JET CITY MAVEN - VOL. 3, ISSUE 3, MAR 1999

Copyright 1999 Park Projects. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Jet City Maven as your source.

ESL classes help newcomers

Every day on the news we hear about conflicts, wars, poverty and oppression. We hear about brave people who overcome their circumstances to obtain a dream.

The North Seattle Family Center in Lake City offers an English as a Second Language (ESL) class that is filled with people who dream of a better life for themselves and their children.

They are determined and work hard to understand the new and foreign country of the United States. They struggle to keep their identity and blend into society. They learn the delicate balance of compromise as they watch their children, raised American, grow.

Can you imagine the difficulty of not understanding anything being said around you and having to find an apartment or a job?

Just going grocery shopping can make you burst out crying. You don't recognize any of the food, you can't read the labels and you don't have any money anyway. These are the frustrations of immigrants. Some of the students were recently asked about their experiences moving to Seattle.

This is what they said:

Why or how did you make the decision to make such a big change? "My husband works in the U.S. and he hopes that I can stay with him," says Lucy. "I have a very good job in China and it is well-paid. But I miss my husband very much since he left me. He went to the U.S. one month after we got married. So I decided to go to the U.S. and quit my job. It's really a big decision for me. And I don't know what I shall face after that. Š Then I attended the ESL class, I go to the Family Center and join the activities they have. Š My life has variety and I don't feel sad any more. I make many friends. But I still think that if you want to start your lives over by moving to another country, you shall have plenty of preparations for your new life, especially in your thoughts."

What was difficult about moving? "It was difficult (to move) because my mother wasn't happy about it," says Rahel.

What would you tell others trying to decide whether to change their lives in that way? "I think, if you try to decide something you must loose yourself and put your sight far away," says Jo. "Don't depress yourself. Do the right thing and what you want."

Call the North Seattle Family Center for details at 364-7930.