Real People. Real Lives. Women Immigrants of New York: Mika, 25, from Japan

Photo by Sasha Nialla

Mika’s photograph and story were curated as part of the photo and storytelling exhibit, “Real People. Real Lives. Women Immigrants of New York.”

It was pretty hard to keep my heart peaceful. My goal was to become a successful model. That means I needed to have the right agency, as well as talent. It wasn’t easy to get there, because New York is the most competitive place in the world. My friend taught me a lot of things to get to the next level. I understood, and I followed upon it. I worked out almost everyday to make my body more beautiful. I studied a lot about what I should eat. I practiced acting, posing, and catwalk. And I learned to speak up, to be proactive, and strong. However, good results took a long to come. At one point I lost myself because of too much focusing on this goal. But I know how to handle it now. To keep peace in my heart, I do yoga. Slowly but certainly, I am getting closer to my dream.

“Real People. Real Lives. Women Immigrants of New York” was a one-time event hosted by New Women New Yorkers at the Centre for Social Innovation on March 24, in honor of Women’s History Month. Read a recap of the event here.