Immigrant stories

New immigrants and especially, women, have a very hard time adjusting to life here. The women in this story tell about the differences and similarities. Very interesting. - - Donna Poisl

Women develop new skills, roles in the United States

By CHARITY BONNER

Imagine you are 20 or 30 years old and you're going swimming for the first time. That was the experience of one group of women who immigrated to the Elgin area. The women told leaders of the Elgin YWCA they had never gone swimming in their lives because they always have been required to keep their bodies covered.

So the YWCA recently covered all the windows to the outside of its pool at 220 E. Chicago St. and set up a private session for the women to swim for the first time. "It impacted them deeply," said Rebecca Walker, coordinator of the YWCA's English as a Second Language and Family Literacy programs. "Sometimes it is the small things that are empowering and liberating to women."
Click on headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.