The Future Bilingual Teachers Academy is training young students to become bilingual teachers. DP
UNT offers a summer camp with the aim of cultivating the talents of young people who want to become bilingual teachers
By DIANE SMITH, STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
STAR-TELEGRAM.com: Sam Munoz helped teach his younger siblings English.
The 18-year-old has long been his father's editor, checking the spelling and grammar of the lumber supervisor's work-related papers.
"I was fluent since I was little," Munoz said, explaining that he wants to use his talents in bilingual education classrooms. "I understood everything going on around me in Spanish or English."
Every year, an average of 20,000 limited English proficient, students enroll in Texas schools, fueling a demand for qualified bilingual education and English as a second language teachers. At the University of North Texas, experts are hoping to fill the need for bilingual teachers by cultivating the talents of 24 young wannabe teachers like Munoz, young people who come from bilingual families or who were bilingual education students.
"It's a pipeline," said M. Jean Keller, dean of the University of North Texas College of Education. "We want to keep creating dynamic teachers."
The Future Bilingual Teachers Academy gives recent high school graduates, juniors and seniors a sense of what it takes to become ESL teachers, while at the same time, motivating the students to follow through with their higher education goals.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Group to honor 3 immigrants at celebration
A man from Italy, another from Vietnam and a woman from India: all U.S. citizens, all important members of their communities in Iowa, all honored for their work. DP
The transplants have each contributed to their communities
JENNA JOHNSON, REGISTER STAFF WRITER
DesMoinesRegister.com: It’s a diverse trio.
One is an Italian man who was an exchange student at Hoover High School in 1975 and now runs a subsidiary of an international manufacturing company. Another became the first woman of Indian descent to win a state Legislature seat. And a third fled Laos during the Vietnam War, landed in Iowa and became a refugee caseworker.
The Iowa Council for International Understanding will honor all three Iowans — Luca Berrone, Swati Dandekar and Wangmeng Sayaxang Lee — in September at its 2006 Passport to Prosperity: A Celebration of Iowa’s Immigrants and Refugees dinner.
Nominees for the honor, which is in its fifth year, must be immigrants or refugees who have lived in Iowa for at least five years and have made a significant contribution to the community.
“It brings together three people who have done great things since arriving in Iowa,” said Tim Belay, international programs manager for the council.
“The three people who are being honored this year are such outstanding leaders in different ways.”
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
The transplants have each contributed to their communities
JENNA JOHNSON, REGISTER STAFF WRITER
DesMoinesRegister.com: It’s a diverse trio.
One is an Italian man who was an exchange student at Hoover High School in 1975 and now runs a subsidiary of an international manufacturing company. Another became the first woman of Indian descent to win a state Legislature seat. And a third fled Laos during the Vietnam War, landed in Iowa and became a refugee caseworker.
The Iowa Council for International Understanding will honor all three Iowans — Luca Berrone, Swati Dandekar and Wangmeng Sayaxang Lee — in September at its 2006 Passport to Prosperity: A Celebration of Iowa’s Immigrants and Refugees dinner.
Nominees for the honor, which is in its fifth year, must be immigrants or refugees who have lived in Iowa for at least five years and have made a significant contribution to the community.
“It brings together three people who have done great things since arriving in Iowa,” said Tim Belay, international programs manager for the council.
“The three people who are being honored this year are such outstanding leaders in different ways.”
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Immigrants Pave Way with Taxes
An interesting story about the billions of dollars legal and illegal immigrants pay in taxes each year. DP
Immigrants - both legal and illegal - are paying billions in taxes
By Scott J. Krischke
The Connection Newspapers: Every day at 5:30 a.m., Cesar, a Herndon resident who was born in Peru, wakes up, puts his clothes on and spends the day trying to find work.
“I can usually only work for a day or a week at a time, and what I’m working on is varied,” Cesar said. “Sometimes I’ll paint a house, I’ll put in a floor somewhere, I’ll work on a construction crew. It might last 15 days or it might last a month, but I go out and find what I can.”
Cesar is an undocumented immigrant who arrived in Herndon via the U.S. border with Mexico about two and a half years ago to seek better opportunities to make money for his family. He estimates that he makes between $400 and $500 a week on average.
This year, Cesar joined the ranks of taxpaying residents by filing with the Internal Revenue Service to pay his share of the federal and state income tax.
According to a recent Urban Institute study, immigrants living in Fairfax County, regardless of their legal residency status, contributed $3.2 billion in taxes in 1999 and 2000. This amounts to nearly a quarter of the total taxes paid by Fairfax residents.
“When I first came here, I didn’t know what taxes were … so I didn’t pay anything at first,” Cesar said. After learning that all workers in the United States are required to pay taxes, “I realized that I needed to pay them as well. It’s a way of being. You have to follow the rules, the law doesn’t discriminate when it comes to your legal status.”
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Immigrants - both legal and illegal - are paying billions in taxes
By Scott J. Krischke
The Connection Newspapers: Every day at 5:30 a.m., Cesar, a Herndon resident who was born in Peru, wakes up, puts his clothes on and spends the day trying to find work.
“I can usually only work for a day or a week at a time, and what I’m working on is varied,” Cesar said. “Sometimes I’ll paint a house, I’ll put in a floor somewhere, I’ll work on a construction crew. It might last 15 days or it might last a month, but I go out and find what I can.”
Cesar is an undocumented immigrant who arrived in Herndon via the U.S. border with Mexico about two and a half years ago to seek better opportunities to make money for his family. He estimates that he makes between $400 and $500 a week on average.
This year, Cesar joined the ranks of taxpaying residents by filing with the Internal Revenue Service to pay his share of the federal and state income tax.
According to a recent Urban Institute study, immigrants living in Fairfax County, regardless of their legal residency status, contributed $3.2 billion in taxes in 1999 and 2000. This amounts to nearly a quarter of the total taxes paid by Fairfax residents.
“When I first came here, I didn’t know what taxes were … so I didn’t pay anything at first,” Cesar said. After learning that all workers in the United States are required to pay taxes, “I realized that I needed to pay them as well. It’s a way of being. You have to follow the rules, the law doesn’t discriminate when it comes to your legal status.”
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Monday, July 10, 2006
69 immigrants become citizens at Monticello
New citizens remind us how lucky we are. DP
By Jay Warren / WSLS NewsChannel 10
WSLS NewsChannel 10: Their names represent a rich tapestry of different cultures and nationalities. This July fourth, they were all united. They are now called Americans, as 69 immigrants took the oath of citizenship outside Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.
This is the 44th year for the naturalization ceremony at Monticello. And, as it is every year, this Independence Day brings special meaning for the group. Their reasons for coming to America vary. Alma Tamayo Grouix came here from Mexico 15 years ago looking for opportunity.
"Right now I'm a mother of two and I work in a factory," she said. "Hopefully I will become a nurse later."
Others, like Parigul Lloyd from Afghanistan, came here looking for haven. "There was no peace at all." Lloyd escaped her home country after the Taliban killed her husband.
"I just came out with a small bag of clothes that's all," she said. "I left my money in the bank. Everything... house car... everything I left." Now, Lloyd lives in Virginia and is eager to declare her happiness.
"This is a safe place for me and I am proud to be American."
The backdrop of Monticello for today's ceremony was no accident. It's a symbol to these new citizens of the fight for the rights that they now enjoy. And, it's a reminder to the rest of us not to take it for granted.
"Some American people don't know what they have. Some of them do not appreciate," Lloyd said.
It's a strong lesson this July 4th, given to us from our newest citizens.
By Jay Warren / WSLS NewsChannel 10
WSLS NewsChannel 10: Their names represent a rich tapestry of different cultures and nationalities. This July fourth, they were all united. They are now called Americans, as 69 immigrants took the oath of citizenship outside Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.
This is the 44th year for the naturalization ceremony at Monticello. And, as it is every year, this Independence Day brings special meaning for the group. Their reasons for coming to America vary. Alma Tamayo Grouix came here from Mexico 15 years ago looking for opportunity.
"Right now I'm a mother of two and I work in a factory," she said. "Hopefully I will become a nurse later."
Others, like Parigul Lloyd from Afghanistan, came here looking for haven. "There was no peace at all." Lloyd escaped her home country after the Taliban killed her husband.
"I just came out with a small bag of clothes that's all," she said. "I left my money in the bank. Everything... house car... everything I left." Now, Lloyd lives in Virginia and is eager to declare her happiness.
"This is a safe place for me and I am proud to be American."
The backdrop of Monticello for today's ceremony was no accident. It's a symbol to these new citizens of the fight for the rights that they now enjoy. And, it's a reminder to the rest of us not to take it for granted.
"Some American people don't know what they have. Some of them do not appreciate," Lloyd said.
It's a strong lesson this July 4th, given to us from our newest citizens.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Haitians seek hope in new home
An interesting story about Haitian immigrants quietly assimilating into American culture. They insist their children get a good education so they never have to experience the poverty their parents lived through. DP
By Joan D. Laguardia
The News-Press: Inside Mission Supermarket near downtown Fort Myers, Haitian women look over oxtail or conch for the evening meal.
South on Fowler Street, men in dark dress pants and bright, white starched shirts slip away from their offices and head for a nearby Haitian restaurant.
In the surrounding neighborhoods, children move easily from English to Creole as they dash by gardens of sugar cane and papaya to tell grandmothers they’re off to play with friends.
“It seems like a lot of Haitians are leaving Miami and moving here. On a daily basis I meet someone who is starting a business or buying a house,” said Pierre Abelard, general manager of Radio Independence, a Creole-language station that reaches about 10,000 listeners.
“Miami is over full, and they feel it is safer to raise their kids here, and it is easier to get a job here,” he said.
In Fort Myers, Immokalee and Golden Gate, an estimated 40,000 Haitians thrive in lively ethnic neighborhoods that echo the beginnings of Little Italy in New York or Chinatown in San Francisco.
However, few people probably notice the heart of Lee County’s Haitian community as they drive through it to downtown Fort Myers.
Most Haitian Americans live in quiet assimilation, learning English, taking full advantage of higher education and buying homes as soon as possible.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Joan D. Laguardia
The News-Press: Inside Mission Supermarket near downtown Fort Myers, Haitian women look over oxtail or conch for the evening meal.
South on Fowler Street, men in dark dress pants and bright, white starched shirts slip away from their offices and head for a nearby Haitian restaurant.
In the surrounding neighborhoods, children move easily from English to Creole as they dash by gardens of sugar cane and papaya to tell grandmothers they’re off to play with friends.
“It seems like a lot of Haitians are leaving Miami and moving here. On a daily basis I meet someone who is starting a business or buying a house,” said Pierre Abelard, general manager of Radio Independence, a Creole-language station that reaches about 10,000 listeners.
“Miami is over full, and they feel it is safer to raise their kids here, and it is easier to get a job here,” he said.
In Fort Myers, Immokalee and Golden Gate, an estimated 40,000 Haitians thrive in lively ethnic neighborhoods that echo the beginnings of Little Italy in New York or Chinatown in San Francisco.
However, few people probably notice the heart of Lee County’s Haitian community as they drive through it to downtown Fort Myers.
Most Haitian Americans live in quiet assimilation, learning English, taking full advantage of higher education and buying homes as soon as possible.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
The next generation
The stories of two immigrant families, one from Mexico and one from China, and how the second generation becomes American. DP
By Melissa Flores
The Sunday Pinnacle: When Gabriel Montes, now 24, was born his parents disagreed about what language should be his first. His mother, Teresa, wanted him to speak only English. But his father, Alfredo, wanted him to start out speaking Spanish. In the end, the couple had a Spanish-speaking babysitter so Montes learned his parents' native tongue and knew little English when he went to school.
"For me, English was so hard. I wanted my kids to have a better life," said Teresa, who emigrated from Mexico when she was 17. "I didn't want them to speak Spanish, but my husband said they should speak it."
The struggle over language, an emphasis on education and obligations to family are themes that run through many lives of children born to immigrants or those who immigrated as youngsters. While their families come from different parts of the world, Montes' life is not so different from David Wong, 29, who also grew up in Gilroy. Both men now carry on their shoulders the world their parents left behind and the opportunities created for them.
Work comes first
David Wong's life has been influenced by his parents' experience as immigrants as much as Montes'.
Wong has straight black hair, dark skin and a lean body. But what distinguishes him most from his parents is his height. He towers over them at six feet, a testament to the better nutrition and healthcare he and his brother received in the United States.
He came to the United States from China with his family when he was 3 years old. His parents had relatives in San Francisco. The family settled into a one-bedroom apartment. While his father worked in a tofu factory and his mother sewed, he and his brother were left alone.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Melissa Flores
The Sunday Pinnacle: When Gabriel Montes, now 24, was born his parents disagreed about what language should be his first. His mother, Teresa, wanted him to speak only English. But his father, Alfredo, wanted him to start out speaking Spanish. In the end, the couple had a Spanish-speaking babysitter so Montes learned his parents' native tongue and knew little English when he went to school.
"For me, English was so hard. I wanted my kids to have a better life," said Teresa, who emigrated from Mexico when she was 17. "I didn't want them to speak Spanish, but my husband said they should speak it."
The struggle over language, an emphasis on education and obligations to family are themes that run through many lives of children born to immigrants or those who immigrated as youngsters. While their families come from different parts of the world, Montes' life is not so different from David Wong, 29, who also grew up in Gilroy. Both men now carry on their shoulders the world their parents left behind and the opportunities created for them.
Work comes first
David Wong's life has been influenced by his parents' experience as immigrants as much as Montes'.
Wong has straight black hair, dark skin and a lean body. But what distinguishes him most from his parents is his height. He towers over them at six feet, a testament to the better nutrition and healthcare he and his brother received in the United States.
He came to the United States from China with his family when he was 3 years old. His parents had relatives in San Francisco. The family settled into a one-bedroom apartment. While his father worked in a tofu factory and his mother sewed, he and his brother were left alone.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
From farmhand to farm owner
A nice story about a farm that is now owned by a migrant worker who worked there for many years. This is happening all over the country, many Latino workers are buying the land from retiring farmers. DP
By Marc Ramirez, Seattle Times staff reporter
The Seattle Times: Not a day goes by that Javier Lopez isn't thankful to have Tom Reinhardt by his side. With late afternoon here, it's time to check on the livestock, and the two head past the workshop where they store tractors and can peaches and into the rolling wedge of pasture that is their backyard.
"¿Estan las vacas acá o allá?" Lopez asks. Are the cows over this way or over that way?
"Creo que estan allá," Reinhardt answers. I believe they're over there.
Over nearly two decades, Lopez, 43, and Reinhardt, 59, have taught each other their native tongues and become the best of friends and neighbors. From Reinhardt, the aspiring Lopez learned a career; in return he gave his mentor, a lifelong bachelor with no kids of his own, a family to feel part of.
"He gave me the opportunity," Lopez says, "to do what I'm doing now."
When the amiable, pragmatic Reinhardt wanted someone to take over the operation he'd struggled to keep alive, he turned to Lopez, his business partner of nearly 10 years — and his one-time foreman and former field hand. Now Lopez owns the 20-acre farm operation, growing organic rhubarb and raspberries on leased land a mile east of Interstate 5 in Nisqually.
Stories like theirs are playing out again and again nationwide, even as small farms struggle and debate rages over who and how many should be entitled to the American Dream.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Marc Ramirez, Seattle Times staff reporter
The Seattle Times: Not a day goes by that Javier Lopez isn't thankful to have Tom Reinhardt by his side. With late afternoon here, it's time to check on the livestock, and the two head past the workshop where they store tractors and can peaches and into the rolling wedge of pasture that is their backyard.
"¿Estan las vacas acá o allá?" Lopez asks. Are the cows over this way or over that way?
"Creo que estan allá," Reinhardt answers. I believe they're over there.
Over nearly two decades, Lopez, 43, and Reinhardt, 59, have taught each other their native tongues and become the best of friends and neighbors. From Reinhardt, the aspiring Lopez learned a career; in return he gave his mentor, a lifelong bachelor with no kids of his own, a family to feel part of.
"He gave me the opportunity," Lopez says, "to do what I'm doing now."
When the amiable, pragmatic Reinhardt wanted someone to take over the operation he'd struggled to keep alive, he turned to Lopez, his business partner of nearly 10 years — and his one-time foreman and former field hand. Now Lopez owns the 20-acre farm operation, growing organic rhubarb and raspberries on leased land a mile east of Interstate 5 in Nisqually.
Stories like theirs are playing out again and again nationwide, even as small farms struggle and debate rages over who and how many should be entitled to the American Dream.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
50 Immigrants Become Americans At Ceremony
This tells about a swearing in ceremony for 50 new citizens; from Slovakia, Ghana, China, Peru, Lebanon and others. DP
New Citizens Talk About Helping Others And Learning English
By SARAH MISHKIN, Courant Staff Writer
Hartford Courant: MIDDLETOWN -- Fifty immigrants walked into city hall Friday afternoon and 50 new Americans walked out an hour later.
In a ceremony presided over by federal Judge Stefan Underhill, 50 men and women from 24 countries were sworn in as American citizens. Middletown holds naturalization ceremonies each year before Independence Day. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters were on hand after the ceremony to help the new citizens register to vote.
"Today you become people of the United States and so become the source of all power in our government," Underhill said at the ceremony. "Never shy away from questioning what your government is doing and to make it even better."
A number of the immigrants, most of whom were accompanied by camera-bearing family members, came from Eastern Europe. Others came from countries as diverse as Ghana, China, Peru and Lebanon.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
New Citizens Talk About Helping Others And Learning English
By SARAH MISHKIN, Courant Staff Writer
Hartford Courant: MIDDLETOWN -- Fifty immigrants walked into city hall Friday afternoon and 50 new Americans walked out an hour later.
In a ceremony presided over by federal Judge Stefan Underhill, 50 men and women from 24 countries were sworn in as American citizens. Middletown holds naturalization ceremonies each year before Independence Day. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters were on hand after the ceremony to help the new citizens register to vote.
"Today you become people of the United States and so become the source of all power in our government," Underhill said at the ceremony. "Never shy away from questioning what your government is doing and to make it even better."
A number of the immigrants, most of whom were accompanied by camera-bearing family members, came from Eastern Europe. Others came from countries as diverse as Ghana, China, Peru and Lebanon.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
An eager young immigrant, a tough nun, and the rest is history
This story show the determination of immigrants to succeed here. This man came here as a 9 year old Russian Jew who had spent time in concentration camps in Italy. Now he is a successful American history professor. DP
By staff reporter
PensacolaNewsJournal.com: When he was 9 years old, Victor Sapio and his mother came to the United States.
He spoke no English, but thanks to a nun with incredible patience and a good backhand, he soon learned the language of his new country.
And the rest is history -- a Ph.D. in American history and a long, successful career as a college teacher.
"I've come a long way, baby," Sapio said recently from his Scenic Heights home.
His story is especially timely since America's birthday, July 4, is barely a week away, and illegal immigration is a roiling topic.
Sapio spent most of his early years in a concentration camp in Italy. His offense: He and his mother were Russian Jews.
Eventually, thanks to a family friend, they made their way to New York City.
Sapio, an only child who never knew his father, already spoke Italian, French and German, but no English.
He and other immigrants had two priorities: to learn English and to play baseball.
"We all wanted to be Americans," he said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By staff reporter
PensacolaNewsJournal.com: When he was 9 years old, Victor Sapio and his mother came to the United States.
He spoke no English, but thanks to a nun with incredible patience and a good backhand, he soon learned the language of his new country.
And the rest is history -- a Ph.D. in American history and a long, successful career as a college teacher.
"I've come a long way, baby," Sapio said recently from his Scenic Heights home.
His story is especially timely since America's birthday, July 4, is barely a week away, and illegal immigration is a roiling topic.
Sapio spent most of his early years in a concentration camp in Italy. His offense: He and his mother were Russian Jews.
Eventually, thanks to a family friend, they made their way to New York City.
Sapio, an only child who never knew his father, already spoke Italian, French and German, but no English.
He and other immigrants had two priorities: to learn English and to play baseball.
"We all wanted to be Americans," he said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Learning experience: Volunteer enjoys work at community center
These volunteers are teaching English after first having to learn it themselves. It gives them a good understanding of how difficult it is. DP
By MERYL WILLIAMS, T-R Staff Writer
TimesReporter.com : For the last nine months Elizabeth Gabriel, 25, of Bolivia has been helping teach English to Hispanic residents of Tuscarawas County.
She’s also learned a few things.
“I have learned a lot,” said the volunteer at the Latin American Community Center at Dover, noting that she had to learn the language in order to teach it.
Gabriel said she was able to read and write a little English, “but only basic things,” when she began her work as a volunteer through the International Visitor Exchange Program. She said many people in the program learn a second language as they go.
“It was hard for me to understand everyone here,” said Gabriel, explaining the center’s volunteers have the same problem with Spanish. “Their Spanish is different. It’s a second language for them.”
She’s also noticed the different dialects of English that people within the United States have that differentiate them geographically from each other.
“There are different people speaking different English,” she said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By MERYL WILLIAMS, T-R Staff Writer
TimesReporter.com : For the last nine months Elizabeth Gabriel, 25, of Bolivia has been helping teach English to Hispanic residents of Tuscarawas County.
She’s also learned a few things.
“I have learned a lot,” said the volunteer at the Latin American Community Center at Dover, noting that she had to learn the language in order to teach it.
Gabriel said she was able to read and write a little English, “but only basic things,” when she began her work as a volunteer through the International Visitor Exchange Program. She said many people in the program learn a second language as they go.
“It was hard for me to understand everyone here,” said Gabriel, explaining the center’s volunteers have the same problem with Spanish. “Their Spanish is different. It’s a second language for them.”
She’s also noticed the different dialects of English that people within the United States have that differentiate them geographically from each other.
“There are different people speaking different English,” she said.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
These kids will rescue America
A wonderful story. Read the whole thing, PLEASE! DP
By Ginger Rutland -- Bee Columnist
SacBee.com : I graduated from high school 40 years ago this month, a milestone I happily would have overlooked had I not been invited to deliver the commencement address at West Campus High School. Formerly an offshoot of Hiram Johnson High School, West Campus is firmly established as its own independent campus within the Sacramento City Unified School District.
Why me, a relatively anonymous member of The Sacramento Bee editorial board? It seems one of the teachers at West Campus is a fan. He hears my weekly commentaries on Capital Public Radio.
Flattered by the invitation, I was busily preparing to impart all the wisdom I had learned in my 40 years since high school when the teacher who invited me to speak suggested I visit the campus to get a feel for the school and meet some of the graduates. I wasn't at West Campus 10 minutes before I decided to can my "life's journey speech."
The kids I met sent chills up my back. It was clear I didn't need to tell them about life's challenges; they had met formidable challenges of their own. I'm convinced they and kids like them will rescue America.
When I first saw Chan Fong Saeteurn, his hair was spiked, and he was break dancing on stage with about six of his buddies. Chan is the son of immigrants from Laos. His parents were part of an entire village that fled genocide. They crossed forests and rivers to reach safety in Thailand. A grandfather and aunt died on that journey.
The family is in this country now. They own their home and have a son who can break dance and will be going to college next year.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Ginger Rutland -- Bee Columnist
SacBee.com : I graduated from high school 40 years ago this month, a milestone I happily would have overlooked had I not been invited to deliver the commencement address at West Campus High School. Formerly an offshoot of Hiram Johnson High School, West Campus is firmly established as its own independent campus within the Sacramento City Unified School District.
Why me, a relatively anonymous member of The Sacramento Bee editorial board? It seems one of the teachers at West Campus is a fan. He hears my weekly commentaries on Capital Public Radio.
Flattered by the invitation, I was busily preparing to impart all the wisdom I had learned in my 40 years since high school when the teacher who invited me to speak suggested I visit the campus to get a feel for the school and meet some of the graduates. I wasn't at West Campus 10 minutes before I decided to can my "life's journey speech."
The kids I met sent chills up my back. It was clear I didn't need to tell them about life's challenges; they had met formidable challenges of their own. I'm convinced they and kids like them will rescue America.
When I first saw Chan Fong Saeteurn, his hair was spiked, and he was break dancing on stage with about six of his buddies. Chan is the son of immigrants from Laos. His parents were part of an entire village that fled genocide. They crossed forests and rivers to reach safety in Thailand. A grandfather and aunt died on that journey.
The family is in this country now. They own their home and have a son who can break dance and will be going to college next year.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Immigrants living in area strive to embrace English as the national language
Another story about how much immigrants want to learn English. They know it is the best way to succeed here. DP
By Terry L. Jones
The Shreveport Times : The simple communication skills it takes to lead an average American life can be a task larger than life for some immigrants living in the area who may soon be forced to recognize English as their national language if U.S. lawmakers, and President Bush, have their say.
On May 25, in a 62-36 vote, the U.S. Senate approved an amendment of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill that would declare English as the national language -- a move that has national immigration law officials perturbed, and local non-English speaking immigrants unfazed.
"There's a misconception that immigrants in this country don't want to learn English," said Josh Bernstein, director of federal policy for the National Immigration Law Center.
"For (the government) to think that immigrants devalue English is not true because they are at a disadvantage," Bernstein said.
Local people enrolled in English as a second language classes at the Bossier Learning Center agree.
Nestled between the 600 blocks of Ogilvie and Coleman streets along Monroe, the center's ESL teachers and program director are trying to mold area immigrants into the Americans of tomorrow.
"We run about 200 students a year here," said Jerry Allen, director of the Adult Education Program. "Some voluntary, some the courts send here."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Terry L. Jones
The Shreveport Times : The simple communication skills it takes to lead an average American life can be a task larger than life for some immigrants living in the area who may soon be forced to recognize English as their national language if U.S. lawmakers, and President Bush, have their say.
On May 25, in a 62-36 vote, the U.S. Senate approved an amendment of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill that would declare English as the national language -- a move that has national immigration law officials perturbed, and local non-English speaking immigrants unfazed.
"There's a misconception that immigrants in this country don't want to learn English," said Josh Bernstein, director of federal policy for the National Immigration Law Center.
"For (the government) to think that immigrants devalue English is not true because they are at a disadvantage," Bernstein said.
Local people enrolled in English as a second language classes at the Bossier Learning Center agree.
Nestled between the 600 blocks of Ogilvie and Coleman streets along Monroe, the center's ESL teachers and program director are trying to mold area immigrants into the Americans of tomorrow.
"We run about 200 students a year here," said Jerry Allen, director of the Adult Education Program. "Some voluntary, some the courts send here."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
PUPILS WATCHING THEIR LANGUAGE
A program to teach "world languages" in the classroom gives young students a chance to broaden their horizons. Children in Europe and Asia learn 2 or 3 languages at a time, it is time our kids did too. DP
By VALERIA M. RUSS
Philadelphia Daily News : The first-graders squirmed in their seats when Loesche Elementary School teacher Alla Karetny asked them their names - in Russian.
A boy named Sergey shot his arm up high, eager to answer, but Karetny told him to hold off a minute. Sergey's parents speak Russian and Karetny knew he could answer easily.
She called on Solomon instead.
One brief false start later, Solomon, a slender youngster of 6 or 7, relaxed. "Menya zovut Solomon," he said, a confident smile flashing across his face.
Later came story time - in Russian, with animal puppets called by their Russian names. After the story, the first-graders practiced writing in the Russian alphabet the words for "my family," "mother," "father," "sister," "brother," and "dog" or "cat."
Russian has been a part of classrooms at the William H. Loesche School, on Tomlinson Road at Bustleton Avenue in the Northeast, for the past six years - proof of the Philly public schools' changing attitudes toward non-English speaking students.
The rest of the city may be hung up on the proper language for ordering a cheesesteak, but the city schools are increasingly comfortable with languages other than English.
The school district estimates that as many as 111 languages are spoken in the homes of its 200,000-plus students. Parents can get important school papers in eight languages other than English.
But some of the biggest changes are happening in classrooms.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By VALERIA M. RUSS
Philadelphia Daily News : The first-graders squirmed in their seats when Loesche Elementary School teacher Alla Karetny asked them their names - in Russian.
A boy named Sergey shot his arm up high, eager to answer, but Karetny told him to hold off a minute. Sergey's parents speak Russian and Karetny knew he could answer easily.
She called on Solomon instead.
One brief false start later, Solomon, a slender youngster of 6 or 7, relaxed. "Menya zovut Solomon," he said, a confident smile flashing across his face.
Later came story time - in Russian, with animal puppets called by their Russian names. After the story, the first-graders practiced writing in the Russian alphabet the words for "my family," "mother," "father," "sister," "brother," and "dog" or "cat."
Russian has been a part of classrooms at the William H. Loesche School, on Tomlinson Road at Bustleton Avenue in the Northeast, for the past six years - proof of the Philly public schools' changing attitudes toward non-English speaking students.
The rest of the city may be hung up on the proper language for ordering a cheesesteak, but the city schools are increasingly comfortable with languages other than English.
The school district estimates that as many as 111 languages are spoken in the homes of its 200,000-plus students. Parents can get important school papers in eight languages other than English.
But some of the biggest changes are happening in classrooms.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Courage? Follow the Yellow Brick Road
This is a wonderful story about a teacher in Brooklyn, with students from 24 countries. They learned and performed "The Wizard of Oz", learned English and discovered that, with courage, dreams do come true. DP
By MICHAEL WINERIP
The New York Times: DIANA SENECHAL is a first-year teacher of immigrant students at I.S. 223, a middle school in Brooklyn, and maybe, if she'd been more experienced, she would have known better than to have her students perform "The Wizard of Oz" when they were so new to this country and spoke so little English.
They arrived at I.S. 223 talking 24 different languages and not knowing a soul. About the only thing they shared was a shyness of speaking English aloud.
Ms. Senechal figured, what better way to give them confidence than to have them sing and dance in an hour-and-a-half-long musical, for three performances at the end of the school year, in the big auditorium, before a thousand strangers?
Her students weren't so sure. As Shamsul Huda from Bangladesh, the Tin Man, said, "I'm scary to do it."
Rehearsals started in January, and it was slow going. Sergio Sanchez, from Mexico, the lead Munchkin, was so shy, he kept running away. "The funny thing about Sergio, he loved running away," Ms. Senechal said. "We were rehearsing in my room and he just stood outside for an hour; he wouldn't come in."
In the auditorium, he hid behind the curtains. Still, Ms. Senechal did not give up. "It's a positive pattern," she explained. "He hides but wants to be here."
Laura Fronczak of Poland — Glinda the Good Witch — kept refusing to sing her big solo. She'd have a giggling fit and announce, "Miss, I can't sing today," and it was like Greta Garbo wanting to be alone; there was nothing Ms. Senechal could do, except wait, for weeks. "When Laura finally sang," Ms. Senechal said, "it was such a big event, I called her parents."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By MICHAEL WINERIP
The New York Times: DIANA SENECHAL is a first-year teacher of immigrant students at I.S. 223, a middle school in Brooklyn, and maybe, if she'd been more experienced, she would have known better than to have her students perform "The Wizard of Oz" when they were so new to this country and spoke so little English.
They arrived at I.S. 223 talking 24 different languages and not knowing a soul. About the only thing they shared was a shyness of speaking English aloud.
Ms. Senechal figured, what better way to give them confidence than to have them sing and dance in an hour-and-a-half-long musical, for three performances at the end of the school year, in the big auditorium, before a thousand strangers?
Her students weren't so sure. As Shamsul Huda from Bangladesh, the Tin Man, said, "I'm scary to do it."
Rehearsals started in January, and it was slow going. Sergio Sanchez, from Mexico, the lead Munchkin, was so shy, he kept running away. "The funny thing about Sergio, he loved running away," Ms. Senechal said. "We were rehearsing in my room and he just stood outside for an hour; he wouldn't come in."
In the auditorium, he hid behind the curtains. Still, Ms. Senechal did not give up. "It's a positive pattern," she explained. "He hides but wants to be here."
Laura Fronczak of Poland — Glinda the Good Witch — kept refusing to sing her big solo. She'd have a giggling fit and announce, "Miss, I can't sing today," and it was like Greta Garbo wanting to be alone; there was nothing Ms. Senechal could do, except wait, for weeks. "When Laura finally sang," Ms. Senechal said, "it was such a big event, I called her parents."
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Immigrants see need for English
A good story showing that immigrants understand how important it is that they learn English in order to succeed here. DP
Survey results show most Hispanics view language as essential
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News: Israel Salgado wants to become a medical assistant.
But first, he has to master English and pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language to qualify for college.
"I think it's important for people (immigrants) to learn the culture, the language, the tradition of the country in which people are living," said Salgado, 27, who is studying English at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. "It's part of assimilation. English is the official language of the United States."
Salgado's sentiments echo a 2004 study by the Pew Hispanic Center, which found that a majority of Hispanics believe that immigrants have to speak English to be part of American society.
"The numbers speak for themselves," said Gabriel Escobar, associate director of the center. "It leaves no doubt. Hispanics, regardless whether they speak English or not, are citizens or not, regard acquiring English as important."
The center decided to release partial results from national surveys of Hispanics that it conducted in 2003 and 2004 after President Bush spoke about the need for immigrants to learn American values and English.
"It's part of the debate," Escobar said. "The president has weighed in on the English language issue, and it's been explored in a public survey."
The center's 2004 telephone survey on politics and civics education polled 2,288 Hispanics across the country.
Fifty-seven percent of foreign-born and 52 percent of native- born said "yes" to the question: "Do immigrants have to speak English to say they are part of American society or not?"
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Survey results show most Hispanics view language as essential
By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News: Israel Salgado wants to become a medical assistant.
But first, he has to master English and pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language to qualify for college.
"I think it's important for people (immigrants) to learn the culture, the language, the tradition of the country in which people are living," said Salgado, 27, who is studying English at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. "It's part of assimilation. English is the official language of the United States."
Salgado's sentiments echo a 2004 study by the Pew Hispanic Center, which found that a majority of Hispanics believe that immigrants have to speak English to be part of American society.
"The numbers speak for themselves," said Gabriel Escobar, associate director of the center. "It leaves no doubt. Hispanics, regardless whether they speak English or not, are citizens or not, regard acquiring English as important."
The center decided to release partial results from national surveys of Hispanics that it conducted in 2003 and 2004 after President Bush spoke about the need for immigrants to learn American values and English.
"It's part of the debate," Escobar said. "The president has weighed in on the English language issue, and it's been explored in a public survey."
The center's 2004 telephone survey on politics and civics education polled 2,288 Hispanics across the country.
Fifty-seven percent of foreign-born and 52 percent of native- born said "yes" to the question: "Do immigrants have to speak English to say they are part of American society or not?"
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Learning two languages, one at a time
This story is about an organization teaching immigrants to first read and write in their native language, Spanish, and then teaching them English. DP
Life in the U.S. can be hard for a new immigrant. It's even more difficult when they can't read or write in their own language. This is a common story for many Latin American immigrants from impoverished backgrounds with little education.
by Ambar Espinoza, Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio: St. Paul, Minn. — In a Minneapolis classroom, Apolinar closely examines the day's newspaper. The words have absolutely no meaning to him. But he's looking at a story with lots of pictures. They tell him it's about a town in his home of Morelos, Mexico. He's excited to tell his teacher and classmate what he sees.
Apolinar is 33 and he's learning to read and write in Spanish. His class is being used for research purposes and all students have been granted anonymity. But Apolinar is letting us use his first name. He says it's hard to get by.
"It's really ugly to not know how to read and write in this country," says Apolinar. "You have to struggle more."
Apolinar's voice is shaky as he tells his story. He moved to Minnesota two years ago. Today, he works for a landscaping company as a gardener. He tears up when he says had to turn down a job promotion because he didn't even know how to spell his name. So he started looking for Spanish literacy classes.
These classes are hard to find. That's because the state and federal governments only give money to adult education programs taught in English. Apolinar found a volunteer tutor through Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), a nonprofit organization serving the Latino community in the Twin Cities.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Life in the U.S. can be hard for a new immigrant. It's even more difficult when they can't read or write in their own language. This is a common story for many Latin American immigrants from impoverished backgrounds with little education.
by Ambar Espinoza, Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio: St. Paul, Minn. — In a Minneapolis classroom, Apolinar closely examines the day's newspaper. The words have absolutely no meaning to him. But he's looking at a story with lots of pictures. They tell him it's about a town in his home of Morelos, Mexico. He's excited to tell his teacher and classmate what he sees.
Apolinar is 33 and he's learning to read and write in Spanish. His class is being used for research purposes and all students have been granted anonymity. But Apolinar is letting us use his first name. He says it's hard to get by.
"It's really ugly to not know how to read and write in this country," says Apolinar. "You have to struggle more."
Apolinar's voice is shaky as he tells his story. He moved to Minnesota two years ago. Today, he works for a landscaping company as a gardener. He tears up when he says had to turn down a job promotion because he didn't even know how to spell his name. So he started looking for Spanish literacy classes.
These classes are hard to find. That's because the state and federal governments only give money to adult education programs taught in English. Apolinar found a volunteer tutor through Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), a nonprofit organization serving the Latino community in the Twin Cities.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Monday, June 12, 2006
A pledge of allegiance
Another story about a new citizen and the problems he encountered during his very long wait for this day. DP
By Julie Wurth
The News-Gazette: URBANA – In a little more than 24 hours, Arturo Alvarado will be sworn in as an American citizen. And he's not about to blow it.
He's waited too long for this day – more than 20 years since he first left Mexico City to work in the farm fields of Michigan.
A few last-minute questions in hand, Alvarado, 38, arrives early at the East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center in Urbana, as he has so many other mornings. The employees here are like family. They've helped his children become legal residents, nursed his wife through chemotherapy when his 6-year-old triplets were babies, made his quest to become a citizen possible.
He waits patiently in his blue Astrovan on this glorious spring morning until the center opens. First in line, he asks: What do I need to bring to the naturalization ceremony? How do I get there? What time should I arrive?
Though he understands English, Alvarado speaks in his native language. The center's interpreters answer in a mix of English and Spanish.
The ceremony is at the Carle Forum, and check-in begins at 1 p.m., they tell him. Be there 10 minutes early. Bring your naturalization form and your green card. And your wife, they add with a smile.
She can't make it, he says. Reyna Olea de Alvarado has to be home when the children get out of school. He has invited his mother instead.
"Tell her to try," urges Deborah Hlavna, the center's co-director.
He will, after all, soon become the first American citizen in his family.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
By Julie Wurth
The News-Gazette: URBANA – In a little more than 24 hours, Arturo Alvarado will be sworn in as an American citizen. And he's not about to blow it.
He's waited too long for this day – more than 20 years since he first left Mexico City to work in the farm fields of Michigan.
A few last-minute questions in hand, Alvarado, 38, arrives early at the East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center in Urbana, as he has so many other mornings. The employees here are like family. They've helped his children become legal residents, nursed his wife through chemotherapy when his 6-year-old triplets were babies, made his quest to become a citizen possible.
He waits patiently in his blue Astrovan on this glorious spring morning until the center opens. First in line, he asks: What do I need to bring to the naturalization ceremony? How do I get there? What time should I arrive?
Though he understands English, Alvarado speaks in his native language. The center's interpreters answer in a mix of English and Spanish.
The ceremony is at the Carle Forum, and check-in begins at 1 p.m., they tell him. Be there 10 minutes early. Bring your naturalization form and your green card. And your wife, they add with a smile.
She can't make it, he says. Reyna Olea de Alvarado has to be home when the children get out of school. He has invited his mother instead.
"Tell her to try," urges Deborah Hlavna, the center's co-director.
He will, after all, soon become the first American citizen in his family.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Hispanics: Business ownership key to American dream
As soon as immigrants learn the language of the neighborhood, they can successfully become business owners and not just workers in those businesses. And the ones who don't want to own businessses can earn more as bilingual employees. DP
HISPANIC SERIES: Untapped employee market for companies in rising Hispanic demographic
BY JERRY DAVICH
NWITimes.com : It can't be denied -- Hispanics and hard work go together like American business and cheap labor.
This partly explains why the rate of Hispanics who start their own businesses far outpaces the national average by a 3-1 ratio.
Many Hispanics see being their own boss as the only way to true prosperity here.
In 2002, there were 1.6 million Hispanic-owned establishments, a 31 percent jump from 1997. Today there are an estimated 2 million establishments with more opening each month.
Of those Hispanic-owned businesses, nearly half are owned by people of Mexican descent, and the majority are mom-and-pop operators, like Noel Berrum, owner of El Super Taco restaurant in Hobart.
Like most local Hispanic business owners born in Mexico, he came to the Chicago region to work for someone else before running his own place.
While learning the language, culture and business ropes, he earned a living here, regularly sending money back to his wife, Maria, and his family.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
HISPANIC SERIES: Untapped employee market for companies in rising Hispanic demographic
BY JERRY DAVICH
NWITimes.com : It can't be denied -- Hispanics and hard work go together like American business and cheap labor.
This partly explains why the rate of Hispanics who start their own businesses far outpaces the national average by a 3-1 ratio.
Many Hispanics see being their own boss as the only way to true prosperity here.
In 2002, there were 1.6 million Hispanic-owned establishments, a 31 percent jump from 1997. Today there are an estimated 2 million establishments with more opening each month.
Of those Hispanic-owned businesses, nearly half are owned by people of Mexican descent, and the majority are mom-and-pop operators, like Noel Berrum, owner of El Super Taco restaurant in Hobart.
Like most local Hispanic business owners born in Mexico, he came to the Chicago region to work for someone else before running his own place.
While learning the language, culture and business ropes, he earned a living here, regularly sending money back to his wife, Maria, and his family.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Homebuilders say immigrants' work is vital
I imagine that many of the people who say we should deport all these illegal workers are enjoying being able to buy a house at a good price. DP
Houses wouldn't be built on time or on budget without the help of foreign-born workers, many of whom are here illegally
By Lew Sichelman, Special to The Chronicle
SFGate.com: Washington -- Whatever your opinion regarding immigrants who have entered the United States illegally, realize that if you are in the market for a new house, it's likely to take longer to build -- and cost more to buy -- if they are forced to leave the country.
The National Association of Home Builders estimates that 20 percent of the construction workforce -- about 2.4 million people -- is foreign-born. While it's impossible to know how many are undocumented, some estimates put the number at 50 percent or more.
Whatever the true count, builders across the country say illegal immigrants play an important role in a construction labor market that is already stretched thin.
Craig Havenner of the Christopher Cos., a builder in Virginia, has no idea how many of the carpenters, brick masons, roofers and other craftsmen who work for the subcontractors he hires are here illegally. Nor does Michael Fink of the Leewood Real Estate Group in Trenton, N.J.
But both builders say they'd be hard-pressed to deliver their products on time or at the same price if "illegals" were ordered to leave the country, as some federal legislators have demanded.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Houses wouldn't be built on time or on budget without the help of foreign-born workers, many of whom are here illegally
By Lew Sichelman, Special to The Chronicle
SFGate.com: Washington -- Whatever your opinion regarding immigrants who have entered the United States illegally, realize that if you are in the market for a new house, it's likely to take longer to build -- and cost more to buy -- if they are forced to leave the country.
The National Association of Home Builders estimates that 20 percent of the construction workforce -- about 2.4 million people -- is foreign-born. While it's impossible to know how many are undocumented, some estimates put the number at 50 percent or more.
Whatever the true count, builders across the country say illegal immigrants play an important role in a construction labor market that is already stretched thin.
Craig Havenner of the Christopher Cos., a builder in Virginia, has no idea how many of the carpenters, brick masons, roofers and other craftsmen who work for the subcontractors he hires are here illegally. Nor does Michael Fink of the Leewood Real Estate Group in Trenton, N.J.
But both builders say they'd be hard-pressed to deliver their products on time or at the same price if "illegals" were ordered to leave the country, as some federal legislators have demanded.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Immigrants help stabilize population in Upper Midwest
Immigrants are needed in this country, here is one community that is saying it. DP
Associated Press
GrandForksHerald.com: FARGO, N.D. - Foreign-born immigrants arrived in North Dakota and Minnesota at a faster pace than the national average in the past decade, helping to stabilize the population in the Upper Midwest, the U.S. Census Bureau says.
"From our standpoint, you can't have enough immigrants," said Susan Geib, executive director of the North Dakota Trade Office.
"We need their expertise and we need the population," she said.
Immigrants are coming to North Dakota and Minnesota for new jobs and schooling. In the case of refugees, immigrants are establishing new lives.
"These international folks represent an important human capital base for our area," said Richard Rathge, North Dakota's demographer.
Most immigrants in North Dakota come from Bosnia, Sudan, Germany, India, Canada and Vietnam.
North Dakota and Minnesota rely on immigrants for population - key in determining tax aid formulas for local governments and schools. Immigrants also supplement the pool of workers for employers struggling to find willing, able or qualified people.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
Associated Press
GrandForksHerald.com: FARGO, N.D. - Foreign-born immigrants arrived in North Dakota and Minnesota at a faster pace than the national average in the past decade, helping to stabilize the population in the Upper Midwest, the U.S. Census Bureau says.
"From our standpoint, you can't have enough immigrants," said Susan Geib, executive director of the North Dakota Trade Office.
"We need their expertise and we need the population," she said.
Immigrants are coming to North Dakota and Minnesota for new jobs and schooling. In the case of refugees, immigrants are establishing new lives.
"These international folks represent an important human capital base for our area," said Richard Rathge, North Dakota's demographer.
Most immigrants in North Dakota come from Bosnia, Sudan, Germany, India, Canada and Vietnam.
North Dakota and Minnesota rely on immigrants for population - key in determining tax aid formulas for local governments and schools. Immigrants also supplement the pool of workers for employers struggling to find willing, able or qualified people.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
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