Anonymous
Student
“My mom was the one that was worried if something might happen to us in the journey... I felt it in her, but she was just trying to make me feel good, not to worry.”
When we wondered what was most surprising in the U.S., the interviewee mentioned the isolation of the English Language Learning (ELL) students, responding, “You can see the ELL room being sort of, like, separated from the rest of the school and… the students only talk to the students in there. They don’t talk to the rest of the school. That’s what surprised me most.”
Also, we asked about their specific experiences traveling to the Unites States, as there are many misconceptions about what it’s like to immigrate. They recalled that they were young enough to feel like it was a fun adventure, but their family felt otherwise: “My mom was the one that was worried if something might happen to us in the journey. I think she was the one worried. I felt it in her, but she was just trying to make me feel good, not to worry.”
Finally, we wanted to know if the interviewee found Northampton to be welcoming. They replied, “I see that Northampton is a really helpful city for immigrants. I feel safe in Northampton. Even my mom says it. She doesn’t want to move from Northampton because we feel safe here.” They highlighted that their mother felt comfortable, in contrast to the anxiety she felt during the trip to the U.S. from South America.
The Teen Advocacy Group felt that this interviewee’s perspective was essential to our project, as they told about their direct experiences as a New American.