They have hopes and dreams for their
lives in the United States. No matter what their age when they
arrived here.
And once they felt they had a little
confidence in understanding the ways of this new country of
theirs, they decided to help others from their homeland settle
in, too.
I spent a fascinating Sept. 11 with the members of the
Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly. This group of 49
social service agencies serves older, often immigrant
populations. As the name implies, often English was not their
first language, and despite trying to embrace it, the new
language sometimes is a challenge. Yet they continue to attempt
to make it their own. (When I hear from people who lambaste
immigrants for not speaking enough English, I often think, "I'd
like to see you plopped in a foreign land and left to figure out
the language. Then see how easy you think it would be." But I
digress.)
Anyway, the group invited me to its annual meeting and dinner, where they
were honoring several volunteers. The elderly helping the
elderly. (Much to my surprise, when I got there, I realized I
was getting an award, too. But I would have found the evening
fascinating even without the plaque.)
What I noticed immediately was that I was pretty much in the midst of a
mini-United Nations. Beth O'Grady, executive director for the
coalition, said about 30 ethnic groups were in the house that
night. All together, all getting along.
That spirit of cooperation is something that goes on
year-round, O'Grady told me later. Knowing that their shared
goal is to help limited-English-speaking elders get the services
they might need, the different organizations point potential
clients to sister organizations all the time. But back to the
event. All around me were people dispelling different notions
held by so many in the anti-immigrant crowd.
I get a lot of e-mails where the writers feel that
any allegiance to one's native land is somehow disloyal to the
United States. Actually, it was just the opposite from what I
witnessed with the group's volunteer "community treasures," as
they're called.
For example, there was Rachel Benjamin of the Urhai Community Service
Center. Some days, she helps Assyrians fill out different
government forms. Other days, she is their voice at doctor
appointments. Benjamin said she is trying to help these people
feel comfortable here. All they are trying to do is assimilate,
and isn't that what mainstream America wants?
Or Geoffrey Land, of the South-East Asia Center, who
for 10 years has taught English as a Second Language. Land told
me he insists that in his class his students only speak English,
not their native tongue. When they are at home, he encourages
them to listen to the radio -- in English -- so they can get
more comfortable with the sound of the language. He recommends
that his class be just the starting point in embracing English.
"I encourage them to study English more because the more they
study, the better position they will get in society," he said.
Land voiced what I always suspected, that immigrants know
English is vital to their overall success in the United States.
At the end of the evening, the group all stood and sang "America the
Beautiful." Oh sure, they continue to hold their native lands
dear to their hearts. Yet the respect and reverence in their
faces as they sang sure looked to me as if they feel just as
strongly about their adopted homeland.
Excerpted from the Chicago Sun Times
September 17, 2007
SUE ONTIVEROS
sivonteros@suntimes.com
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