Sidebar: Diego’s Story
In 2000, school districts in DuPage County were experiencing waves of immigrant and refugee children from parts of Central America, Mexico, and Africa. One was a boy who we will call Diego. He was 12 years old and in sixth grade when he arrived in the United States. He came from a small town in a rural part of Mexico where he and his family had lived on a working farm near his grandmother. The family had livestock and Diego was involved in their daily care.Just prior to his arrival in West Chicago, he lost his older brother in a tragic situation. His mother decided it was no longer safe to stay in Mexico and quickly made arrangements to migrate north to stay with family. It happened rapidly, and Diego was not consulted about the move. According to Diego, one moment he was in his home country surrounded by friends, family, the farm, and the culture he knew. The next day he felt traumatized by new sights, sounds, and language of his new U.S. environment. He did not have time to process his emotions. Diego was trying to navigate his sense of loss, language and cultural barriers, and a new educational environment.
Fortunately, the school district offered a six-month Welcome Center Program where Diego’s needs could be assessed and addressed to form a transition plan for him to gradually become ready to navigate the local middle school. In the first weeks, Diego’s academic skills were assessed in his native language of Spanish. All the teachers he encountered in the Welcome Center had experienced immigration firsthand. He was assigned a social worker to help him with his social and emotional needs. The social worker also supported the family to access resources, including the local food pantry, housing assistance, and medical care.
The Welcome Center offered a curriculum that was focused on literary, mathematics, English as a Second Language, and acculturation classes. The setting was small, providing students with a safe space to learn important everyday tasks: managing belongings in a locker, class schedules, and eating in a small-scale version of a school cafeteria. Opportunities for questions and support were offered in the form of an acculturation class. Students were encouraged to share their stories while they learned about customs and traditions in the United States. Diego often wrote letters to his grandmother back home, encouraging her to look after the livestock on the farm. He told her how much he missed and worried about them.
When Diego began to feel safe, he was able to begin to perform academically. Within six months, he was successfully moved to the local middle school that was prepared to receive him as a student. His teachers were informed of his needs and there was a plan in place to continue the support services for him. At the end of the first grading period, Diego was performing so well that he made the honor roll.
See Ensuring Success for Newcomer Students.