This is for to the kids who were brought here, unknowingly
For the child with the spark in their eye and culture running through their veins
Don’t let their silence and quizzical looks fool you
They are bright, capable
Let their voice be heard through the language of their motherland
Their native tongue and second language coexist beautifully
Open your eyes, open your mind to their potential
They are more than the brown color of their skin
They are more than just future farm workers, grass cutters, job stealers
They are the future of the country they call home and it is not the country that saw them born
In this reading, something that stood out to me was the “banking concept” and how this type of education reduces students to mindless “receptors”. This resonated with me because growing up I was treated as dumb or slow because I didn’t know the language and many of my teachers just focused on dumping the language on me so I could advance to the “real” classrooms. Many immigrant children, more personally Hispanic children, are often looked at differently until they prove themselves and learn English. There are bilingual programs in place right now that solely focus on transitioning these students to full English classes without preserving their native language or teaching them the value behind their culture. As a future bilingual educator, it is important to me to portray the importance of past and present social issues in a way they understand and not treat them as if they couldn’t understand. It is our responsibility, as educators, to give these students the opportunity to analyze and interpret the lessons taught in our past and present. We have to give our students the opportunity to think for themselves and find their place in society based on their beliefs and thoughts on different issues. This poem reflects my personal experience as an immigrant child and brings awareness to others about how they view their students; immigrant children aren’t dumb because they don’t speak English. They are the future of this country, they can open doors and create opportunities, as bilingual members of this society.
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