Memphis stands out in terms of community. The warmth and connection Liu found have made the city feel more like home.
“I’d say all [of] the people I’ve met here at the school and the friends I’ve made [have] really made it fun, [because] I wouldn’t know what I would do here without the people I know,” Liu said.
