G. Casey Cassidy
The primary goal of my curriculum unit this year is to address the contemporary issue of migration to the United States with a special focus on the experiences of peoples who have immigrated from Puerto Rico. Many of these newcomers have resettled in Connecticut and their children represent a significant portion of the population demographics at our Clemente Middle School. The concept of origins and destinies will have a significant role in our research as we accompany selected immigrants from their birthplaces to their new homes which may or may not become their final destinies.
As I have noted in my introduction, the primary focus of this unit will analyze the assimilation of recent immigrants as they seek to become incorporated into American society. We will follow Geran Malanguez and his family from their village in Bautabarro, Puerto Rico to Spanish Harlem. And, as we follow them, and they begin to assimilate themselves into American culture, we will develop a multitude of themes which reflect the challenges and the obstacles that immigrants must overcome as they persist in their quest for a piece of the “American Dream.”
Certainly a driving force for many immigrants is the aspiration for a better life for themselves and their children. Because the United States is viewed as a land of opportunity, millions flock to her shores and across her borders annually to a land where they hope hard work and sacrifice will be rewarded. Other themes to be explored will be the importance of family unity, respect for traditional family values, and the difficulties and the resistance encountered when decisions are formulated to leave home in search of a better tomorrow. As the families leave their homes and their birthplaces, we will describe the actual migratory experience including the monetary difficulties and expenses incurred that were necessitated by the flight itself.
Other objectives will focus on securing adequate living arrangements, which typically relies heavily on extended family networks and close friends; searching for job opportunities which are often limited by required skill levels, proper accreditation credentials or language difficulties; and attempts to secure employment that is stable, in safe working conditions, with decent wages, good benefits and upward mobility. More often than not, the immigrant is not successful in finding jobs which would afford his family the opportunity to join the American society which forces them to continue to live as outsiders; that is,
outsiders
living
inside
America. Additionally, special recognition will be made to praise the work ethic of the immigrant and to appreciate their pride of accomplishment.
As for strategies, my curriculum unit will assist me in many ways. At Clemente School, our comprehensive school plan strongly emphasizes reading and writing skills. Students will be challenged with oral and silent readings to seek out common themes and main ideas, and to identify and describe all major and minor characters in our novel. Note taking, summarizing individual chapters and developing book reports will help to improve our writing skills. Panel discussions and group debates will enable our students to research specific information critical to their presentations. Role playing will lend itself nicely to demonstrate the difficulties that the recently arrived immigrants faced as they sought to relocate their families and to incorporate themselves, economically and socially while seeking to maintain their cultural identities. Guest speakers representing various occupational areas such as government, education, business, health and other community service agencies and who have assimilated their own families in a similar capacity will be invited to share their experiences with our classmates. These valuable lessons and others like them will serve to recognize the hardships that immigrants have endured and will continue to endure. Hopefully, our students will develop a richer understanding of the heroic accomplishments of these peoples and, in turn, applaud their perseverance.
