Name:______________******English 7, Period_____*** Date______***Mr. Koondel
Directions:
You are going to read a poem called "Saying Yes," a poem called "Instructions for Joining a New Society," and an article from Teen Voices magazine called "Becoming American." You will answer questions and write about what you have read. You may look back at the poems and the article as often as you like.
"Saying Yes"
by Diana Chang
"Are you Chinese?"
"Yes."
"American?"
"Yes."
"Really Chinese?"
"No…not quite."
"Really American?"
"Well, actually, you see…"
But I would rather say
yes
Not neither-nor,
not maybe,
but both, and not only
The homes I've had.
the ways I am
I'd rather say it
twice,
yes
"Instructions for Joining a New Society"
by Herberto Padilla
One: Be Optimistic.
Two: Be well turned out, courteous, obedient,
(Must have made the grade in sports.)
And finally, walk as every member does:
one step forward
and two or three back;
but always applauding, applauding.
"Becoming American: Somali Refugees Talk About Their New Lives in the United States"
In 1991 a war broke out in Somalia (a country in Fast Africa). Two political groups began fighting each other. Over half of the population of Somalia (4.5 million people) were threatened with hunger and malnutrition. As a result of the war, almost one million Somalis left their home as refugees, moving to neighboring countries, or to others much farther away.
Among those who left Somalia are Ayan and Suad Sheikhahmed (ages 15 and 17) and Mulki and Marian Hoosh (ages 15 and 17). The families of all the teens left Somalia in the early 199Os and went first to a refugee camp in Kenya. There they were given basic food and water, and lived in bamboo huts which were constantly threatened by fire. The camps were crowded and there were epidemics of diseases such as malaria and cholera.
After several months in the camp, the young women's families were able to immigrate to the United States because they had relatives living here who applied for them to be accepted as refugees. Now they live in Boston and go to school with American teens, along with other immigrants from around the world. Teen Voices talked to them about their experience of immigration, and what it's like to live in a foreign culture.
Did your whole family come with you to America?
Suad: My uncle and my father stayed behind. We're still looking for a way to get them here. We haven't seen our father since we were three or four. He just found out a few years ago that we were still alive--he thought we were dead.
Why is it difficult for them to come here?
Ayan: Because somebody would have to sponsor them. You have to have a certain amount of money and the application is expensive, too.
How did your parents find places to live and work in Boston?
Mulki: When we first came here my sister worked, and we lived with her--she supported us. Then my father started working. Now my mother works, too, looking after children.
Ayan: I live with my grandmother. She doesn't work, but my uncle and my mother support her. My aunt, who is about my age and who has a job, gives all of her paychecks to my grandmother.
Who speaks English in your family? Do you ever have to do any translating in your family?
Ayan: We have to translate for my grandmother. Whenever somebody calls her she just grabs someone nearby. When she goes to the doctor, one of us has to go with her.
Marian: Our mother just speaks a little English. We all help her out. Sometimes I don't feel like translating, because I want to go somewhere, and instead I have to help my mother.
Do you have citizenship?
Suad: We're going to get it in July.
Mulki: We're also applying for it in July with my mother. She's worried about taking the test. She's going to English classes to prepare.
Marian: It's important if you're going to live in America to have the same rights as everyone else.
One of the things that causes a lot of tension in the Somali community is the changing of immigrant children into Americans. But these four teens talk about wanting to keep their traditions, and at the same time be Americans.
In what ways do you feel you will be different from your parents and grandparents because you are growing up in the United States, instead of Somalia?
Ayan: I think our parents don't understand us. They think we're going to do bad things.
Suad: It's hard. My mother grew up in Somalia, and all she did was go to school and clean and help in the house. But I go to a lot of [after-school] programs and try to help other people out. It's hard for us to understand each other. I think that [our parents] are scared about us growing up here. We have a lot of opportunities, and they're afraid we might not take advantage of them. America offers a lot of opportunities to become a doctor or lawyer or other things, and I think my mother is scared that we'll not go to college, or end up working in fast food restaurants. She wants us to be something that she could never be.
Mulki: I think it's hard for them to understand because they're afraid that we'll be losing our traditions. Back home girls dress a certain way--they wear long skirts and a scarf. And most teenagers from Somali now, including us, don't dress like that. Somehow they think we're not keeping our tradition. But inside of us, we know how important it is to be Somali.
Terms to Know
Legal Immigrant:
A legal immigrant comes to the United States with permission to live and work here. It is possible to come to the United States legally in several ways. For example, you can marry a citizen, be sponsored by a member of your family living in the United States, or be sponsored by an employer who wants to hire you for a certain job.Illegal Immigrant:
Illegal immigrants are also called Undocumented Immigrants. They come to this country without having first obtained legal permission from the United States government to live here.To Deport:
To deport someone means to send them out of the United States, usually back to their home country.Green Card:
A green card is a card that states that the holder is allowed to live and work in the United States. The person who holds a green card is called a Legal Permanent Resident.Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS):
The INS is a federal government agency responsible for legal and illegal immigration. The INS is responsible for guarding this country's borders to make sure illegal immigrants don't come in. It can deport immigrants who are here illegally, and it is the agency which grants green cards and citizenship to immigrants.
Refugee:
One who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution.
In your answer, be sure to include
Check your work for correct grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.