Chinese tradition and culture visit our ESL classes

Chinese tradition and culture visit our ESL classes every week. In these classes, I teach English as a second language to immigrants from China as well as Latin America. Often, however, I leave feeling like I learned more from them than they learned from me.

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One of my Chinese students has taught me a lot about Chinese tradition and culture. She likes to describe her life in China before she immigrated to the US. In particular, she talks about such holidays as Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.

In turn, I talk about American holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are not celebrated in China so they can be as mysterious to immigrants as their holidays are to us.

One activity that I like to do with my students is have them write their favorite recipe in English on an index card. Preferably this recipe is something unique from their country.

Then the students trade index cards and make each others’ recipes. They bring their dishes to the next class so we can all take turns tasting international foods.

Cooking and eating international foods is a great way for our students to experience each others’ countries without having to travel there. Chinese tradition and culture as well as Latin American culture are brought to our small table and enjoyed by all.

My work with ESL students has taught me a lot about their struggles in the US. Coming to a new country is frightening because not only do immigrants need work. They need to communicate this to potential employers before they can get work. In addition, they and their families need medical care, food, clothing and housing. How do they fit learning a new language into their new lives?

A good place to start is the local charities such as MUST Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, or the Salvation Army. Our community is fortunate to have all three organizations located very close to each other.

We also have a local ministry called Grace to the Nations (GTN) which partners with the above organizations and local churches to provide assistance and resources for our immigrant population.

After just two short years this grassroots organization (fondly known as “Graceroots”) has knocked on doors and knocked down racial and ethnic barriers that prevented immigrants from seeking the help they need.

In fact, GTN sponsors the ESL classes I and other volunteers teach. GTN also holds distribution days to dispense much needed clothing, baby items and school supplies to our immigrant community.

In return, we get to experience Chinese tradition and culture as well as Latin American culture first hand without ever leaving our community. These immigrants bring their heritage with them.

With the help of such organizations as GTN, MUST Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and local churches, we have learned to not just coexhist with our new neighbors. We are learning to weave a tapestry larger than our families to include immigrants and their traditions and culture.

For us, it is important for our children to see their parents embrace other people from different nations. We want them to see that invariably, we all are connected by a red thread. Including that thread into the fabric of our lives strengthens our witness as well as our desire to bring all cultures home.

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