Have you ever been to a country with a different language and culture and had to adapt to a new way of life? That’s exactly what a group of young students from Venezuela had to do at the Kingswood-Oxford Middle School in West Hartford.
On January 29th, a group of students from Caracas, Venezuela, were plunged into into a new and different way of life. These eleven seventh grade students and their teacher came to Kingswood-Oxford Middle School to experience “the American private school life.” They stayed iin condominiums in Manchester, thousands of miles away from familiar fffamiliarfriends and family for four long weeks.
Many of these bilingual students are accustomed to the English language. “I have been studying English since first grade,” said Isabel, one of these ambitious V enezuelans. “A few years ago, I lived in Boston for a year,” mentioned Christian, another “new” student. All eleven students were asked to stand in front of the entire seventh grade at the Middle School to ex press their feelings about living in this new community. The foreign students seemed very well rehearsed and professional, even though their dialect sounded a little different from what Americans might say. Most of the Venezuelans said, “I like a lot K-O because everyone is nice to us,” instead of the usual American way, “I like K-O a
lot….” Indeed, the Venezuelans had good reason to say they were enjoying our community because everybody was hospitable to them and quickly becoming their friends. K-O students walked the sometimes-overwhelmed Venezuelans to their classes on the first few days, so they wouldn’t get lost, and these same K-O students also introduced the Venezuelans to their new teachers and classmates. K-O students also helped the visiting students with homework and tried to include the Venezuelans in conversations and events. Maddie Reich even held a dinner party to welcome the new students and give them a taste of an American hospitality and food.
As soon as these visitors arrived, they had to jump right into the difficult workload with which many Kingswood-Oxford students struggle. These foreign adolescents were expected to participate in all the required class work and to complete the assigned homework assignments when they were due without complaint. Christian and Gustavo, two Venezuelans in my fifth period math class, spent the whole period going over previous night’s homework and completing class work for that day. They gave examples, discussed problems, and asked Mr. Woodward if they had a question about something they were debating. The Venezuelans also took all the quizzes and tests that their teachers were giving. For example, in my science class, we had spent many weeks on an astronomy unit that we were being tested on just after the Venezuelans arrived. Robert and Isabel willingly took the test along with the rest of us even though they had only been studying the material for the past few days.
Eleven days into their expedition, the Venezuelans attended most American students’ favorite activity, a school dance. Free from the limitations of the dress code, the regular Kingswood-Oxford students had the chance to see how Venezuelans dressed. Many Venezuelan girls and boys wore Abercrombie brand clothing, which was familiar to most American students. The Venezuelan students also experienced American music. “We listen to music very different from this,” said Kiki, a visiting student. Hip-Hop and Rap, which many Americans listen to, is very unfamiliar and new to these South American kids. “We prefer listening and dancing to reggae and merengue,” Alfredo, a Venezuelan, asserted.
If you went to a new country, would you enjoy it, or would you count down the days until you returned to the familiar setting of home with your family and friends? Not these adventurous souls! “I like the United States because there is more technology, and there are different seasons,” stated Isabel, a visiting student. “I like America because it is safe and I have made many new friends,” declared Eva, another Venezuelan student. Both of these girls agreed that they would come to America again if they had the opportunity.
After understanding the risks that these young Venezuelans took by coming to a new unknown country, ask yourself this, would you be able to give up all you have and are used to for a whole month and adapt to a new world?
~ Paula Hagopian