Understanding English language learners
By Jeremias Salinas
In March 1990, when I was 10 years old, I came to the United States. I am the youngest of eight children. Six years prior, my mother had migrated to the U.S. with the four oldest children—all sisters.
My family had to leave Honduras due to political insecurity. At the time, Honduras was in the midst of Cold War tensions. The U.S. viewed Honduras as a key ally in its efforts to counter Communist influence in the region, particularly since Nicaragua and El Salvador were not friendly to the U.S. at the time.
The political climate in Honduras in the 80s was characterized by authoritarian rule, these Cold War dynamics, internal conflicts and human rights violations. Honduras was governed by a series of military governments before there was an “elected” government. They held considerable power and influence over the political landscape, with the assistance of the United States. I remember that my father’s involvement with politics was carefully considered. He didn’t want to get deeply involved in it as there was always fear to the risks that it could bring to the family.
My home in Honduras was in a small town named Dos Caminos about 40 minutes outside of San Pedro Sula. At the time, it had one school and one bus route. Our school day was split. Older students usually attended in the morning, from 8 a.m. to noon. Younger students attended from 1 to 5 p.m. I was able to complete third grade at the school until we moved to the U.S.
When my family told us that we would be reuniting in the United States, I was excited about coming to America. From watching movies and TV shows about the U.S., I expected everyone to be blonde, white and have blue eyes.
My family moved to the Vailsburg section of Newark. The school I attended, Mt. Vernon School, was about 98% African American and the rest of the students were from countries like Poland, Russia, Bangladesh, India, Korea and other Latin American countries. School in the U.S. was completely different from what I expected it to be, but these immigrant students were all in the same “boat” as I was. We spoke very little English and were in ESL classes together.
The ESL teachers at Mt. Vernon represented a collection of cultures from around the world. There was Ms. Dewan from India, Mr. Riancho who said he was from Spain, but all of his Latin American students said he was Cuban, and Mrs. Machado who wore these flowery dresses with a warm smile that matched. One of our ESL teachers that I remember fondly is Mr. Patel, who was originally from India or Bangladesh. I remember, he had a heavy accent when speaking English. Many of us began speaking with his accent when he taught us things like numbers and colors.
Arriving in Newark in March meant that it was very cold, very gray and most trees looked like they were dead. In a matter of hours, I went from living in a tropical climate, playing outside my home at times barefoot, to living in a cold place and on the eleventh floor of a gigantic 15-story building. The Ivy Hill Park Apartments is a complex of 10 buildings that for years has attracted migrant families from places like Poland, Bangladesh, India, Korea and many Latin American countries.
Even though I was now reunited with my family, I still felt lonely. It was difficult to communicate with people at school. Coming into school in March and having classmates that spoke different languages made it challenging to make friends.
I will never forget the moment when English clicked for me. I was in the fifth grade, toward the end of the school year. There were two students arguing over something, and I heard them going back and forth at each other. They were saying, “Yes, he was,” and “No, he wasn’t.” I cannot remember exactly what the argument was about, but that was the moment I understood what they were saying to each other.
Navigating life in the United States
My parents were never able to be part of the PTO for many different reasons. My mother who worked in shipping and packing for a glitter company, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. My father worked as a janitor from 4 p.m. to 6 a.m. They had their own challenges that I cannot begin to imagine what it would take to overcome. They faced challenges with the language, a new way of living and trying to provide for our family. My parents also had to navigate the U.S. educational system while not really understanding how it worked.
One thing that I wish my parents would have done is enroll me in music classes. Because they didn’t know that such classes were available, none of my siblings or I had the opportunity to learn to play an instrument in school. That is one of the reasons why my wife Jessica and I made sure our children were enrolled in music programs. Participating in the music program at school has enhanced their educational experience. There was very little to no outreach to non-English speaking families at that time, not from the school or parent organization.
Like many children of immigrants, I often found myself translating for my parents. Some of these situations were for very delicate matters, during doctor visits, bank visits, dealing with tax questions, and even at school. Family decisions were being made with the translations of a child, occurrences that are still happening to this day for migrant children and families.
I remember my parents’ frustration that they were not able to communicate the way they wanted to. Sometimes, I was not able to translate for them because I just didn’t have the necessary vocabulary or knowledge in the subject, but I did my best when I could.
College life
Like many first-generation college students, I didn’t know what I wanted to do after college. I always had a passion for education, and my parents emphasized the importance of education. I always liked school, and I participated in academic programs like Upward Bound and the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Seton Hall, where I met my wife.
I met Jessica at the end of June in the summer of 1998. It was the first day of our freshman year. We were enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Program. We began dating and during our sophomore year our son, Santiago, was born. While continuing classes, we had new responsibilities, and we had to get full-time jobs while continuing with school. A few years later, we graduated and fast forward to now, we both are Spanish teachers. In addition to raising our two children, Isabela and Santiago, she works with elementary students with the South Orange/Maplewood school district.
Choosing a career in education
I was working for a storage company and after I graduated from Seton Hall, Erick Nuñez, a great friend of mine, encouraged me to become a Spanish teacher. I’ve fallen in love with the profession, and I can see now why people go into it from the beginning.
In retrospect, I remember the passion that my own teachers had. I grew up in Newark and attended Newark’s public schools my entire life. The teachers I came across wanted to make a difference, wanted to positively influence kids, and were creative and energetic individuals who, for the most part, loved their jobs. Some of them spoke about being lifelong learners and being able to contribute something positive to their community and society.
Now, I understand what they felt. I’ve spent almost all of my adulthood working in a public school. I’ve worked as a Spanish teacher in Woodbridge Public Schools since 2004. Since then, I have fallen in love with the profession and with public education. I love working with my colleagues, my association president Brian Geoffroy and the leadership team at Woodbridge Township Education Association as we continue to advocate for our students, our members and public education.
I went on to earn a master’s degree from Montclair State University and a master’s degree in language, literature and culture from La Universidad de Granada in Spain. In addition to working at Woodbridge Middle School, I also serve as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall, and as an NJEA UniServ consultant, supporting local associations in strengthening membership and advocating for public education.
Language learners contribute so much to our schools
I think it’s important that educators understand that a gap in language is not a barrier to what students are able to learn. Students who have not yet acquired the skills and vocabulary necessary to express themselves in English are just as talented as those who are native speakers.
When I came to the U.S. it was, at first, a lonely and challenging experience. But the public schools I attended opened the world to me. What I didn’t know is that I opened the world for them as well.
Students from different backgrounds have so much to share. They enhance the learning experience for other students as well as teachers. It is fascinating to speak to someone and learn firsthand what life is like outside of the United States. Culture is everything, from A to Z. Having someone in the classroom who can provide such valuable information and even materials, is a wonderful thing.
Jeremias Salinas is a Spanish teacher at Woodbridge Middle School and secretary of the Woodbridge Township Education Association. He is also an NJEA UniServ consultant in the Region 21 office in Essex County. He can be reached at jsalinas@njea.org.