I am a teacher, and I’ve taught many types of students, but my most recent job, and perhaps the one I loved most, was as an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher for adult students. I specifically worked with advanced-level English learners, meaning that most of them were professionals in their own countries and were extremely intelligent people.
I learned just as much from them as they did from me. Most importantly, I think I learned to appreciate my own country more by listening to and watching them.
One lesson I did involved watching the video of the song “America” from “West Side Story.” I asked the class, “Which group do you agree with?” As a whole, the entire class agreed that, although they missed family members and some of their traditions, it was much better to live in America. They intuitively understood that there was no guarantee of happiness in moving and living here, but the main obstacles to their happiness had been removed.
When then asked to give three reasons for why they preferred America, one student’s response was very simple. He said, “I stay there, I die. I come here, I live.” When the other students insisted that he still needed two more reasons, I said, “No. No, he doesn’t.”
One young lady had watched two of her brothers get shot and killed right in front of her. They were killed by American soldiers, but she holds no ill will toward them. She said that there was no way for them to know who was a rebel and who wasn’t. Instead, she is forever grateful that they saved her, her husband, and her daughter, and that they are now living safely in this country. To watch her come into class every day, one would think she hadn’t a care in the world, but she was just so happy to be able to wear jeans every day.
Another lesson had the students making posters and giving presentations about their countries. They loved learning from each other and learning about other countries, but they all really wanted to know about where their teacher came from.
They assumed when they first started school that everyone from the United States who spoke English would all sound the same, but they soon learned that people from New York sounded very different from people from the South. And that even within each state, there were regionalisms. They loved learning from a teacher who was born here. They wanted to assimilate quickly, not only to get better jobs, but because they truly wanted to be a part of this country.
In our school, we had students from over 85 different countries around the world. It always amazed me that some of the things the students would write in their assignments were all the same regardless of where they came from.
One student’s parents were killed in front of him, and he suffered psychological damage because of it. He came to this country with his brother. He had difficulty with his speaking skills, but he was able to express himself through his writing. When asked, “Is there anything that you did not like about your country?” he responded, “High crime rate, the population aren’t as nice as they pretend, the government, the roads, people meddle in your business, usually with ill intentions, the law enforcement, crime impunities, etc.”
When asked, “How is it different in this country than in your country of origin?” he responded, “The weather for starters, the traffic is great, I feel free, I don’t feel watched, I can walk at night, I don’t feel a malignant presence on my life, and finally, I feel like I have a future to look forward to.”
Entitlement sounds like such a bad word, but sometimes it means that we just get so used to all the blessings that we have, we start complaining about the simplest things. I remember complaining when my dryer broke, and I had to hang my clothes on the line. That’s embarrassing to admit when compared to some of the things that people have to deal with in other countries.
I read somewhere that if you want your kids to appreciate more, give them less. I think that’s true for all Americans. We just forget to compare what it would be like if we lived elsewhere. Whenever my students are making mistakes in their work, I remind them to “get back to basics.” I think that is a good idea for all Americans.
It’s time to get back to basics and remember that the things that we take for granted, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, are the same things that others would be so grateful to have—to the point of risking their lives to get them.
