Immigration Thoughts

My Grandfather came to the U.S.A. from Norway. He made his way across from N.Y. to Minnesota where he went to school to become a minister. The town where he went to school had a Norwegian college... He married my Grandmother and moved west. His bible was in Norwegian and he spoke his sermons in Norwegian so that his congregation would feel at home and understand. As time went on and kids were born they integrated into the school systems and people stopped talking in their native tongue as much. By the time I was born, my father didn't speak much Norwegian and the language was lost with me. We still honor our heritage though, we still have Norwegian flags ... Some in my family put on costumes and proudly wave the flag of our heritage ... and we're Americans. 

I volunteer in the schools out here in Northern California. There are Hispanic kids in these schools. Some speak little English but they are trying to learn. Most live near the farmlands and some have parents who work in the fields. Some rarely see their parents. Some have problems but there are also some really great kids. My next project is going to be with kids who are all English learners. It's going to be interesting because I don't know much Spanish, but they are supposed to stretch their new found knowledge, so it will be good for both of us. At any rate, they are kids who hope to be the first to go to college in their families. I've worked with Caucasian kids who couldn't care less about learning a thing ... and Hispanic kids who were excited to learn. It can go either way ... If given the chance to dream, I believe they are capable of doing well. If they feel there is no way to reach their dreams, they will not do so well.

I don't have a problem with them enjoying their own culture just as I hope that nobody would protest me enjoying mine. Tough decisions are being made in our government about the lives of all of us. It would be nice if we could find a way to make this world work in spite of our differences.