Changing Communities

Changing Communities

Over the years people from many different countries have come and settled in the Leominster - Fitchburg area. With the help of tutors from Literacy Volunteers of the Montachusett Area they have written their stories.
The following stories are from the July 1998 Literacy Volunteers Newsletter which can be viewed in its entirety on the Community Partnerships page.

My name is Starr Holland. I come from Thailand. I come to America in 1974 and I met my husband. His name is Ray. We were married the same year. We had a child her name Sumalle.
Thailand is a beautiful country and the people are very friendly and kind. Americans and other cultures they have a hard time learning the Thai language. When they visit Thailand.
I lived in a foster home since I was 5 years old. I also had 12 step brothers and sisters. They treat me like I belong. I love them all. I finished high school in Thailand. 2 years later I came to U.S.A. I could not speak English it was very hard time for me. I had a book to help me to understand. I had to take care my baby and I was working. I learned how to speak English but I didn't have time to learn to read and write.
Now I go to school 2 hour every week for 2 years. Now I can read and write pretty good. I feel happy and my teacher very proud of me.
I like U.S.A. very much. People are very nice It is a good country.
Written by: Amphorn Holland

My Dreams
Hi my name is Muhammad. I come from Pakistan. I was born in a small town. When I came to the United States everything was very new to me. It took me a long time to get use to the weather. Pakistan is a very warm country. But everything about winter was nice, especially the snow.
I got married the same year my wife sponsored me to U.S. She is very much American. She speaks good English and has gone to schools here too. She was young when she came here from Pakistan. I was very happy to be in America.
But one thing that always bothered me was not being able to speak English well. I want to learn to read and write better. Back then I did not have the time to go to school because my wife and I were working hard to have everything for our children. Thanks to God I have everything I wish for now. I dream about being a graduate. With a lot of hard work and help from my tutor, Kim, I will live all my dreams someday. I wish I had heard about the volunteer program few years back. It has given me the push I needed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
P.S. I am an American citizen now too.
Written by:Muhammad Qureshi

A Visit from Ecuador
When my father-in-law arrived to my house I was nervous because I thought that a new life it was going to start for me. I said that because he was going to stay here in this country and probably live with us for a while.
On the other hand it was a challenge for us. Why? Because my husband had hardly lived with him when he was a boy and this might be the opportunity to get to know each other. For me on the other hand was hard to accept the idea of someone else staying with us for a period of time that to me seemed like an eternity. I saw him as a stranger staying in my house. I thought I don't know how to act or what to say. Am I shy? Some of my friends said that I talk too much, I don't seem to notice when I need to stop and I mean literally, I think is because I get nervous and I don't like the silence to surround me when another person is present and so I talk.
I know that there are times when you need to be silent but talk on. This then was going be the first time I would be close to my father-in-law, what is more this would be the first time for Jessie to get to know her grandfather - not counting his three days visit when she was four.
Jessie seems to adapt better to these situations - a visit from someone she doesn't know, a person in an unusual situation, when my retarded brother came to stayed with us and she amaze me with her understanding of his needs and helped me.
Is it because she is a child? Is it because she is prejudice free? Maybe I'll never know the answer but I think we can all learn a lot from little kids.
Along with her grandfather her cousins came too, there are one boy age 3 and two girls 6 and 8. I can't describe how happy Jessie was to see them. Before they came she only had two friends, Lily and Gina ages 8 and 11 who are cousins and I had noticed how she behaves when they're around, happy to be with them, eager to see them more often and even though she never told me I know that she wishes they were her cousins, I know that is the reason why she is sop happy having her cousins here now to share with them and to do many things she couldn't in the past.
These have been a lot of new situations that we had to go through, it was hard in the beginning trying to adapt to have new people around but little by little I am sure that we will learn to know each one of them as unique personalities.