PsTL 1908W Urban Literacy

When I first got done reading the two articles, I had trouble seeing a direct connection between them and the class. After I thought about it more, I saw them as a way for us to learn that when we are teaching and interacting with immigrants, it is immportant for us to realize that they have stories that deeply affect them and possibly how they learn or view becoming literate in America. Reading those two horrofying stories gave me a greater respect for the people who are struggling to survive and assimilate here in America.
I also saw that especially within the second story, there was a good lesson on teaching English-or any language. I realized that maybe the reason why I had never been good at learning a new language, and I've attempted two, is that I had never thrown myself in being unafraid to make mistakes. To be honest, the reason that I didn't want to go to the other servive sites was because I have my own fear of new languages and I could not see myself being successful at teaching even my own language to someone else. The first story helped me to understand more of what has been happening in Africa. It seems like so many people are so eager to come here because we are so much better off than so many countries. Many put their hopes in education once they get here. I never realized the importance of having people who are skilled in teaching English to immigrants. We are one country attracting litterally the entire world to come here and be successful. How can we survive if we don't have enough people to help these immigrants become successfully literate on an American level? I think I have found a new challenge for myself. Maybe somewhere along the line, I will try to venture into the world of new languages. It would probably be a great experience trying to teach someone English and learning their story along the way.

Posted by Anna Burke at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think its really interesting hearing about other people’s life stories and hearing about different situations that people have been through. Sometimes it seems really surreal and unbelievable about some of the things that people have been through. It would have been unbearable for me to go through what Kabuika went through, especially when she couldn’t even talk to her family over the phone because the situation had gotten so bad, especially when she knew something was really wrong. I think that would make it even harder not to be able to talk to my family. I can’t imagine having to fly to another country just to be able to call my family, the way she had to fly to Brussels to call hers. However Kabuika should be really proud of herself to have been through a situation like that and still have accomplished as much as she has, which is probably more than the average person accomplishes. Kabuika went to college, lived here as an illegal alien, got her citizenship, brought her family here, went back to college on a scholarship, and now she helps other immigrants make a living here in the United states. If my mother had been killed and my family would have gone through that I am very sure that I never would have been able to accomplish that much. I probably would have dropped out of college and been stuck as an illegal alien working bad jobs for not much money. I really respect people like Kabuika, people who can pick themselves out of a hard situation and accomplish a lot in their life.

Posted by Kristen Erko at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I loved the story "Escape From the Congo." I found it to just be great and probably the mosrt entertaining story for our class that I have read. I just really really enjoyed it!
I loved how we got the story and her emotions but also the history aspects of what was happening. I like how the language was mixed into the story as the mother spoke to her children. I could not imagine going through there situation. I would be so scared that I do not think I would even be able to concentrate, I would be too flustered and scared to even want to move. I would just want to sit still but I know that would have just got me killed. I respect them because they were able to go through the ups and downs of there country but still manage to live after. To start over and just live on. I know they never forget what happens an example of that being the main character who took ten years to cope with her mothers death and have a memorial.
In "for the time being" I like the second line at the top before the story even starts, "While I taught them English, they taught me about the power of hope." In reality the roles are usually swithched. Many children are translaters for there who being from a foreign country often of Asian or Hispanic descent cannot speak English. At my job i always ring customers where the child is translating and I think isn't that hard and at sti mes annoying for the child. having to almost chaperone their parents on every outing they wish to go on. From that line I now realize that even though it may seem like a tough task to be your parents personal translator they probably teach there children a lot of helpful things in return. It is not just a one way thing and therefore maybe it is not so horrible helping there parents in return.

Posted by Jasmine Johnson at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I really enjoyed reading these articles. I have read many similar articles in the past but these two were very intriguing and memorable. I couldn’t imagine being in those positions. In “Escape From the Congo�, Kabuika had to live on her own in a brand new country with its brand new language while her family is struggling thousands of miles away. She knew that things back home were bad and there wasn’t really anything that she could do about it. Also, I couldn’t imagine losing my mother and brother in the same day. In “for the time being�, the main problem revolves around Mahtab and Habida’s mother,Rabia, and her depression. Rabia has no clue where her husband is or if he is even alive. Rabia’s sadness leads to her refusal to leave the house and adjust to her new lifestyle. She then hears that her husband is alive and immediately turns her life around and is filled with happiness. However, it is sad that she may be filled with false hope.
The second article states, “The ones who learn best are those who push through their fear of looking silly and just plain talk.� This quote stood out to me because I have seen this through my volunteer experience at the Minnesota Internship Center. I often go through speaking exercises with students and it usually only one of two of the students actively participate. I know that most of the students have the ability and knowledge; however, few choose to speak up. I am also able to see that the kids who are more active tend to learn much faster.

Alex Christianson

Posted by Alex Christianson at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought the two readings were very interesting and insightful. The first reading “Escape from the Congo� described a situation in the Congo that I was pretty much completely unaware of. Listening to the description the circumstances reminded me a little bit of the situation in Rwanda. And those two countries are miles and miles apart. However, the story about Kabuika was rather heartbreaking but hopeful. Under pretty terrible circumstances, her determination to finish school and re-connect with her family is very admirable. It is one situation where an immigrant can never fully become All-American because they can never forget their connection to their homeland and never fully begin to stop missing it, and that is something native Americans could never entirely understand.
The second reading was equally interesting to me. “For the Time Being� reminded me a lot of the book “Kite Runner.� The book tells the story of a young boy and his journey from Afghanistan to America and then back to save someone left behind. (By the way, It’s a really good book and I would recommend it to all of you if you haven’t read it.) I know we are supposed to focus on the literacy part but I think the story about their journey is more interesting. The false hopes, the successes, and the failures is where the heart of this story came out to me.
The ESL teacher’s perspective of this, however, was interesting because it showed the struggle it is to be a teacher and also the rewards that you could have never imagined would present themselves.

Posted by Anna Pirsch at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Reading the story about Kabuika and her experiences as an international student at DePaul University was terribly sad, but also inspirational. In thinking about that, though, there is a very good chance that students here at the U are in a somewhat similar situation. There are hundreds of international students here, and I’m sure that there is a good chance that they have had difficulties of their own when it comes to their family back home. Even if the problems they are having are not nearly as severe as Kabuika’s it still must be very difficult being in a strange country, especially when there is a cultural literacy barrier. From personal experience, worked with a lot of international students at my on-campus job at the beginning of the school year. One particular experience sticks out the most in my mind. A young man came into our office nearly every day. He barely spoke English and he was in a new school in a new country with no one helping him out or telling him how to get around. He didn’t know where most places were on campus and he had a hard enough time understanding my directions, let alone finding his classes. One day after I taught him how to pay his tuition bill online, we got to talking about his family. His father had died when he was a child and his mom worked really hard to help him fulfill the dream of going to college. When I think about what a lot of people have to go through to get an education, it makes me feel really fortunate.

Posted by Kate Cowger at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

I am really inspired by stories of immigrants coming to America and succeeding, although this article had an extremely sad reason for having to immigrate. It was fortunate Kabuika had the opportunity to go to DePaul University but once she began having problems connecting with back home was scary. If I came over here by myself and all of a sudden my family was not answering my phone calls or mail, I would be extremely worried. I get uneasy if I don’t hear from my family at least every 2 days, and my situation is completely different because I am surrounded by many people I know and I’ve lived in America before. For Kabuika, continuing her education but trying to contact her family must be very stressful and disheartening, but from the outside most people would not realize all this is going on. That is something critical between literacy and immigrants, we cannot assume that once they come over here it is like a new beginning, they had a life before they came and still do. I thought she handled herself well and donating her money was very admirable and generous of her. Even though she could have given up because she did not have any direction once her funds were cut off and no family, she persevered and did not blame anybody. This is a lesson that should motivate other students who think they have it hard-everybody to some degree whether visible or not has it hard when it comes to going to school, and Kabuika focused on her future instead of staying in the past.
In the other article, I also admire the ESL teacher for her relationship with the two girls, she did not just go to work and teach, she made a difference in their lives. I would not have told Rabia about her husband, it would not accomplish anything.

Posted by Caitlin Priem at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The two readings for this week were by far the most powerful readings that we have had in this class. Along with a vast amount of information, they come with a deep emotional attachment. The young ladies and their families struggles are stories that I can believe most of us have never had to deal with. But the reality is that, it is happening in the world, and it is cause for us to rethink how grateful we should be for the democracy and strong central government that we have here in the United States. Especially refreshing was the interest Diana took in the young girls lives, and their mother. Although she might not have realized it at first, she meant a lot to the family and kept their mom going despite of her depression. If I could touch one child’s life, even to a quarter of the extent that Diana did, I would be happy and say mission accomplished.
On the otherside, I give all the credit in the world to Kabuika. Her resiliency and generosity in finishing her schooling and working long hours to provide for her families escape was amazing. Most people in her shoes would have given up, but despite all the troubles in Africa, she made it. Although it doesn’t even come close to comparing to Kabuika’s life, I remember how I felt when my parents told me that my dog died two weeks ago. It was sad, in that I hadn’t seen him since I came to school, and I did not feel like I gave him a proper goodbye. For Kabuika, she hadn’t seen her family for 13 years and had to hear of their passing away. My parents tried to not tell me for a couple days about Zack, because they thought it would affect my schooling and it was only a dog. Imagine if you were Kabuika and were told your own parents died. It would be enough to give up all hope.

Posted by Ashley Johnson at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

With each lesson I read, I continue to be appalled by the hardships that others go through to receive an education. For a mother to have her daughter travel so that she may return and tutor her is just really sad. It seems so foreign that travel to and from school would be so difficult, yet I understand that it is at the same time. I do realize that car sickness is was the problem, but isn’t it also sick that there was no place for her to receive an education in near proximity. I found the rest of the story touching. It is nice that we have people who are still willing to take the time and volunteer. It also feels nice to know that, to a certain extent, we as a group are doing the same for countless numbers of individuals in our own community. It really doesn’t take much of our time, yet the difference it makes for others cannot be calculated. Just think, one person spending 3 hours a week for ten weeks with ten students contains 300 hours of productive learning. Imagine what we could do with more willing to help. It was also sad to see how much of the tragedy the family faced was because of terrorist groups. The family left everything they had and knew just to get away from the oppression they faced. In they’re own country they had so much. They were literate and productive members, then they had to come here where they knew nothing. Their story is uplifting and I’m sure it would give hope to others in their situation.

Posted by Chanda Alseth at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

These two articles helped me realize what some people have to go through to not only get an education, but to function in the world today. I felt that the first reading, "Escape From the Congo" by Josh Drobnyk, was a very sad reading. A person has to be extremely motivated and brave to do what Kabuika did. Not only was there hostility and a war going on in her hometown, but her mother was shot and killed as a result of her fathers opposition. Even though she knew of these events, she stood strong and worked hard in Chicago to help her family flee. It takes alot for someone to function the way she did at the time she did it.

In the next article, "For the Time Being," by Diana Abu-Jaber, there is another story about how different events can affect one's life, Rabia in this case. When the teacher is informed by the two daughters that their mother wants to learn English he makes home visits to go teach her. However, because of the fact that their family had to flee and their father/husband was still overseas, and they didn't know if he was still alive, the mother struggled to learn. This story made more of a connection with me than the first one. It made me realize just how much someone's ability AND motivation to learn can be affected by different events in their life. When the family, the mother especially, finds out that their father/husband is still alive, Rabia becomes her normal spunky self again. It's amazing how someone can go from not wanting to get out, or even live for that matter, to become someone who is full of joy and love life the way she did.

Posted by Justin Hasbrouck at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This short story is written by an English teacher named Diana Abu-Jaber. At one of her classes she meets two young girls Habiba Amin, and her sister Mahtab Amin, from Afghanistan. She asked the sisters why they came to her class beacsue they already spoke english really well. The sisters explained to her they were learing how to teach english so they could teach it to their mother who wasnt able to get in a car and come to class. The teacher offered to go to the sisters home to give private lessons to their mother. When the teacher arrived at the sisters house so finds that their mother is deeply saddened at its hard for her to consontrat and couldnt stop staring at a picture of a man beside her. The teacher finds out that the man is her husband and he is missing. As the teacher returns to the sisters house so learns more and more of their story. The Talbian had taken over Afghanistan and the town in which the sisters and their family lived. The Taliban enforced many rules on to the people. They closed the schools, made the women wear burzas(thick veils over their faces where they couldnt even see the sun.) Eveyone felt like prisoners under the Taliban. One day a man from the Taliban asked to married one of the daughters,Habiba, but the father told him he nedded time to think. The next day their father didnt return home from work and so the rest of the family fled because they knew trouble was approaching. They payed a man to take them to a refugee camp. They stayed at this camp until a family form the United States decided they wanted to sponsor the mother and the two sisters. They came to Portland, Oregon. Some other familys also got sponsored and lived in the same apartment complex as the family. It had been a few weeks between the teachers visit to the sisters and one day when she came back she found the mother very happy. The sisters then told her that one man from Kuwait saw the picture of the husband and said he knew him from Russia. The man went on explaining how the husband, Ahmad, told him he had to flee the country or else they would kill his family. He fled to Russia and became a baker trying to save up money to one day find his family. The family was all very happy to know that Ahmad was still alive, it gave them all hope. As the teacher was leaving one fo the sisters explained to her that the man who claimed he saw Ahmad also thought he saw alot of people from his country so that he may have not actually saw him. The sister decided not to tell her mother because she finally had her mother back and that they were all happy to finally be safe and thats what mattered at the time.

Posted by Kathryn Grayson at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I feel that these two selections are good examples and should teach us a lot about where other people are coming from when we try to teach them. Some of the students tutoring are volunteering at places that are housing refugees, much like the people in the two readings. Although for many of us, it may just seem like a place we go once a week for a couple of hours and then forget it until the next time we are there or in class, these people have to live this 24/7. I think that it is important for us, as both students and humans, to realize that the people we are working with may be dealing with deep emotional trauma or equally damaging psychological pain. For example, the mother in the second story had obvious been subjected to many painful experiences, which is evident from her refusal to travel in a car or even leave the house. Her shyness to try to learn English also proved a point of self oppression. It is our job as tutors to understand that the people we work with have the potential to move mountains but sometimes they simply do not have the opportunity, such as the girl from the first story, who attended college for a couple years was forced to drop out once her father could no longer pay for her tuition. But she continued to work and eventually was able to finish her degree. In conclusion, it is obvious that our students are interested in learning, but I feel that we must be fully into teaching them as well.

Posted by Sarah Stackley at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

This article is about Kabuika Kamunga and her family's life during Africa's period of war time. Kabuika was raised in a failry wealthy family and was allowed to study abroad in Chicago. She chose Depaul University. Shortly after leaving The Democratic republic of Congo she realized her phone calls weren't going through and her letters weren't being answered. It was then she realized her nation wasin ruins" (pg. 1). The article goes on to talk about the specific political circumstances the Congolese people were dealing with. After six months of confusion Kabuika was finally able to reach her father by telephone after flying to Brussels, it was then that her father told her that he couldn't pay for her schooling anymore but she needed to stay in Chicago because it was safer for her there. She dropped out of school and began working odd jobs and living as an illegal alien. As her countrys' situation became worse she continued working and sending money home in hopes of helping her family eat or even escape. When soldiers began looting they came into the home her family was living in and took all of their valuables and killed her mother. As the situation in her country got worse her situation seemed to get better as she met a professor who let her tutor his french students and got her a scholarship to Roosevelt University where she continued her studies in Chemistry. Soon much of her family had escaped the Congo and after lots of hard work and immigration hearings Kabuika was granted "application for assylum" which meant she could leave the country and go see her dad. She, of course did this and they were reunited after 13 years. Kabuika is now an accomplished client services counselor to the pan-African Association and is continue her schooling at Northwestern University.

Posted by Rachael Goerger at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Questions to think about from "Escape From the Congo" by Josh Drobnyk:

Do you think you would have reacted to the events the same way that Kabuika did? If not, how do you think you would react?

Have you had experiences so far in college that have discouraged you or made you focus on other things?

Have you had someone help you out so much and care so much about you and your family that they would help you rewrite your story?

Do you think that Kabuika would have died from the events if she had stayed in Kinshasa?

If this were your story, would you want to go back to your home town even though all of those horrible things happened?

Questions to think about from "For the Time Being" by Diana Abu-Jaber:

So far through your service learning, have you had a difficult time helping people with their english skills?

Have you been discouraged by your service learning and think that you weren't making a difference?

Have you made any connections with any of the people you are tutoring? If so, what sparked the initial connection?

Have you learned about anyone's personal stories about why they immigrated?

If you knew something, like Mahtab where she knew that the man might not have seen her father, would you keep it a secret, or tell everyone?

Posted by Devon Sinclair at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)