Two parts of this story of a sister (valedictorian) and brother (salutatorian) who graduate today stood out:
- But when Karen, 19, first moved from Colombia to Irving 10 years ago, she spoke no English and had to repeat the third grade at J.O. Davis Elementary, where she started out in bilingual classes.
- Both maintained high grades while working jobs to help their single father avoid foreclosure of their house. They haven’t seen their mother since leaving Colombia as children.
I know a man that came here from Mexico with his family. He entered at the 4th grade level not able to speak a word of English and there was no ESL class to compensate. He would come home every night and teach his parents and siblings English. He went on to be Valedictorian of his class and is very successful today. The character of the generation that fought World War II has been lauded because of their grit and work ethic, which is attributed to the Great Depression. Though this is a major contributor to their makeup, I can't help but believe that the influence of the cost to immigrate to the land of their parent's dreams had a lot to do with their greatness. If we claim to be a nation under God, why can't we embrace those who come and celebrate God's plan to bless us instead of fearing them as so many do?Enter text right here!