There were many parts of this book that made me feel uncomfortable, sad, and angry. I actually cried a few times while I was reading it; the kids have gone through so much in their relatively short lives, and they have so much yet to face. I was disrupted by the story of Ngawang, a boy who traveled from Tibet to Nepal zipped inside a suitcase when he was 11 years old. I was disrupted by the story of Yasmeen, a girl whose parents both died after moving to the United States, leaving her to apply for guardianship of her two younger siblings when she was only 19. Then, her aunt arranged a marriage between Yasmeen, who was still in high school, and her cousin. I guess these stories disrupted me because these teenagers have so many responsibilities and have faced so many trials that mine seem ridiculously insignificant. Children should not have to go through these things; it motivates me to do everything I can to help and support my future students. Another disruption I experienced was when reading this quote "International students must work much harder to be considered equal to their American-born peers. They have to prepare longer, talk louder, and dress sharper." This is so unfair, but I have to admit that it is true in our society. White, American kids just have things easier, even though these immigrant students are the ones who are already at a disadvantage. There was a story about a boy from Sierra Leone who came to the U.S. to visit but ran away from his host family and stayed instead of returning to his country. He was only 14, and his mom was asking him to send money to their family, assuming that because he was in America, he had resources and opportunities. Sadly, this was not the case. This was disrupting to me because I always have heard about America being a place where dreams come true, but I am realizing just how hard it is for immigrants to be successful here. My last disruption was when the students were applying for college, and some wondered why they even went to school because they believed they were bound to end up working in restaurants and salons like their parents. These kids should not have to work in jobs they don't want; they should be able to accomplish anything if they work hard enough.
There were many things we have discussed in class that were incorporated in this book; obviously, there was a ton of diversity. There were students from a plethora of countries at this school. The teachers allowed them to wear whatever they felt comfortable in and encouraged them to talk about their countries, which is an example of celebratory multicultural education. The teachers and students all learned a lot about each other's cultures, and they were all celebrated. The book also had a lot to do with equity vs. equality; for example, the teachers did not offer to become legal guardians of all their students, but one teacher became the guardian of one certain student who was in a bad situation, living with four adults he was not related to and barely knew who were making him work without being paid. The teachers paid special attention so they would know who needed certain benefits or scholarships, instead of treating everyone exactly the same. Reading this book also made me think a lot about privilege; these kids do not have it. I am so privileged, and I had been pretty ignorant of all the challenges other kids my age face on a daily basis. I have social and cultural capital, which helps me in so many aspects of my life, especially getting into college or getting a job, while some of these students have barely arrived in the U.S. from the Middle East or Africa or Asia and do not speak the language or know how to dress or know a single person in this country. At one point in the book one of the teachers was preparing some students for job interviews, and she had to tell them that it was acceptable and necessary for them to look into the interviewer's eyes, which was shocking to the students whose cultures did not allow that.
I was inspired by the examples of the teachers and school administrators in this book and I know there are many things I want to incorporate in my classroom after reading it. The teachers were like friends to their students; they made them work and taught them, but they supported them, listened to them, gave them advice, and in some cases even became their guardians. I want to get to know each of my students personally so I can understand their home situation and know how to help them. I want to motivate them to try hard and work for what they want, but be realistic and help them understand what they can accomplish. I want to help them outside of the classroom as well; if they need legal help, I want to know how to point them in the right direction. If they need a doctor, I should know who to send them to. I want my students to trust me, and I want each of them to feel loved and protected.
Many of the things I want to incorporate in my classroom are the things I want my classmates to know. I want to share with them the huge impact teachers can have on students' lives. Without the International School and the teachers there, these students would have no hope of a better life. The teachers helped the students dream, and many of them were able to go to college, get jobs, internships, and scholarships, and reach their goals. Another important aspect of this book is the students' desire to learn. The students worked hard to get into this school so that they could be educated and contribute to society, so we have to make sure to nurture that desire. Something else I learned from this book is the importance of honesty. It is important to tell your students the truth and help them set realistic goals. I want to share with my classmates the importance of loving what you do and doing things for the right reasons. These teachers honestly loved and cared for their students. They knew what was going on in their lives and they worked overtime to help them. They did so much more than the bare minimum, and they probably impacted generations. We can do the same.
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