Immigrant families face extra challenges while living in Central Illinois

This family from France relocated temporarily to the Midwest for a job and are going back home next June. They tell some of the struggles they had. Imagine how hard it is for families with low wage jobs, little education and several small children. DP

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

When the Garrido family moves back to France in June after three years in the Twin Cities, they will take a newfound love of baseball, better English language skills and Halloween decorations.

"It was very hard the first year," said Mireilla Garrido of when the family moved to the Twin Cities for her husband's job with Flexitech Inc. in Bloomington.

"It's OK now," said Garrido who works part time as a child-care provider for the McLean, Livingston, DeWitt Regional Office of Education's family literacy and English as a Second Language program at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bloomington.

Mireilla and husband Pascal Garrido moved to Normal when their twins were 9 years old, and have gone through the same challenges any parents do when students start a new school, compounded by the fact they are in a new country and using a new primary language.

"It's hard to help with homework," their mom said. She would explain things in French and they'd have to translate back.

Initially, Max and Coraline, now 12, weren't thrilled about leaving friends and family in France for their dad's job, but now they have mixed emotions about returning and leaving new friends.

"We're happy to have friends on both sides of the world," Max said.

The Garridos aren't alone in adapting their parenting skills from another country to life in McLean County.

About 5.6 percent of the new students in Bloomington District 87 this year transferred in from another country. Some of the dozen countries they hail from include Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Thailand, and Spain.

At Oakland Elementary School in Bloomington, for example, 15 languages are spoken among the 480 students. A variety of Indian languages are the most frequently spoken.
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