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 News
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MFS News May 29, 2009 STUDENTS EXPERIENCE FIRST-HAND LOOK AT IMMIGRANTS' CHALLENGES
Students in Rob Buscaglia’s Spanish IV class recently experienced an up-close look at the effects of the global financial crisis on local immigrant day laborers. In mid-May, eight students took a field trip to a Home Depot parking lot in the Crescentville section of Philadelphia to conduct interviews with Spanish-speaking day laborers. The students were accompanied by Buscaglia, Director of Multicultural Affairs Karen Washington and English Teacher Peter Larson. Students arrived at the Home Depot prepared with specific interview questions and worked in teams to conduct the interviews with day laborers from Guatemala, Honduras, Argentina, and other Latin American countries. Students were greeted openly by the day laborers and started out the morning with a light breakfast provided by the MFS club Food Not Bombs. During the interviews, students asked questions designed to learn more about the daily life of day laborers, their motives for coming and staying in the U.S., and the effects of the economic crisis on their lives and those of their families. “The stories flowed like the coffee, and we were able to get a lot of information about what the daily life is like for them,” wrote junior Stephen Decker, who was inspired to write on his own about the visit. “Most of them were eager to tell us about their homes and families. But when conversation shifted to the lack of work, many became solemn. Some are pessimistic about the drop in available jobs, and understandably so. The few remesas, or shipments of money, that they could send before have now become even more scarce.” According to Decker, returning home is now an option for some, although not one many can afford. He wrote: “Some would even like to return to their homes if given the opportunity, for the reunion with their family would be more rewarding than the meager wage they received here. We were all impressed with their loyalty to their families and their commitment to earning enough money to make a better life for themselves and their kids. These experiences have taught me so much about the world around me. I have learned that through sheer perseverance, you can overcome life’s hurdles and still keep a measure of sanity. This is the staple idea that these people rely on; it carries them through every day and fuels their drive to eke out their living. “ This was the culminating activity of a unit exploring how immigrants were dealing with the difficult economic times. It was inspired by an article a student submitted to Buscaglia: “Crisis económica castiga con dureza a los inmigrantes” (“The economic crisis hits immigrants hard”), published in a Spanish-language newspaper El Especial on January 6. The Home Depot visit was facilitated by Valeska Garay, Executive Director of JUNTOS, a non-profit organization comprised of Mexican and other Latino immigrants in Philadelphia . A week prior to their field trip, members of JUNTOS visited Buscaglia’s class to talk about the work it does with Latino day laborers and other members of the Latino immigrant community in Philadelphia. JUNTOS’ mission is “to build power for justice in the city of Philadelphia and members’ home countries in order to create vibrant, organized, vocal, and healthy communities.” The Spanish IV unit also included reading, discussion, listening comprehension and interactive speaking activities designed to develop students’ practical use of the language in a meaningful context. “It was wonderful seeing my students taking what they know outside of the classroom and applying it to something real,” said Buscaglia. “Watching them explore this issue, experiment with the language, search out answers for themselves, and reflect on what they’ve learned was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had as an educator. I could see them making important connections to things that they’ve learned in other classes, to their own experiences, and to the values that drive Quaker communities such as this. I think that’s when learning becomes personal and meaningful.“ (To respect the privacy of the interviewees at the Home Depot mentioned above, no photos were taken.)
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110 E. Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949 Phone: (856) 235-2900 |
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