Vores tema er "Multikultural London" som vi forbedre til vores tur til London om 3 uger hvor eleverne skal lave felt arbjede i gade af London. Vi snakkede om fordel og ulemper om immigration og hvorfor mennesker immigrerer og hvorfor mennesker emigrerer... Det var en dyb og meget spændt diskussion. Men jeg stoppede i midten og sagde til eleverne.... "Hold op. Jeg ved at jeg er en undlædning...men jeg indså lige.... Jeg er en immigrant." Dette lille ord havde stor magt over mig igår...og jeg er ikke sikker på hvorfor.
As I was teaching yesterday, I had quite a revelation....about something I had never even thought about before.... Our theme is "Multicultural London" as we are working to prepare for our trip to London in 3 weeks where the students are going to be conducting research about multiculturalism on the streets of London. We talked about the advantages and disadvantages of immigration and why people immigrate and why people emigrate. It was a really deep and exciting discussion. But then I stopped midway through and said to the students..."Wait. I know I am a foreigner. Believe me, I know that for sure. But I just realized.... I am an immigrant." That little word had a great deal of power over me yesterday...and I am not sure why.
4 comments:
Probably because it is such a loaded word here in Texas, and when people say "immigrant" it is derogatory, especially toward our Hispanic population. "Immigrant" isn't a positive thing to many people in Texas because it's usually associated with "illegal". Just a guess.
Maybe because being an immigrant implies that you'll be staying in the foreign country for a long time.
Two things: one is that I guess we see ourselves as ex-pats when in fact we are immigrants.
Two: immigrants is so often used negatively that perhaps we don't associate ourselves with that kind of description.
And three: I know, I know.. I can't count! The word has such a strong taste of 'permanency' that it can take a long time before we accept the fact that we are immigrants.
Believe me - I definitely have felt the irony, knowing that I am a 2nd generation American, and now here I am an immigrant in Denmark! It is wild to think about! Our move to DK has given me a different perspective on what my grandparents actually experienced, as well as, reminded me of how many obstacles they overcame to get to the US. The whole thing is humbling - yet, I couldn't be more proud! ;)
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