English Language Learners Bring You The World 2023

English Language Learners Bring You the World

Essays, Stories & Cultural Insights

Volume 21

Spring 2023

English as a Second Language and Intensive English Departments

Sponsored by Services and Activities Fees

Dear Reader,

Although the students in the English as a Second Language and Intensive English programs at South Puget Sound Community College come from all over the world, their common experiences and dedication to learning English bring them together. As teachers, we are honored to have students who are so caring and so interested in learning. We hope you draw as much inspiration from reading their stories as we have.

Nearly 100 students from 26 countries have shared their stories and essays here. The contributions are organized alphabetically by country of origin. Student biographies are listed in the About the Authors section at the end of the book.

Students of the following IE and ESL instructors contributed to this volume:

Jennifer Barber

Kristen Blegen Bouyer

Geoff Dugwyler

Andrea Long

Janelle Martinez

Julia Richardson

Jodi Ruback

Heather Williams

Editor: Geoff Dugwyler

Cover Illustration: Caroline Hobbs

A special thanks to Services and Activities Fees for sponsoring this publication.

Commenting on the diversity of people and beliefs that make up the United States, former U.S. President (1977-81)

and 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Jimmy Carter said:

“Wehavebecomenotameltingpotbutabeautifulmosaic.”

AFGHANISTAN

MY STORY IS A COUNTRY

By Anonymous

I like to cook Afghan food. I have a good friend in Lacey. I like Afghan music. I like Lacey. I like sleeping. I like water. I like eating. I like water games.

THE REASONS I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES

By Mariam Ahmadi

My name is Mariam. I came to the United States 17 months ago. I came to the United States because the Taliban came to my country. The Taliban are bad people. They wanted to kill my family because my brother worked with the American people and the Taliban didn’t want Afghans to work with the Americans. My family left our home country because we wanted to save ourselves. We came to the United States to be safe and start a new life here.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Marwa Ahmadi

My name is Marwa. I came to the United States 17 months ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is my home. I liked my house because it was close to my uncle’s house. That made it very easy for us to visit family. I enjoyed a happy life in my house and am still getting used to the differences in American houses. Another thing that I miss about my country is my friends. I miss going to the lakes and mountains near my house with them. I also miss my college. I was studying dentistry before we had to leave. I hope to be able to study dentistry in the United States. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so I can visit my grandma, other family, and my friends.

9000 MILES TO THE UNITED STATES

By Tamim Ahma d Ahmadi

The place that was always fight, suicide attack, kidnapping, robbing, and killing.

The place that was taking breath and be alive not live.

The place that was always in blood and always was in destroying.

The place that you are always thinking will you be alive today or not.

I was born and raised in this place.

I am from Afghanistan. I had two jobs there, one as president of a youth non-profit organization and second as vice president of the Tamim Ahmadi Ltd Logistic Company. I was an active reporter for the nonprofit profit organization, and I was supporting and helping human rights. When the Taliban came into Kabul Afghanistan I was totally scared. I lost everything. I was a target of the Taliban because of my jobs and I also had a relationship with the U.S Army.

I left with my 57 year old dad, my wife who had a recent surgery, and 2 kids who were 2 years and 5 months old. We made a trip of 9000 miles to come to the United States and passed through 13 countries: Iran, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and México. We walked, took cars and passed through the scary ocean.

I paid people to guide and show me the way. Going with them was not safe. They don t care much about the people with them. They just care about money and their life. Our life wasn t worth anything to them. Between everything, the travel was really bad. The worst part was going through the jungle in Panama. We stayed there for three days and nights. We walked from 6:00 AM in the morning till 6:00 PM and saw dead bodies. We heard scary animal voices that we kept remembering and coming back to our ears. One night in the jungle, we were by our selves. We were out of food and water, and my son was really hungry. He was crying and telling me Dad, I want something to eat.” I had only a piece of chocolate in my pocket and I gave it to him. With the sound of the scary animals in jungle and cold weather, everyone felt like giving up on life and we slept on top of rocks. Finally I got to the United States and I saw my Mom and the rest of my family. I cried and was happy that we came here alive along with every danger and other things. Thanks to the people that helped me a lot with everything. I want to say their names: Kate and Will Frisen, John and Mary Beth Jantzen, Jannifar, Bev Lord, Karen Farber, Linda, and the people of United States. Now I m feeling safe and close to these people and my family.

I MISS AFGHANISTAN

By Feerozan Barat

I miss a famous Afghani dish called kabab. Afghanistan is an ancient country with a good climate. I am an immigrant but there are challenges in Afghanistan. It has many fruits, seas, and mountains. I always say to myself that people of Afghanistan are very weak economically. I wish I could help my people.

EID UL FI TR

By Shella Farooqi

Eid Fitr, is a popular holiday for Muslim people. When Ramadan ends, Muslim people celebrated Eid for three days.

On the first day after Eid prayer, relatives and friends come to each other's house to greet and see each other up close, and eat different cookies, cake, dry fruit with green tea. They make all these foods either bought from the market or prepared at home, and before Eid people buy new clothes for themselves and wear it on Eid days.

Eid is a great joy for Muslim, and we are grateful to Allah.

BRAZIL

CULTURAL DIFERENCES

By Fernanda Dias de Andrade

There are some things and customs that surprised me when I arrived here in the United States. The first thing was the food, because it was the main thing I missed about Brazil. Brazilian meals have rice and beans almost every day and it is easily found in all restaurants across the country. But here, especially in Olympia, Washington, there are many different types of food like Mexican, Guatemalan, Middle Eastern and Indian among others. Even so, it is very hard to find “Real Food” like we usually say in Brazil referring to rice and beans. The second main difference is that warm and hot water from the tap is very common here and it can be found in all houses and establishments. In Brazil, this is something that is not very common or necessary due to the constant hot weather. But even so, it can be found in wealthier people's homes. Last but not least, I was really surprised about the traffic here. It is organized and people clearly respect traffic laws, at least most of them. This could be due to the traffic laws being enforced very strictly. On the other hand, in Brazil this enforcement is missing and as a result most people break the traffic laws. After living here for a few months all these differences are becoming more normal for me. I’m curious what I will think when I go back to Brazil to visit.

PERFORMING A DREAM

By Eder Oliveira

My name is Eder. I'm 36 years old. I was born in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil. I've always been a fan of North American movies and culture and I fulfilled my dream of visiting the USA 8 months ago. I have a degree in mathematics/physics and I intend to teach here in the USA in the future. I visited 6 states (California, Texas, New York, Oregon, Arizona and Washington). I still intend to know many things and witness a commemorative date that I always wanted to see, which is the 4th of July. I hope to have a fantastic experience here and to achieve my personal and professional goals.

ARRIVAL AND EXPECTATIONS

By Debora Sprenger Zanon

I have studied English since I was a child. So I can say that this is a big challenge for me. I realize that for some people, learning English is natural and easy for them, but not for me. I worked in two big companies in Sweden and always talked to people from different countries where English is not their main language. It was easy; I could say whatever I wanted and understand what they were saying. And then I came here, to a country where almost everybody speaks English from birth. Wow, it has been a big challenge for me! I'm an extroverted person, and I notice that sometimes I am introverted, shy because I don’t understand what someone is asking me, and I am just answering yes. I am afraid of signing contracts or making big deals. I am also afraid of teaching my kids because they don't speak English either. I miss my family, my friends, my home. Time has passed, and now I see how much work we have here; we need to learn a new language, a new culture, and we have so many challenges. Spring comes, and I can see how beautiful this place is and make some friends. I realize that little by little things will settle down, and life will go on. I don't know until when, but I will enjoy this journey.

CAMBODIA

I MISS MY HOMETOWN

By Lima Ny

I miss my hometown so much. I miss some food in my hometown. I always make my own food. Sometimes I walk to the fields behind my house. I like to grow vegetables around my house. I miss my grandparents so much. They raise ducks. They love me so much. Around the house are coconuts, low fruits, mangoes, tamarinds, and other fruits. I like to grow flowers in front of my house. I really miss my neighbors too. They always come play with me.

TALK ABOUT MY HISTORY

By Rortos Rovech

My name is Rortos. I just came from Cambodia. Today I live in the USA. I have six brothers and sisters. I live with my sister.

THINGS ABOUT AMERICAN LIFE THAT I LIKE

By Safira Sou

I came to America 3 years ago. I live in Olympia. The United States is different than my county. My country is Cambodia. It is a very beautiful country and it has good weather. It’s hot and rainy. A lot of people work on the farm and then they work for their own job. Some people grow vegetables in gardens and sell them. And some people go fishing and sell them too.

In Olympia, Washington it’s cold and rains a lot, but in the summer it’s very nice weather. I enjoy the weather. Also a lot of people who live in the United States work in the office.

I am so happy and excited to live in the United States.

CHILE

INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR

By Mariana Vera -Fierro

When I came to The United States, five years ago, one of the cultural differences that surprised me was the interpersonal behavior. The way we interact as a society in different contexts made me constantly compare both realities, not with a negative intention, perhaps trying to find an explanation. The way of greeting, the social distance in the streets, in the supermarkets, and on the beach, and how and where affection is demonstrated, are some of the examples that show these differences that I’m going to focus on.

In Chile, the country where I come from, when we are introduced to someone we greet by shaking hands and a kiss on the cheek, while in the United States people greet with a light handshake accompanied by a smile and eye contact. However, I should point out that in formal situations in Chile it is done in the same way as in United States.

It is also natural to see couples hugging and kissing in the streets, in parks and public places. Expressions of care and affection can be expressed almost anywhere, by young couples, unlike in the United States where these demonstrations are considered private and therefore are relegated to the privacy of their home. I imagine this is to not make others uncomfortable.

In addition, in the United States it is not appropriate to get very close to people in public places such as in the supermarket, in the store or in public transport, unlike Chile where people get very close as there is no concept of “personal space.” The same goes for driving a car. Usually the streets in Chile are narrower therefore the cars drive very close to one another.

In conclusion, we have different ways of developing our lives in a given country. The countries of Latin origin like Chile are more spontaneous and perhaps that is where lack of social distance come from and contrasts with the formality of the social organization in the United States perhaps comes from European influences.

CHINA

WAY TO MY GO AL

By Anonymous

I moved from China to the United States so I could get a better education and a better job. Some of the best universities in the world are in the United States. The country also has some of the best institutions and job opportunities in that area. If I went to school and worked in the United States, I would get the information, skills, and chances I needed to reach my goals. I also wanted to learn about and live in a different country. The cultures, traditions, and views of China and the United States are very different from each other. As a young student in China, I was interested in computer science and technology. I heard that I could study at some of the best universities and learn about a new culture in the United States. This was a very hard task, but I couldn't pass up the chance. I was excited and nervous when I got to the United States, but I was ready to work hard to reach my goals.

TIPPING CULTURE

By Anonymous

One cultural difference that has caused me a little shock as I’ve been in the U.S. is the culture of tips. In China, tipping is not very common. Most expensive and upscale restaurants in China don’t charge any tips from customers. However, in Miami Beach, most sitdown restaurants ask for a mandatory service charge. And usually that charge starts at 15 percent or up to 20 percent. Sometimes besides the compulsory part, the waiter or waitress still asks for extra tips. They explain this extra tip belongs to them personally. But from a consumer’s perspective, it increases the cost of eating out for people or tourists. Since I’m here I have to follow this norm as well.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT CHINA

By Ya Jie Bi

I miss a lot of things about my country China. I miss my mom and my sisters. I miss my nieces and nephew. I also miss the food in China. I love the hotpot in my country China. I hope I can visit China soon.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT CHINA

By Sheng Yun Dai

I miss a lot of things about my country China. I miss my mom and my sisters. I miss my nieces and nephew. I also miss the food in China. I love the rice in my country China. I hope I can visit China soon.

COLOMBIA

THREE COLOMBIAN CUSTOMS

By Marly Machacón Villarreal

A cup of hot chocolate with cheese cubes, making cucayo, the ñapa, bargaining when buying, taking your own avocado to lunch at restaurants and other customs I miss from my land. Three that I want to emphasize are talking to strangers as acquaintances, that good meetings end in dancing, and attachment to the family.

Although common sense will tell you who you can do it with, it is normal for strangers on the street to talk like they were acquaintances from before. If you´re going down the street and you have to pass in front of someone, you say good morning (or as the case may be). You can also say hello by commenting on the news of the moment; a mini-chat while waiting at a bus stop is considered polite.

Meeting of friends + the party = dance: I remember that, in a singing contest, my sister ended up in love with my opponent, in a dance that we did at my parents' house. It is said the meeting of four or more is good if it ends in a dance.

Last but not least, far or near, showing great affection to the family anywhere, being in communication, knowing what is happening from the mother to the great-grandfather … this is part of Colombian culture.

There is a great importance in socializing within the Colombian culture and the well-being of demonstrating empathy with others.

COSTA RICA

A SPECIAL TRADICIONAL HOLIDAY DAY IN MY COUNTRY

By Anonymous

La Mascarada dance in Costa Rica is a traditional celebration that combines dance, costumes, and symbolism, and has become an important part of Costa Rican culture. During this annual event, participants wear elaborate masks and costumes to represent symbolic and legendary characters. La Mascarada fuses indigenous, African and Spanish influences, and the dancers perform choreographies that represent folkloric stories, conveying different qualities and values through expressive movements and traditional rhythms. La Mascarada is not only entertaining but also has a deeper meaning. This celebration is a reminder of the importance of preserving the country's cultural heritage and traditions, keeping cultural roots alive, and passing them on to future generations. In addition, it fosters a sense of community and unity, creating an atmosphere of joy and celebration where social ties are strengthened. In short, the La Mascarada dance in Costa Rica aims to entertain, preserve traditions and strengthen the sense of community in the country.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

MY LIFE

By Anonymous

My life was incredible with a blessed dad and mom. My dad still keeping show me love and kindness when I was young with a birthday party every year. I grow at Kinshasa with the capital and the first big city of Congo (D.R.C). My middle school to my high school was at Catholic school where I learn all Christian studies. And I have a bachelor degree on accounting and general taxes. I have three sisters, three brothers, one sibling sister and brother, so I am the oldest the sister in my family. I love read, listen music and watch some preaching church. I like doing business and on the same way that help me to travel around the world for instance; before I travelled to U.S I was traveling to Dubai buy the wholesale and then sell it to people in my country. My favor food is fufu and fumbwa, So fumbwa is like green dry vegetable that can be cooked with peanut and mix it with some spices like tomatoes, fish and others, so it so sweet. I love to learn different culture and I hope from classmates, I will learn and grow.

EL SALVADOR

CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE DAY IN EL SALVADOR AND THE UNITED STATES

By Heidi Calderon

Independence Day is one of the most important dates for every country. How do El Salvador and the U.S.A. celebrate Independence Day? Cultural traditions, food and fireworks are some different ways to celebrate in each country.

First, El Salvador has a cultural tradition of celebrating on September 15 of each year, in honor of the heroes who fought for freedom and independence of my country. That day the government closes the most important streets of El Salvador. The orchestras parade interpreting the national anthem and all kinds of music; its dancers dance to the rhythm of the music. On the other hand, the United States celebrates Independence Day on July 4. For instance, many Americans gather with their families in parks, but there are no orchestras in the streets like in El Salvador. My family comes from different states to Washington to spend time together.

Second, in the United Stated, foods like barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs are the dishes you see on this day at the parks. In contrast El Salvador doesn't have a special dish for these days. For example, when I lived in my country in 2013, I remember on September 15, we went out to celebrate Independence Day with my children. After hours we were hungry and we only ate snacks, sodas, and fruit since everything was closed. It would be excellent if there were food trucks nearby to buy food. Also, its orchestra parades through the main streets of the city.

Third, it is unlikely that El Salvador will make a law that allows fireworks on that day like the United States does. The Salvadoran families go with blue and white flags to celebrate their homeland independence. On the other hand, since I came to this beautiful country I have seen how the U.S.A. paints the sky red, blue, and white, honoring its flag with fireworks.

Would you like to visit El Salvador or the United States on special dates like these? I'm sure you would really enjoy both home cultures and their different ways of celebrating "freedom" in both countries.

MY FIRST HALF MARATHON

By Claudia Cunningham

One of my new year’s resolutions for 2023 was signing up to run a half marathon. At the beginning of 2023 I started researching for it. And I found this amazing activity called Capital City then I signed up for a half marathon. It was in Olympia on May 21st. to be ready for this race I did a lot of training, doing workout, running a long distance once a week (11milles) with some nice hills. That was an incredible experience. It kept me motivated. Also, I lost weight while I was doing my training and now, I feel so happy and motived to run a full marathon. Hopefully I can do it next year. I encourage everyone to challenge themselves. We are so powerful. We can do anything that we put in our minds.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Iris Lopez

My name is Iris Lopez. I came to the United States fourteen years ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is the traditional foods like pupusas, fried yucca, tamales, and tender mangoes. I still haven’t gotten used to eating the processed foods available here. In my country, everything comes from local farms. Another thing that I miss about my country is being able to travel. El Salvador is a very small country, which means we can travel almost everywhere in one day. I miss traveling to the beaches, colonial towns, and green mountains. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can eat and enjoy everything that my country offers me.

A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN EL SALVADOR

By Xiomara Elizabeth Zavala

El Salvador known as “El pulgarcito of America” because is little in terms of territory. For a long time, El Salvador was a country known for dreadful things, but a substantial change came in year 2019 when new presidential elections were, and a new government was elected in El Salvador different from the last 30 years governed by two different leaders who were in the country in poverty and elevated levels of insecurity.

In 2019 a new start came for El Salvador the new government gave a different spin on state resources and the economy improved, violence decreased, and tourism and development opportunities for Salvadoran families increased.

Now El Salvador is known for positive things. People different countries talk about our president Nayib Bukele who has a peculiar phrase “Money is enough, when nobody steals it.” If you visit El Salvador, I assure you that your experience will be unforgettable. You could enjoy a beautiful beach, volcanoes and do not forget the best typical gastronomy.

GAMBIA

WHEN I CAME TO THE U.S. IN 2018

By Anonymous

I came to meet my husband. Then I got pregnant, and I got sick. When I went to the hospital, I was there for 8 hours. The nurse checked me and said I had an ectopic pregnancy. I was shocked. Then I started to cry. The doctor said he had to do an emergency surgery on me. I was stressed. I lost my baby. My husband supported me through the process. It was so intense for me I still think about it.

GEORGIA

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Daviti Goderidze

My name is Daviti Goderidze. I came to the United States one year ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is traditional Georgian foods like khachapuri, khinkali, and mtsvadi. Another thing that I miss about my country is the nature. I miss my village with its beautiful mountains. I also miss the view from the house I built. And I miss my friends in my village. I really miss the cultural traditions like Georgian architecture. Georgia has many architectural styles and many old buildings. I also miss Georgian wine, but the local wines here in Washington are delicious. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can eat traditional foods, see my friends, and enjoy the culture.

GUATEMALA

MY JOB

By Antelma Mendoza

In 2007 I came to the United State. The reason I came to United States was because it is safer. Also, there are more opportunities to get a job and get a different job. Moreover, I can get the medical and health service, and more benefits. When I was I child I didn’t have the opportunity to study due to lack of money in my country because I lived in a place where there is not much work. So that’s why I came here to this country. It is the best place where we can have an opportunity to find a job.

HONDURAS

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Nadia Lagos

My name is Nadia Lagos I came to the United States two years ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is the food. One of the foods I miss the most is Baleadas which is made with flour tortillas, beans, eggs, and cheese. I can make Baleadas here in the United States, but they don’t taste the same. Another thing I miss about my country is my family. I used to travel all over with my family. We always went to new destinations and took a lot of pictures to remember the trip. I also miss my family because they are united, and we lean on each other for everything. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can see my family and friends and visit tourist places.

ISRAEL

MY TEL AVIV

By Ester Davida

My name is Ester and I m from Tel Aviv, Israel. I moved to the U.S. 2 years ago. I live with my daughter, my son-in-law and my granddaughter. I feel very lucky to live here in Olympia with my loved ones. I m happy to have the opportunity to study language here at SPSCC. I hope to improve my English skills and make new friends.

I’m from Tel Aviv, Israel, a beach city on the Mediterranean Sea. There is a boardwalk with parks along the beach. The beach has golden, smooth sand and warm water. It’s the most popular beach in Israel. There are chef restaurants and authentic restaurants that offer fresh, delicious food. Hummus, falafel and shawarma are my favorites. The coffee shops specialize in unique coffee flavors, pastries, baklava and kunafa. Shuk Hapishpeshim (flea market) is the place to find gifts, souvenirs, second-hand items, good food, pubs, taverns and good company. You can find museums and shopping malls all over the city.

The most beautiful times of the year are the holidays Rosh Hashana (new year) and Passover. Families gather together for a meal prepared by the traditional cooks in the family. Meat, fish, vegetables, rice, fresh salads, challah bread, beer and alcohol are served at the table. We enjoy dessert with mint tea, pastries, cookies, dates and nuts. We listen to music, play card games and have small talks until midnight. I bring a piece of Tel-Aviv with me to Olympia and try to enjoy a version of this with my family here.

JAPAN

I LONG FOR JAPANESE RESTROOMS

By Yoko Spivey

“A restroom is a mirror that reflects the heart.” Most Japanese know this idea. I'm not sure if it’s because many Japanese people have some soft spot for restrooms and bathrooms and love to create comfortable atmosphere. When you enter elementary school in Japan, one of the things you learn is how to clean — the classroom, front and back entrances, stairs etc. … and the restroom. Cleaning continues until the end of high school. I’m guessing most public restrooms are clean because of that. Also, to spend time in the restroom comfortably, major Japanese electronics companies and household equipment manufacturers have developed bidet toilet. From that, many shopping malls, houses, newer apartment complexes, and offices have installed bidet toilet nowadays. My parents, who believe in the idea of clean restrooms, and my dad who likes clean restrooms and home appliances, ensured I grew up with clean restrooms with bidet toilet seats.

Because I grew up in such an environment, on my first visit to the United States, I was in shock when I entered one of the major American airlines’ lavatories. Ripped toilet paper was on the floor, sanitary trash and used papers were overflowing from the trash receptacles, water was splashed around the sink, and it smelled of urine. I had heard that Japanese restrooms are clean compared to the other countries, but I didn’t expect I would face it within a day of leaving Japan. Here I was standing in the chaotic restroom, realizing that was true, and my spoiled days were over. I didn’t feel comfortable using public restrooms in the U.S. during the visit. However, most of the homes which are my husband’s family and his friends’ that I visited during that visit had clean bathrooms, and they cleaned them to welcome the guests and it was quite comfortable.

I wondered why people in the U.S. keep bathrooms clean at home but not the public ones. Once in a while, I hear some Americans say, “Leave it. It is somebody else’s job.” or “You don’t want to take somebody’s job.” It is my speculation that kids in the U.S. are missing an opportunity of building moral fiber by cleaning their school restrooms. When Japanese kids leave from field trips, teachers tell students “Let’s keep everything cleaner than it was.” Sometimes teachers hold competitions to pick up trash. On the other hand, I heard students in the U.S. only clean their lockers. I remember my dad telling my sister and I to make it a habit to look back and check before

we leave restrooms for the next person. I continue to clean toilets because it’s one of my times to feel grateful for what we have now such as being able to use clean flush toilets, having an abundance of water, and having water sewage facilities.

I like to feel cozy when I’m in the restroom. More than just being clean, if the restroom has some space or window, electronic bidet... it is even better. I’ve been living in the U.S. for a while, and I’ve been trying to keep the bathrooms clean and comfortable for myself and my family. When I sit on the cold toilet seat during the winter, I miss electrically heated seats the most. I also miss cool bidet features such as warm water, lid opening sensors, self-cleaning, and modern design toilets.

MEXICO

COALCOMAN MICHOACAN POSADAS

By

Anonymous

In these festivities, the pilgrimage of Maria and Joseph. It celebrates their departure from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They go in search of a place to wait for the birth of their son Jesus. During the posadas people walk through the streets in each block and there is a picture of the story of Jesus. As people pass by houses, people give them punch while they continue walking, singing and playing. When the posada ends people celebrate with their family and friends with pinatas and dinners. The posadas are celebrated for nine days.

MY STORY

By Anonymous

I am from Mexico. I like to dance. I like to ride bulls. I like to go to the rodeo. I have a bull. His name is Diamont.

MY IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCE

By Anonymous

I am from Mexico. I left my country in 2022. I came to Washington by plane. I left my country because I wanted to work. My future plans are to work and have a house.

DAVOS Anonymous

DAVOS is the informal name of the World Economic Forum held each year in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. The non-profit organization’s aim is to engage the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Each year, business leaders and heads of state give lectures and speak on panels about topics ranging from gender equality and venture capital to mental health and climate change. The real magic happens behind closed doors: the rich and powerful use the event as an opportunity to network and hash out their differences out of the public eye.

In this forum, businessmen and leaders of the largest economic countries discuss the problems that humanity is facing. These problems include things like war, immigration, inequality, and global warming. People think it’s good that there is an economic forum where businessmen and presidents of the biggest countries talk about how to fix the problems we are facing as humanity. But we forget who

created these problems. Large companies have exploited natural resources and polluted rivers and seas. Big countries like the United States have created wars only to satisfy themselves.

Klaus Schwab is the leader of Davos. He is an engineer from Germany. He said, when people have nothing, they will be happy. I think it’s a great lie. After COVID-19 hit two years ago, taxes for owning a house increased a lot which encouraged normal people to sell their houses and rent instead. Bigger companies like BlackRock are the ones who buy all those houses or make them. Great politicians and businessmen are the owners of companies like BlackRock. They want to be the masters of the world while normal people have to work hard just to survive.

It’s important to remember that our planet is our home, and we must take care of it to ensure that it remains habitable for future generations. We must work together to reduce pollution and protect our natural resources to ensure a sustainable future for all.

THE REASON I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES

By Lucia Castro

Hello, my name is Lucia. I am from Mexico. I have lived in Washington for 22 years. I have 3 children. My husband is from Mexico too. The reason why I came from Mexico is to get know places in the USA. I was single and here I met my husband. I like to live here and I hope to God to return to my country one day and to see my whole family.

BENEFITS GIVEN TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS

By Javier Ceja Cisneros

The United States and Mexico are neighbors. They have a cultural difference in the benefits that are given to families and individuals every month to cover all the necessities they need when they don’t make enough money.

The first difference is on food stamps. In the United States, families need to be 130% or below in the poverty chart to get approval to receive food stamps to help support their families every month. When you receive food stamps, you can only buy food products. In contrast, in Mexico, families don’t have any help from the government to buy food. If you don’t have a job or make little money, your family will suffer. They will not have the food they need daily.

The second difference is cash benefits. In Washington State, if you meet the requirements to receive cash benefits, you will get a certain amount of money every month. This money can be used to buy things for your household and to pay some extra bills. On the

other hand, in Mexico, you don’t have that option. You need to work hard to provide all your needs, and sometimes limit yourself to not buy things you want to have so that you have extra money for emergencies.

Finally, there are differences in medical services. In the U.S., many families and individuals qualify to receive free doctor's visits, free medicine, hospitalization, and surgeries. On the other hand, in Mexico people that work for a company, or any type of office or business have medical services, where the company pays 50% and the worker pays the other 50%. Only a few people get full coverage services. People that work in agriculture, in most places, don’t receive medical services. They need to pay in advance to see a doctor or get admitted into hospital as well as needing to pay for their medicine. Many people don’t see a doctor for years or until they get very ill. In conclusion, these benefits make life easier in the United States for families who meet the requirements by the government to receive these benefits unlike in Mexico where families don’t receive any free services. This is one of the reasons most people came to the U.S., to work to send money to their families, and so they can cover all they need to have a better life.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MEXICO

By Sandra Chavez

Hello, my name is Sandra Chavez. I miss a lot of things about my country. I miss my mom and my sisters. I also miss the food in Mexico. I like tamales, corundas, pozole and menudo in my country. I love all the traditions of my country. I hope to come back some day. I miss my home.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

By David Contreras

Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd in my country. For this holiday, we make special breads called pan de muerto and different kinds of food like mole and tamales. We also prepare an altar for each special person who has died. On November 1st, we place a picture of the person that died on their altar. We also place the pan de muerto on the altar with some things that each person liked when they were alive. Tradition says that the person who died will come to the altar at night to taste the food we leave on the altar and to enjoy the things we left for them. Then they return to the dead before the sun rises on November 2nd.

HOLIDAYS

By Ana Dominguez

Holidays can be the same or different. In Mexico, New year's and Christmas are also celebrated on the same day. The Day of the Dead is very beautiful full of color and flowers where we bring food and music to our ancestors. It is a celebration that the United States does not have.

May 5th in Mexico is no celebrated like it is in the Unaided States. When I arrived in the United States and they invited me to celebrate May 5th I asked why they celebrate it and they told me that It was the independence of Mexico. I answered that it was not the battle of Puebla. It is when the Mexicans and the French clashed in Puebla and Mexico defeated the French. (Puebla is a state of Mexico.)

MY FIRST DAY IN THE UNITED STATES

By Stephania Esparza

My first day in the United States was a sensation of amazement to see so many tall buildings and orderly streets. What I liked the most was to see the driver education that drivers have. They respect all drivers and keep a pace. It was very difficult for me to order food because I did not know any English. Little by little with the help of my Google translator I began to learn more. It took almost a year for me to be able to order my food through the drive thru. When I left my house, it was very difficult for me to go places. I wanted to visit and go to the parks, but I didn't have a car. I needed one to move here, but little by little I was acquiring the knowledge to know more about this country. Now things are simpler because I already have knowledge about the services and know more about the language. Sometimes I miss my family but I don't get sad because when I have the opportunity I go to see them and I really enjoy being with them. I tell them how big they are and about the big roads that do not get so much traffic. I also tell them how easy it is to buy your food if you do not have much time.

M EXICO IN THE HEART

By Alejandro Espinal

My name is Alejandro. I’m from Mexico. Mexico has a lot of music and a food. Mexico is big in territory. My Mexico is beautiful. I like the band, romantic and orchestra.

THE WEEKENDS FAMILY

By Anacecilia Espinosa

I am from Mexico. I was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon the City of the Mountains. Most families in the city come to prepare the typical meal on weekends in Monterrey, carne asada and discada. They prepare it for any type of event, watch soccer, birthday party, Christening, Mother’s Day, Father's Day for everything. We are 5 in the family, my mom Silvia, my dad Felipe, my brother Pipe, and my Dog Caifas. Every weekend in my house we make carne asada or discada. We like to watch the sports game and boxing every Saturday and Sundays, it was a routine. I help my mother to cut and cook vegetables to make salsa, guacamole, and seasoned meat. My dad and my brother try to light the coals and have them ready for when I bring the meat. Caifas watches if some food drops for him. When the dinner is ready, we talk about the whole week we had, the work, or the good news in the family. We have done this every weekend of my life, and there are times when all my family get together.

DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATION BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE U.S.

By Arlette Gomez

Since I have been in the U.S. and started my ESL classes, I have realized important differences between Mexico and the U.S. One of the differences between the two countries is education: the way each country manages their education system, the resources that each one is able to provide their students, and the way each culture thinks about their dress code.

One difference between Mexico and U.S is the education system. Each one has a different plan for grade levels, for example, in Mexico our system is six years in elementary school, three years in middle school and another three years in high school, while in the U.S. there are six years in elementary school, three years in middle school and four years in high school. In the U.S. students also can do home schooling in different grades; in contrast, schools in Mexico do not have this facility. In addition, Mexico has a program for indigenous peoples in rural areas where sometimes it is difficult to access schools. This program, Escuelas Rurales, is one where the students go to a oneroom schoolhouse a few days a week with fewer hours and the same teacher teaches all subjects with the help of audio-visual material. Also these schools do not have different grades for each age. Normally this kind of school is not prioritized because sadly they have a smaller budget.

Another difference that surprises me are the resources to study and facilities to do it. In my country, public schools do not have the

facilities to help students with their tasks and work. The majority of professors in Mexico do their best to teach their students with the tools they have. Sometimes they request that their students bring school supplies and in other cases, they bring what is needed themselves. I do not want to jump to conclusions but maybe this is one reason why Mexican teachers are so demanding with the homework. The government should provide all these schools with supplies, but unfortunately, many schools do not have the basic stuff to help teachers and students. On the other hand, in the U.S. there are different resources and materials to support to students with their learning, for example, public schools in U.S. have the capacity to lend laptops to students and provide lunch or any meal while they have classes.

Schools in Mexico are also very different from the U.S. in dress code. For example, in the U.S. the students do not have a strict dress code; they can dress almost any way they want in all grades whereas students in Mexico from elementary school to high school need to have the institution uniform of the school they attend; normally this is provided by the school at a low cost. In Mexico I personally think the schools go overboard with dress rules. Students must use the uniform correctly and have it cleaned. Boys hair must be short, girls hair is tied preferably, and no one who has their hair colored will be let into the school. Professors say that following rules makes us more responsible and teaches us personal order.

Schools in the U.S. have better tools to keep to their students interested in continuing learning, and they have better opportunities to get financial support, unlike Mexico that has a reduced amount of financial spending per student. Despite that, Mexico has a good teaching program in their schools. Although both Mexico and the U.S. have different ways to manage the public education, each one is good in their teaching. In the end, the students can take all the good things that schools provide to learn and to be better no matter the limits that sometimes they find in the U.S. or Mexico.

I AM FROM MEXICO

By Am é rica Gomez Maldonado

Mexico and the U.S. have a lot of differences including the food, people, weather, dress, culture and the warmth of the people. The two countries are so different but now both are my home. We have cultural differences, for example holidays, food, and our parties, but also the reason for them too. Both countries have diversity, joy and nice weather. Both are countries full of life and colorful but the people here in the U.S are different. It still scares me a little. I am not used to

it here but I like many things about it. I wish I will get to know more of its culture and places soon.

MEXICO’S TRADITIONS

By Guadalupe

In Mexico State I have a horse. My horse has the name Golden. On my day off I listen many music of the band. My horse also runs very good. In Mexico City also visit a church.

THE DIFFERENCE IN WATER SYSTEMS

By Noemi A. Guzman

Did you know that some small towns in Mexico only have water available once a day? One cultural difference that I found to be shocking was the water system here in the United States compared to the town in Mexico that I am from. I came from a town where water was limited because of water shortages and government control. In Taretan, we did not have access to water like we do here in the US. If we did not wake up at 6am to fill the containers we kept our water in, we would not have water until the next day. Significant differences in the water systems between the town I grew up in in Mexico and the U.S. can be recognized by the availability, the amount of waste and how the water is used.

One of the most significant differences is the availability of water in the United States compared to Mexico. Most places in the United States have water when you turn on a faucet all day, whereas in Taretan, if we did not prepare the containers that we kept water in or leave our faucets on at night with the containers ready to fill, we did not have water that day. During bad droughts, we would sometimes go days without it. In the United States, most grocery stores are fully stocked with bottled water unlike Mexico where small towns like the one I lived in, where we had small markets and hardly any water as well. The availability of clean water is also something to be concerned about. Mexico is known for its water pollution and most of the water is contaminated unlike the United States where you can drink from your faucet and not worry about getting sick.

Another difference between Mexico and the United States is the wasted water. The first couple of times I saw my wife do the dishes I was shocked. She leaves the water running while rinsing each dish before loading them into the dishwater. Before I came to the United States, I never even saw a dishwasher. In most of Mexico, you will not see someone watering their lawn, unlike in the United States where some homeowner associations require you to have green grass. I also was shocked to see car washes and that washing your car was such a

big deal in the United States; as I am sure you can imagine cleaning your vehicles in Mexico is not always a priority or even a possibility. The amount of water wasted in the United States while people in Mexico struggle to make it through a day with the amount of water we are distributed is astounding.

A third difference, which in a way ties into my last paragraph is, how the water is used in the United States versus in Mexico. In the United States thousands of gallons of water are used for pleasure, like a backyard swimming pools, whereas in Mexico just to wash our clothes we must go to the nearest river or stream. In the United States water is used for fun, water balloon fights, squirt guns and sprinklers, while in Mexico you are lucky if you have a big enough container to store extra water if anything were to happen like a drought or pollution issues that cause the water to be cut off.

Considering the pit I have in my stomach every time my 4-yearold leaves the water on in the bathroom or wants a bath but he only wants to stay in it for 5 minutes, I have learned to be grateful for the abundance of water available to me as well as much more that I was ignorant of as a child and young adult. I feel that because I grew up with less than even my kids see as normal commodities, I recognize my gifts and I am grateful for what I have, including every drop of water, that some take for granted.

MY MAGICAL MEXICO

By Emanuel Hernandez Covarrubias

I came to the United States under contract, taking with my wife the decision to stay to fix our immigration status, leaving our children in Mexico. I miss their laughter and afternoon walks, the food that my mother prepares, and the magic of the holidays in my Mexican culture. Its hot springs, the song of the birds, everything is beautiful in my town, but what is never forgotten is the farewell hug from your loved ones when you have to emigrate to fight for a more dignified life.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY CO UNTRY

By Jose Jaimes Garcia

My name is Jose. I came to the United States two years ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss some things about my country. One thing that I miss about my country is my family. I really miss my mom’s cooking. And I miss seeing my brothers and sister a lot. We used to go on vacations together but now I live here so we can’t vacation together. Another thing that I miss about my country is the delicious food, especially the tacos al pastor. I can get them here, but they are not made the same way and don't taste as good. I also miss

my friends and riding motorcycles with them. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can feel the freedom I feel in my country and spend time with my family and friends eating delicious food.

MY COUNTRY

By Juan

My name is Juan. I am from Mexico. In the state of Veracruz, it is warm and green. Mexico is a big country with many traditions and cultures.

THE MAN OF BLACK

By Antonio Lopez

My name is Antonio. I am from Mexico City, Mexico. Mexico has museums. A place very nice, for example, Chalma Museum, and History of Mexico.

MEXICO LINDO Y QUERIDO

By Amanda G. Maldonado

Mexico, when I talk about Mexico, I can feel so many things inside me. I can feel sadness, joy, emotion, devotion, but above all Love. Mexico for me is the most beautiful place in the world or maybe in my own world. There are so many cultures, traditions, tourist places and the extraordinary gastronomy with all those incredibles culinary flavors that I cannot explain to you. But even with all those incredible things, people leave the country looking for a better stability, also for a better future, because The United States “offer” those things that not all people have in Mexico. that is why people emigrate to fulfill “El sueno Americano.” Sometimes we just think of the advantages that emigrating can give us, and we do not really think about the disadvantages, about everything we are leaving behind, how frustrating it is to get to a country where people don’t speak the same language as you, and the hardest part of this or a least for me, is the distance between my family and me. Even with all those things, I am going to talk a little about Mexico and why we always want to go back. One of the most representative things about my country is our traditions, but I think the most popular of all is “Día de Muertos.” Día

de Muertos is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, where families welcome back the souls of their deceased. Usually, we placed an altar or ofrenda, with levels and each level has a meaning, the first level has the photos of your family members or friends, then you can put in the rest of the levels, food, candies, beverages that the person used to like. When the soul comes to visit can take the ofrenda

as a gift. Also, we use the cempasúchil, these flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to offerings. This is a special day for us because we can share time with family in general and are so grateful to remember who is no longer here.

A lot of people talk about how beautiful Mexico is, and yes, it is, it has many tourist places that make you fall in love, and there are many beautiful beaches with warm waters, pueblos magicos (magical towns), with legends, history, festivals, and notable events. In other words, “magic” is from social and cultural manifestations, forest, mountains, all these places with diverse kinds of weather, but those places leave you with unforgettable stories and incredible experiences. Sometimes people talk about the insecurity that exists in the country and they avoid the opportunity to know new things, new places. Also, many people are scared because they hear about the cartels and narcotraffic, and how dangerous it is, but if we change our mind a little bit and we think if something is going to happen, it can be here or in Mexico or wherever you are. At this point and with this society, it is not 100% safe anywhere, so if you have the opportunity, please think twice before saying no, and go on the adventure, go, and discover.

Mexican food also is one of the most representative things of the country, our gastronomy has a big diversity, that depends on each state. For example, I am from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Guadalajara is one of the biggest cities in Mexico, and the most traditional dish there is the torta ahogada. Basically, It is a sandwich, but the bread is called birote or bolillo, filled with pork carnitas, bathed in tomato sauce or spicy sauce, and I know it sounds weird, but you have to try all those incredible flavors and then your mind is going to change. But I think the most representative dish is tacos, you can find tacos wherever you go. There are many kinds of tacos, but all of them are delicious. I can promise you.

In conclusion, Mexico is incredibly beautiful place, and most of the people who emigrate want or think about to going back. Maybe there we do not have the same economic position as here, but I’m pretty sure the love of all people and the way of life there makes you feel at home, and you never want to leave, it does not matter if you are Mexican or not.

MY STORY

By Edgar Martinez

I am originally from the city of Oaxaca, a state with a lot of cultural and gastronomic diversity. The land of moles, mezcal, grasshoppers and tasty tlayudas. I have Zapotec roots that I carry very

present and I am very proud of them. I have been living in the city of Olympia for almost 10 years, at first it was difficult to adapt to the lifestyle, since I arrived without knowing anyone, without understanding the language, I found this school where I learned basic things to be able to communicate, I left school because I had to work to support my family. In my country I studied Graphic Design. When I got here my first job was cleaning stores, construction, washing dishes. I was finally able to find a job that was related to my studies. This year I decided to start my own business, that's why I also went back to school to be able to speak more English and get rid of the fear of speaking and writing it.

MY FAMILY

By Anahi Mendez Arizmendi

I miss my children a lot. I already want to hug them and play with them. I miss the food of my country and eating with family.

HOW PEOPLE COOK FOOD

By Israel Montalvo

When I lived in Mexico, I did not think about the relationship a culture has to other cultures. Now I see these can combine over time. Little by little some ingredients and others create excellent dishes such as Mexican pizza, burritos and many more. Two foods can change over time and then connect, like cultures. Through food we can know a little of one culture and another, and understand each other more as a society and as human beings.

MY BEAUTIFUL MEXICO

By Rolando Peña López

The story of my beautiful Mexico. It is a country with traditions and they are day of the dead, Christmas, and new year. It is a country that offers a great variety of food, tacos, enchiladas, mole, posole, water with fruits, sodas, tequila. My country has culture.

THE EXTENSIVE GASTRONOMY OF OAXACA

By Misael Plasido Cruz

Oaxaca is one of the 32 states in Mexico, located in the south of Mexico. It is bordered by four states which are, Puebla to the northwest, Guerrero to the west, Veracruz to the north and Chiapas to the east. Oaxaca is an incredibly beautiful state recognized for its extensive and colorful gastronomy worldwide, also called “La Tierra del Mezcal." Oaxaca is one of the big producers of mezcal in Mexico. Also, in Oaxaca you can find the most delicious and exotic food on

every corner of the city. It is composed of eight regions; each region has a variety and unique flavor of its gastronomy. I can say that Oaxaca is ranked as one of the best in the country for its gastronomy. Some of the most famous dishes that you can find are the exquisite and traditional mole that is made with many spices. Another famous dish is the tlayudas. This is made with a big corn tortilla, rendered pork fat, beans, Oaxacan cheese, spicy sauce, and accompanied by any can of meat such as; steak, pork, or chorizo (Mexican sausage). Another exotic dish that you can find here is the grasshopper, most of the people that visit Oaxaca like them. And do not forget one extremely popular drink that’s called tejate also known as “The Beverage of Gods.” This is a cold homemade beverage with sweet flavor with a particularly good taste. These are just some of the examples of food and drinks that you can have when you are visiting Oaxaca. Oaxaca is not rich just for its gastronomy also is rich for its culture, beautiful beaches, and for its warm people who welcome everyone who wants to visit Oaxaca.

BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ESTADO DE M ÉXICO, M ÉXICO

By Kimberly Rivero Guerrero

Estado de México, México is a beautiful and agreeable place. The food is very good and it's spicy. The weather is nice. We have different cultures. The people are social there. I want to share some interesting places you can visit if you come to Estado de México. The first place to visit is the Piramides de Teotihuacan. It is a nice place to go on vacation, you can enjoy the scenery and go hiking and camping. Las Estacas, in Estado de México, is another very beautiful to visit. It is on the lake. You can go to the highest point between the rocks and see the lake. You can stay wet and enjoy a very nice breeze. It is a tourist place. There are many restaurants on the lake bank that sell typical food such as seafood. The beaches of Estado de México are beautiful in any season but especially from April to May because a unique and wonderful event happens. There are four places where it is recommended to see whales: Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cancún, Playa del Carmen. I have visited all of these places and promise that you will enjoy them. They are really some of the best places to visit in my state México, México.

MY LIF E IN MEXICO AND U.S.

By Leo Rodriguez

My name is Leo and I was born in Mexico. I grew up in Zacatecas City. I remember when I went to school. I remember my childhood. It was very beautiful. I remember playing with my classmates at school

all afternoon. I went to school through 6th grade. When I finished, I continued helping my father by working on his farm. After a couple years, I decided to tell my parents I wanted to go to the U.S. When I came to the U.S., my first job was in construction in Los Angeles, California. After working for a couple years, I moved to Washington to work in landscaping. I like this state. I feel good and have many friends from different countries and cities, but I still miss my country. I think it is normal to miss my friends and family there. I hope someday I will be back in my country to talk to and enjoy my neighbors, family and friends.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Leonora Rodriguez

I miss the beaches of my country, my family and food. I miss seafood and fresh fruits. I like America because there are more opportunities for my children. I like going to church on Sundays. I also like to watch TV with my family. I have three children. Their names are Octavio, Lakshmy and Vanessa.

MY FAMILY

By Miguel Roldan Solis

My name is Miguel, I’m from the United States but when I was little my mom took me to Mexico. I knew how to speak English very well but in Mexico no one spoke English with me. I had no friends who spoke English but I learned to speak Spanish. All my life I believed in Chiapas, Mexico. My favorite foods are the pozole and the tacos. The saddest thing is that my mom stayed in Mexico with my brothers. That always makes me sad. I came here because I wanted to support my family and in December I will go see my mom. My mom and dad separated when I was 6 years old, and I never saw my dad in my whole life, that’s why I’m working to help my mom because my mom already helped me when I was little and now I have to help my mom.

THINGS I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Angelica Sanchez

I miss my brothers because they are far away from each other. I also miss my grandfather because I am also far from him too. I miss the beach because of the food and the fruit. The last reason why I miss my country is because of how beautiful it is.

THE BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN MY HOME COUNTRY

By Dafne Sosa

My name is Dafne Sosa. I am from Mexico. I think that the best place to visit in Mexico is Mexico City. One of the places you should visit in Mexico City is Palacio de Bellas Artes. I think that this is the best place to visit because you can learn about the history and culture of Mexico. Another place to visit in Mexico City is Chapultepec. Chapultepec is known for its delicious food like tlayuda and chicharrones. These are both great places to visit in Mexico because you can learn about the history of the capital and get to taste delicious food.

IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING ENGLISH

By Marilu Soto Torres

English is the most important thing you must learn when you come to the US. It is used everywhere and for everything. Learning can be very challenging and can be confusing, scary and even embarrassing at times. These things can hold us back from learning the language, but in my experience, I would encourage everyone not to be embarrassed or scared to try to learn it. I would advise everyone to take classes as soon as possible and not be embarrassed to speak anything you learn, because the fear of being embarrassed held me back for years. Since I started to try to not be embarrassed, I noticed how much English I learned after that. My advice is to be brave and try not to be scared or embarrassed to ask for help when you don’t understand something. Another piece of advice I would give is to watch tv, movies, & music in English. Finally, just try to relax and enjoy learning a new language always try to make it fun. Being in class we must remember that everyone is learning at the same time and we’re all going to be nice to each other.

WHAT I MISS ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Consuelo Villavicencio

My name is Consuelo Villavicencio. I came to the United States twenty years ago. I like living in the United States, but I miss the holidays in my country. I miss the holidays because that's when most family and friends get together. One holiday I really miss is Dia de los Muertos. I miss the celebration of the Dia de los Muertos because it is a very special day dedicated to people who were important in my life and in history. To celebrate we put flowers, bread, different fruits, and food like tamales, mole, and beers mezcal on a special table for the dead. We also go to church. After church, we ignite traditional fireworks to receive the dead. Then we go to the cemetery to

celebrate. I really enjoy living in the United States, but I hope to be able to visit my country soon so that I can celebrate this holiday with my family.

MICRONESIA

ABOUT MY COUNTRY

By Anonymous

Things I miss about my country. There are many things I really miss about my country, but I will just put down some of them. First of all, I miss my family. I still remember how we spent our time together. Second, I miss our own food especially the seafood. I also remember when we celebrate holidays because some of them are different from how we celebrate here in the United States. I wish that one day I will go visit my country.

PAKISTAN

A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY

By Shakira Ibrahim

Life in Pakistan and the USA has been a transformative journey for me. In 2016, I arrived in the United States and immediately noticed significant differences that made me deeply appreciate my new home and the opportunities it provided. Coming from Pakistan, where I experienced limited personal freedom and benefits, the USA has enabled me to become the empowered and fulfilled woman I always desired to be.

Growing up in Pakistan presented various challenges that hindered my personal growth. I was consistently denied the basic treatment and respect that every human deserves. My choices were restricted by societal norms and expectations, preventing me from exploring my own desires and aspirations. Education, a fundamental right, was unattainable for me, leaving me with limited opportunities for self-improvement and personal development. Furthermore, I had no autonomy over my financial matters or the ability to make decisions that would shape my own future. However, everything changed when I arrived in the USA. This country provided me with a platform to realize my dreams and ambitions. I have been able to embrace education, expanding my knowledge and skills in ways I never thought possible. The USA has granted me the freedom to choose my own path and make decisions that align with my values and aspirations. This newfound autonomy has been truly liberating and has contributed to my overall well-being and self-worth.

Moreover, the USA has recognized and respected my rights as an individual, empowering me to take charge of my life. I can now open my own bank account, exercise my freedom of expression, and enjoy the benefits of personal independence. These opportunities have allowed me to flourish and become the complete woman I always longed to be.

My transition from Pakistan to the USA has been nothing short of life-changing. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and freedoms this country has offered me. The USA has become a haven for women like me, where dreams can become a reality and potential can be fully realized. I now have the chance to pursue my aspirations, shape my own future, and be treated as an equal member of society. The USA has played a pivotal role in transforming my life, making it a truly remarkable and empowering experience.

PERU

MY HISTORY IS “MY PERU”

By Candelaria

My name is Candelaria. I am from Peru. Peru’s food is very varied, especially pork. Its aniversary is on July 28, it is celebrated very nicely. Spanish is spoken and is very easy. Peru has one of wonders of the world which is Machu Pichu Inka. I live in the south of the country, near the volcano “Misty”. The climate is warm, and its soil is very fertil.

MY COUNTRY PERÚ

By Edwin Gomez Arana

My name is Edwin. I am from Perú. I like rocoto relleno and papa huancaina food. I like marinera, huaynos, Sayas and dancing. July 27 is Perú Independence Day.

EDUCATION IN MY COUNTRY AND IN THE UNITED STATES

By Rolando Jimenez

Education in my country is different from that in the United States. These differences are found in the number of schools, the type of clothing used, the years studied, the quality of education, and access to universities among others. The three main differences are in infrastructure, the way schools are allocated and the quality of education.

The first big difference is the infrastructure. In my country there are few schools for the number of students there are, so the demand for education cannot be met. Also, these schools are small. In addition, in rural areas access to education is even more serious; schools are very far from the city, so children living in these places must walk many kilometers to get their schools. In my country there are no buses to transport students to schools either. Each child is responsible for their own transport, many use public services, those with more money go in private vehicles and others who live in rural areas must walk long distances. Also, in my country it is mandatory for students to wear a uniform. In the case of public-school students, everyone must wear grey trousers, a white shirt and a grey sweater; in addition, they wear a badge from the school in which they are located. It is also mandatory that they buy school sportswear. In private schools everyone has their own uniform, they are not required to wear gray pants, a white shirt, or a gray sweater. In the United States, it is different. There is very good infrastructure, in terms of the number of schools and quality of the schools. All the schools I’ve known are big; they include a big open

space for students to go out on their break. Another difference is that here the schools have buses that facilitate the transfer of students, but in addition, the transfer of students is much safer. On the other hand, public schools do not force students to wear any kind of uniform; each one goes to school with the clothes they wear at home.

A second difference is the way schools are assigned to students; in my country the student can attend any school he chooses regardless of the distance from where he lives. You may attend a school that is in a different city than the one the student lives because the responsibility for transportation to the school falls on the students. That is why many students use the public service to get to their schools; others use private transport. In contrast, in the United States, schools are assigned by the geographic area in which your house is located. Depending on where you live, a certain school corresponds to you. Also, schools have buses with specific routes that will pick up students, hence the sense of assigning schools based on where you live.

A third difference is the quality of education, in my country there are eleven years of study, and they are divided into two levels, a first level that covers six grades and a second level that covers five grades. In some private schools there is what is called the International Baccalaureate that certifies these students to be able to study in universities abroad, such as the USA, Europe, and others. In my experience, the education of the first six years in my country is much more demanding than the equivalent education in the United States. On the other hand, in the United States schools are divided into three levels, elementary school that lasts five years, middle school that lasts three years and high school that lasts four years. Unlike students from my country, in the United States high school students have different options, you can even advance to college level courses.

In conclusion, these are the three main differences that exist between the education in my country and the education in the United States. They are differences that make education in this country more accessible to students.

ROMANIA

CONTRASTING HIGH SCHOOLS IN ROMANIA AND THE U.S.

By Irina -Andreea Coste

The education program in high schools covers a fundamental role in the development of American and Romanian students. Several aspects are identical, while other aspects are different like teachers, eating habits and campus.

First, in contrast with America, in Romanian high school classes, the students have a diriginte or head teacher, that is a professor who coordinates them for four years. The diriginte has an extremely important role in training the students. A good diriginte is the one who succeeds in conducting classes, establishing certain connection with his students, and offering them education support, counseling and even professional guidance.

Second, in Romanian high schools there isn’t cafeteria like there is in America, where students go and eat their lunch. In Romania, the students bring to school their lunch with homemade food, and they eat lunch during the small breaks that they have between classes. The student’s class hours are 45 minutes with 5-minutes breaks.

Finally, there are different Romanian and American high school campus systems. In Romania, the campus has dormitories next to the high school, where students live three to four years until they finish high school. The dormitories are divided for girls and boys; they are never mixed. Every big city in Romania has dormitories for students who come from small cities where there aren’t any high schools. The campus system helps students to continue their schooling and finish it. In contrast, American dormitories are almost exclusively dedicated to college or university students. No matter how many similarities or difference there are between Romanian and American high schools, it is important that students go to school and learn.

RUSSIA

MY IMMIGRATION EXPERIENCE

By Anonymous

I am from Russia. I left my country in 2022. I came to the Washington in 2022. I left my country because the war started. My future plans are to raise my kids to be good people. I live in Olympia with my family. The children go to school. My husband and I also study at SPSCC. Olympia is a peaceful place. We really like it here!

NEW YEAR

By Olga Trofimova

I from Russia. I was born and lived in Vladivostok for 50 years. Vladivostok is located on the edge of the earth and washed by the Sea of Japan on three sides. Many different nationalities live in my favorite city. One the most favorite holidays is the New Year. New Year is a family holiday. It is an apportunity to get together. Everyone cooks their favorite dish. There are traditional dishes: Oliver Salad, Beetroot Salad, Meat of Capitan, Herring under a Fur Coat, Flipper Cake. There is a lot of food on the table. Champagne!!! When the chimes strike 12:00pm it is important to have time to open champagne and drink all together an wish you a Happy New Year. All night Russian people eat, sing songs, dance, play the games, tell stories, sauna, banya. This holiday makes people happy.

SOUTH KOREA

KOREA FOOD KIMCHI

By Hae Mi Kim

Kimchi is a very important food in Korea. Koreans have been eating Kimchi for a long time. The original meaning of Kimchi originated from salted vegetables. There are 336 kids of Kimchi. People make different kinds of Kimchi in different seasons. Making Kimchi is not easy and also requires a lot of ingredients and a lot of patience. Koreans made a lot of food with Kimchi, for example, Kimchi stew, Kimchi pancakes, Kimchi stir, Kimchi fired rice and Kimchi with Ramen. My favorite kinds of Kimchi are perilla leaf Kimchi, cabbage Kimchi and young radish Kimchi. Cabbage Kimchi is the most common Kimchi. Fresh cabbage Kimchi made lightly with napa cabbage is called Baechu Geotjeori and I make this often. Young radish Kimchi is made before radish grows big. And Yeolmu Kimchi is the most popular Kimchi in summer. I make Yeolmu Kimchi every summer. I made Perilla leaves Kimchi. I grow perilla leaves in my garden every spring. It grows really well. I am satisfied whit it. The scent of perilla leaves is unique like cilantro, so it could be different for people from other counties. And there is a Kimchi refrigerator in Korea that keeps Kimchi delicious for a long time. Also, I have it. My mom has two Kimchi refrigerators in Korea. They sell Kimchi in many markets and many people eat it. I hope you know that Kimchi is a traditional Korean food.

SMALL TALK IN AMERICA

By Sammi Kim

What I like about American culture is 'Small Talk' rooted in kindness. The first feature of Small Talk is that it usually starts with "How are you! ". When I first came to America, I wondered why my neighbors asked me the same question every time. We meet every day, and my neighbors often come to my place. They already know that there are no special things happening to me. However, I'm asked each time, "How are you?". Why?, is it because of awkward? At first, I thought that it seemed unnecessary chit-chat. I felt uncomfortable because my English was not as good as it is now, and I could only say boring answers "good", "same old, same old", "nothing special" each time. However, After I realized that we could start with "How are you?" as a repeated question, we talked about a lot of other topics such as weather, gardening and our kids. It's better than each us just looking down at our phones. It turns out that every time I heard "How are you?", it was from their kindness.

The second feature of Small Talk is that even though we don't know each other but talk to me. When I go through the grocery store or I sit on the bench in the park, someone often says to me, "I love your shirt", "I love your hat". At first I turned around several times, because I misunderstood and thought they were talking to someone else who was behind me. Moreover, I genuinely believed that my shirt was good. I'm Korean, but I lived in Tokyo, Japan for over 10years. In Japan, it is rare for people who don't know each other to create conversations with someone else, compared to Korea. If someone talks to you, it would be for money or to force religious beliefs. However, I know now that if someone you don't know starts talking to you in America, it usually means to welcome conversation with you. The third feature of Small Talk is that common topics are always light. Someone might observe me and commend it such as my shirt, my hat. Of course, as an English learner, I'm not currently comfortable with 'Small Talk' either. It's not a "small", it's a "big" burden to me because it always comes suddenly when I'm not ready to listen in English. However, we can create conversations with someone we don't know each other with a smile by 'Small Talk' which is a wonderful American culture.

MY LIFE STORY

By Suji Lee

My father is Korean and my mother is Indonesian. I haven’t been to Korea for 8 months. I want to see my dad and friends in Korea. It is my first time immigrating to the United States. I am studying English and learning about the environment. I waited 10 years for my green card and immigrated to the United States. My mom invited me because of my pronunciation in English. I want to learn English properly because it is different from native English pronunciation.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN FOOD

By Son Par k

The difference between Korean food and American food is that Korean food generally requires a lot of ingredients while American food is made in a simpler way with less ingredients. For example, hamburgers and fries is a common meal that only takes a few steps to make. Kimchi soup however, requires a dozen ingredients while making. Living in America, I have come to enjoy the taste of both cultures.

TÜRKIYE TRANSPORTATION IN TÜRKIYE AND THE US

By Muharrem Yasar

How many people use public transportation in one day? Transportation is a way to move a person from one spot to another one. People use transportation to go to work, school or different countries. Different countries have different transportation. The United States and Türkiye are of course no exception to this. Differences in transportation between these two countries include traffic rules, using the bus, and plane travel. Having flexible traffic rules is the primary difference between the two countries. Türkiye has many flexible rules in traffic. Many roads have unlimited speed. That’s the reason a for more than a hundred thousand traffic accidents with death and injury. In contrast, in the US rules are very strict. Almost all people are careful about traffic rules. As a result, rules save people’s lives. Flexible rules are very common in Türkiye but drivers can die easily in traffic. The two countries have many differences in rules.

Another difference is using the bus. In Türkiye, life is very quick and moves fast. Many cars are very expensive after the pandemic. However, in the US people can buy a car easily. Young people can get driver’s license at 16 years old. In contrast, in Türkiye millions of people use the bus. For example, workers must use the bus to go work and many teenagers must use the bus to go to school or university. In US almost everyone has a personal car. In some households, people have one car each. Turkish people must use the bus but in the U.S. life is slow and drivers can go anywhere with a personal car.

A third difference is plane travel. Taking a plane is very expensive in Türkiye. Many cities are really close to each other. Taking a bus or car is a very easy way to go to another city. The US is a really big country. People cannot easily go by car to some states. On the other hand, at the entrance to the airport, it is necessary to pass a 3stage mandatory security check in Türkiye. So, plane travel is very easy in the US but it’s really hard to fly sometimes in Türkiye.

To sum up, there are three obvious differences in terms of transportation in Türkiye and the U.S. Each country has pros and cons regarding traffic rules, using the bus, and plane travel.

UKRAINE

A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE: EDUCATION

By Anna Bibik

Have you ever thought that the education and evaluation system in different countries can be different? Educational methods in the U.S. are more comprehensive, specialized and focused on details, if compared with the Ukrainian system. In contrast, higher educational institutions, now the education system in Ukraine is actively changing, leaving the standards of the Soviet Union and moving to modern education standards practiced in USA. The essential differences between school and student education in Ukraine and the USA lie in the methods and forms of education and evaluation system. If we talk about schools in Ukraine and U.S., I can point out several important differences between these two educational systems.

First, I want to point out is the difference in the form of education. Comprehensive school education in Ukraine lasts 11 years, and in USA 12 years. In addition, after completing the 9th grade, Ukrainian students can enter college. They will study there 4-5 years and upon graduation will receive a secondary special diploma. Likewise, after graduating from college, they can immediately enter the second year of university. In U.S., you have to graduate from high school to be able to go to college. Second difference is that in Ukrainian and U.S. schools is the beginning of training and the duration of lessons. For example, in Ukraine, classes start at 8.30 a.m. and one lesson lasts 45 minutes. In U.S., lessons start earlier, at 7.30 a.m. and one lesson lasts 55 minutes. Third, in Ukraine school graduates take exams at the end of the 11th grade and decide the fate of the graduate. The student chooses the subjects which will be recognized according to this test exactly, the graduate will be able to enter the University. A graduate in USA in school after 11th class there is an examination, 2 hours and includes two subjects: language and mathematics. In 12th grade, students send the results of this test to university with a list of subjects which studied. In addition, after completing the 9th grade, Ukrainian students can enter college. They will study there 4-5 years and upon graduation will receive a diploma with secondary special education. Likewise, after graduating from college, they can immediately enter the second year of university. In U.S., you have to graduate from high school to be able to go to college. Traditional in the Ukrainian system of higher education are day and evening form of education.

I would also like to point out the difference in the knowledge assessment system in Ukraine and the USA. Contrary to the Ukrainian program, in the United States persons can go to college at any age and also have home schooling programs. The most typical grade level in the United States is the letter class: A through F. At the same time, Ukraine practices a 12-point grading system. For example, in the USA

‘A’ = 12 points in Ukraine, and ‘F’ = 2 points in Ukraine. In addition, in the American school there is the possibility of correcting the evaluation of the control paper or test by the method of resubmission, unlike in Ukraine. In my opinion, knowledge assessment system in the USA is much more convenient and practical. Another difference is admission to a higher educational institution. In contrast to Ukraine, there is no uniform system of admission to institutions of higher education in the USA. For example, in USA there are no restrictions on admission based on the place of residence, and there are no entrance tests with competitive selection. In Ukraine, a student registers in a single database of applicants, passes external examinations, entrance exams, etc. In addition, the Ukraine and USA also have different admission rules in higher education institutions.

Taking into account all the comparison of both educational systems, the Ukrainian system dictates to learners each step with the educational procedure and adheres to the old Soviet methodology, while the US system is more flexible, provides even more freedom and advanced technology. In general, learning in the USA is a great opportunity that not many people have in Ukraine. Thus, all those who have it should make the most of the chance to master.

WE CONTINUE THE TRADITIONS OF OUR ANCESTORS

By Anna Grapeniuk

I am happy to tell you about my country, people and culture. I love Ukraine and I can speak about my country for hours. We have a huge historical, cultural, and traditional background.

I hope maybe you heard about Trypillia culture one of the oldest civilizations in the world, which was located 7000 years BC on the modern Ukrainian, Romanian and Moldavian territory The largest settlements were in Ukraine. These people were good bread farmers. Also, I think you heard about Kyiv country and Prince of Kyiv Yaroslav the Wise, whose one of his daughters Anna was queen of France. About our cossacks glorious free Ukrainian warriors. All of them are our ancestors.

But everything that I write is about the past. Now I would like to tell you about modern Ukraine and things that you don’t know.

Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe. For more than 30 years Ukraine successfully developed in agricultural, online industry, tourism, and others. Our land is fertile that’s why very often people say that Ukraine feeds the whole world. Our country exports to other countries wheat, sunflower and corn. Ukraine is on the first place in the world to export sunflower corn and oil and fifth place in the world who export corn.

We know how to work, but also, we know how to rest. We like singing and dancing. I am more than sure that you heard famous in the world Christmas carols Carol of the Bells” the melody has written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych. Additionally, a dance that is admired now by the coolest breakdancer is Ukrainian traditional Cossacks folk dance “Povzunec” (The Crawler). This dance is one of the hardest dances in the world, like also our traditional dance Hopak”. These dances were the battle dance of the Cossacks. A lot of movement of it is real combat technique.

As you see we continue and develop traditions of our ancestors, the people of Trypillia, princes, Cossacks. But right now, my beautiful country, traditions and people are destroying through the war, and I must move to the U.S. to preserve our culture and traditions.

THE BEST PLACE TO VISIT IN MY HOME COUNTRY

By Bogdan Grapeniuk

My name is Bogdan. I am from Ukraine. There are many beautiful places to visit in Ukraine, but the place I would recommend visiting is the city of Lviv. This city is called the cultural capital of Ukraine. It has an amazing atmosphere, impressive architecture, various festivals, and the most delicious coffee in the world. Lviv is really a European city. If you ever visit Ukraine, please be sure to stop in Lviv.

A SPECIAL HOLIDAY

By Andrii Hyrtsak

Christmas is a special holiday in my country. On Christmas, my family gathers together at one house. When we are gathered together, both the adults and children organize themselves into groups and go caroling at the houses that invite us to sing carols for them. The celebration of Christmas has long-standing historical traditions. One interesting tradition is that the carols sung in our country are composed by local people and some of the carols are more than a century old. The carols show the lifestyle of our people and glorify the newborn Jesus. People also dress up as biblical characters and do impromptu performances. It is almost like a traveling theater with

people dressed up at home or going from house to house. Christmas reminds people of the best moments of childhood and brings family and friends together. For these reasons, Christmas is my favorite holiday.

A SPECIAL HOLIDAY

By Marianna Hyrtsak

Christmas is a special holiday in my country. On Christmas, the people in my country visit each other and sing carols. These carols are songs that are sung only at Christmas. Also, the children go around to people's houses and sing songs about the birth of Jesus. People also prepare 12 fasting dishes for this holiday. In every family, there are traditional dishes that are prepared only for Christmas. For these reasons, this is my favorite holiday because the whole family is together.

UKRAINE THROUGH MY EYES

By Olha Kashyna

What is Ukraine? At the moment, when you pronounce this word, everyone associates this wonderful and flourishing country with war... But this is far from being the case!

Ukraine is the place where people radiate peace and love, give their positive, where poppies and sunflowers bloom, and the most delicious corn on the planet ripens...

Ukraine is the place where spiritual music is born, and with it the soul, the real Ukrainian soul! I often ask myself why there is always a lot of aggression against Ukrainians?

What did they do wrong to deserve such an incorrect attitude towards themselves?

Ukrainians have always been generous, humorous, and hospitable people.

And what nature is around! Hilly outskirts, cherry orchards and birds singing in them ...

And when you enter a real Ukrainian hut, where there is an oven with freshly baked pies smelling of cherries and seeing that all the walls of the hut are hung with embroidered shirts - my soul sings. And when you come to visit someone, they won’t let you go without a treat:

Ukrainian borscht, dumplings and dumplings... This is the real Ukraine in my eyes!

It is impossible not to love this country, rich in its generosity. Very positive people live in Ukraine. Despite the historical difficulties and what is happening there at the moment, people do not lose optimism and faith in the future. Even in the villages, people look at

many things with humor and always understand each other. In the villages, the local currency can be bacon, homemade sausage, milk, moonshine, and onions – because the people there are generous and hardworking, they will always help their relatives and fellow countrymen.

And when there are holidays in Ukraine, then the world changes: Christmas, St. Nicholas, Ivan Kupala ... How much love and bright emotions in these words! All these folk holidays have been full of love for centuries, because at the moments when you see happy children and old people rejoicing, you yourself want to live!

People are happy for their nation. They are hardworking and they have pride in their nationality and for the fact that they are Ukrainians! There is no holiday in Ukraine without a song.

Ukraine is a unity with nature, it always pulls there, you always want to return to those places where golden fields bloom, forests rustle and the majestic Dnieper flows, above which the capital of Ukraine - golden-domed Kiev rises! I wish everyone to love Ukraine the way I love it! Glory to Ukraine!

THE MOTHERLAND

By Olya Tsvietkova

What is the Motherland? Where does it begin? What role does it play in a person's life and how does it affect his fate?

Each person has his own answer to this question. For one, the Motherland is a destroyed home and memories of the terrible days of the war, which came so unexpectedly, replacing clear sunny days and the singing of birds with the roar of shells. For others, the Motherland is childhood among rural nature, sunflowers, dandelions and a babbling brook. But for all people, the Motherland is, first of all, the country that gave them life.

Now it has become fashionable to be considered a cosmopolitan a citizen of the world that is, a person who does not feel like a sprout of his native land or for whom the Motherland is the whole world. Of course, we were all born on planet Earth. It’s ridiculous to deny it, but still, everyone was born in their own country. Previous generations live in each person, and the "shadows of forgotten ancestors" do not allow them to forget their beliefs, culture, history, experience, even if they do not realize it.

Love your country.

HOLIDAYS

By Iryna Zavrazhnova

It is interesting to learn about new holidays in different countries around the world. We both the United States and Ukraine celebrate Christmas as a big holiday. People wish each other good luck and good health. The date of celebration is different. We celebrate Christmas on January 7 in Ukraine. Christmas is a religious holiday in Ukraine. We go to church necessarily. We prepare 12 Christmas dishes on the Eve of the holiday. All people are united by the joy of the birth of Christ, faith in good future.

VENEZUELA

VENEZUELA AND THE US

By Victor Gonzalez

Globalization has made countries look more alike and closer. This is due to the use of new technologies, the Internet and Social Networks. Now we see that music, dances, fashion and food (fast food franchises, sweets and ice cream) and many other things are very similar in many countries. For example, between the United States and Venezuela, we have always been united by the love of baseball, basketball, and movies or series of tv, without neglecting the commercial exchange between oil and various goods. But despite this closeness that globalization gives us, each country has its own personality that differentiates them from each other, which is why we see that in Venezuela, families are usually big and the country is small, all events are held in family and friends, births, marriages, birthdays, baptisms, Christmas, New Year, etc. In these holidays family ties and with friends become very strong, so much so that friends are identified as another member of the family and in some cases they are called uncles, cousins and even grandfather, that is why they tell us that Venezuelans are very friendly. On the other hand, since the US is such a large country and the family is generally small, its people are more reserved, calm and serious.

I came to the United States because of the difficult situation that my country Venezuela is going through, politically and economically. I liked the United States and I would take some activities of this country to my country, such as the political organization, its way of life, his love of nature, his founding and contemporary heroes, his Independence Day and more. The US continues to be a country where you can fulfill your dreams, as long as you are hard worked, resourceful and responsible.

MY COUNTRY VENEZUELA

By Hortencia Hernández

My name is Hortencia. I am from Venezuela. We have many types of music like folkorica. I like hallaca, arepa and chica. We have a party on April 19 for independence day.

MY LIFE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY

By Nelba Mendez

I miss a lot of things about my country. I miss my family. I miss my Latina culture. I also miss the food in Venezuela. I love arepas from my country. I hope I can visit Venezuela soon.

VIETNAM

I LIKE VIETNAM

By Anonymous

I am from Viêt nam. Viêt nam has rock music. Viêt nam has jeans. Viêt nam has rock music song Alibaba. Viêt nam has music cha cha cha. Viêt nam has music dance. My favorite food is chao. My favorite food is rice balls. Viêt nam has a Harvest Festival. Viêt nam has festive songs. Viêt nam has a pilgrimage festival. Viêt nam has holidays.

MY COUNTRY

By Thanh Dang

My name is Thanh. I am from Viet Nam. I like Lunar New Year. I visit my family. I like March 8, Beauty Women’s Day. I like watching movies. I like traveling.

DIVERSITY OF CULTURE

By Tuyen Dang

In my opinion, although each nation has its own traditional culture, as part of the culture interchange, we also share the same customs. I can clearly see this since I moved to the United States two years ago from VietNam. My first impression is that the majority of people in both countries are very friendly and polite. They usually greet and shake hands when they meet each other. However, in Vietnamese culture, this greeting is solely for people that we know well or our acquaintances. American people rarely talk about age, marriage or income because it is supposedly impolite. However, this is very normal for Vietnamese people.

American people usually use forks, knives and plates for their meal but Vietnamese people use bowls and chopsticks as part of their eating etiquette. Some traditional foods such as Vietnamese pho” and roll” as well as the American hamburger and steak have become more and more popular and are vastly consumed in both countries. In

Vietnam, when you are invited to a restaurant, the person who invites you will be the one paying. In the U.S you have to pay for what you have ordered. Every year, people in both countries have family reunions. In VietNam it s Lunar new year and in U.S it s Thanksgiving. In Vietnamese traditional and conservative families, many generations live together under the same roof and they feel happy with that. In the U.S the children tend to live independently and they usually move out past age 18. Furthermore, elderly people usually live in a nursing home if they don t have their own house.

In conclusion, It is our responsibility to maintain our cultural identity while adapting to new customs and cultures where we are living. As we know, the U.S is a multicultural country so I m very happy to be able to share a little of my cultural knowledge and experiences with other people in this community.

MY LITTLE STORY

By Nhuy Lam

I was born and grew up in Vietnam. That is a beautiful country with rice fields, natural landscapes and the streets filled with light at night. My country has a lot of different from the United States. When I moved here, I had many changes and opportunities in my life. For me, the biggest challenge is the different language, so I want to share some of my experiences here. Back then, I thought English is very difficult for me to understand and absorb, so I thought that I’ll never study English. However, when I found out I was going to move to America, I tried to study it. Then, I realized that learning English is possible for me. During the first time in the U.S, it was really hard for me to understand and talk with someone, so I started to fear conversation and dare not leave the house. After a few months, I decided to learn English, and now everything is getting better, I have more confidence to go to shopping, market or wherever. Therefore, I hope my small story can give you motivation to learn English. I used to be a person who hated English and thought I would never learn it, but now, I'm on the path of learning and developing my English skills, so I hope you can also learn it by your efforts.

VIET NAM NEW YEAR’S DAY

By Van Lam

My name is Van. I am from Viet Nam. In Viet Nam my hometown has the lunear New Year. There is music and fireworks in the sky to celebrate the new year and there are many people to watch but the weather is hot.

MY FIRST DAYS FEELINGS IN THE USA

By Dung Chien Le

I'm Vietnamese. I’ve been living in Olympia now with my son’s family: his wife and his children. I came to the USA in May 2022. In the first days in the USA, everything was strange for me: houses, traffic, people...

This country has few people and many cars on the road. In my home country it has more and more people and vehicles on the street. In USA, I don't see booths on a lot of streets, so it has less junk and street food like in my home country. Many high speed cars are on the road but all of them run orderly and safely, I think one of the reason because of the strict traffic laws in USA. In my home country, many motorcycles were used on narrow roads, so the traffic jam is a tricky problem. People in the USA are friendly and polite. When coming to public place like supermarket or others, I always hear "Hi" "Excuse me" or "Thank you" around me. How good!

These are the first things I feel myself, I think when living a long time in the days after in the USA, I'll perceive more different things. I like to live in the USA, but I always miss and relive my memories in Viet Nam, where I was born and grew up.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES OF FAMILY LIFE

By Ngoc

How do you define the word family? Family is very important in every society and country. In Vietnam, we call the country Quoc Gia. Quoc means country itself and Gia means family, so family is the basis of a country. In another words, family is the root of the society and culture of most countries in the world. You can have a good understanding of the culture of a country by looking at the life of a family in that country. For that reason, family life is unique for different countries and cultures. Since I moved to the U.S., I have noticed the major differences in family life between the U.S. and Vietnam. There are three aspects in contrast between family life in Vietnam and the U.S., which are communication, duties of family members and the time children stay in the family before they move out.

Communication between family members is the most standout difference between a family in Vietnam and the U.S. In Vietnam, people take the way children call and talk to their parents or to the elders in the house more seriously than in the U.S. For example, children in Vietnam are not allowed to call the elders or parents by their names because that is considered very disrespectful. They only allow you to use names with someone that is the same as their age or

younger. However, children in the U.S can sometimes call their grandparents or older family members by their name. Another example is that when children in Vietnam talk to their parents or elders in the family, they must use the word da, which means yes or please in a respectful way. To illustrate, if your parents ask you something, your answer must start with da. Different from Vietnam, children in the U.S. can just talk to their parents normally without any strict language. Communication in a family is a major difference between Vietnam and the U.S. that I have noticed since I moved to the U.S.

The second difference between Vietnamese families and U.S. families is the responsibilities or duties of the family members. In a Vietnamese family, the oldest son is the one that will be in charge when the father passes away. In other words, the mother and younger children must listen to the oldest son, and he is the one that can make the decision for the family when the father passes away. The oldest son will most likely stay in the house and take care of his parents for the rest of his life. In contrast, children in the U.S. are not responsible for taking over the family. So, the oldest son in a Vietnamese family will have more responsibilities than the oldest son in a U.S. family.

The last difference between Vietnamese families and U.S. families I’ve noticed is that young adults in the U.S. will be most likely to move out of the family when they turn eighteen. For example, most of my American friends moved out of their family, either going for college or just to find a job and live on their own. Unlike my American friends, young adults in Vietnam will often stay with their parents until they are married. Even after they are married, they will sometimes live with their parents. For that reason, you will see many people living together as a big family in Vietnam. People in the U.S. want to move out early because they love to have freedom, but in Vietnam, they want to live together so they can support each other and save money.

Looking at the family life of a country, you can see some of the unique culture or tradition of that country. A family in Vietnam and a family in the U.S. will have differences which also define the cultural differences of the two countries. Communication, duties of family members and the time children stay in the family before they move out are three cultural differences that I’ve noticed since I moved to the U.S.

MY COUNTRY VIETNAM

By Son Nguyen

My name is Son. I’m from Vietnam. I like Vietnamese food like pho, spring rolls and salad rolls. Vietnam has a festival called lunar new year.

MY FIRST EXPERIENCES IN THE U.S.

By Anna Tran

Hi guys, my real name is Anh but please call me Anna! Today I want to share a few things about my own experiences since I moved to the US.

I come from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. My family moved to the US on August 7, 2022. At first, I had a hard time adapting because my English was not good and I had to start all over again in life. I was under a lot of pressure about study, work and family. You know, there was a time when I thought about dying when I was feeling extremely stressed and that was also the first time I wanted to give up on everything.

I used to be an independent girl, having my own business with my passion and being able to take care of my family. But I left and stopped everything to move with my family to live in America and I have nothing here. I have to go to school and work part-time after that, feeling quite tired but I have to motivate myself to try. I started learning English again at SPSCC from level 3 because my English is not good. I don't understand when communicating with someone because they speak too fast and I don't know what vocabulary they are talking about. After a few courses, I can assess myself that I have improved a lot compared to before and most especially, I have more friends from many other countries. After school, I drive to work. I work part-time at a nail salon with my mother. At first, this job was very stressful because it has to follow the wishes of the customer. Sometimes there are some extremely difficult customers and it makes me tired to the point of exhaustion. As time goes by, I am now used to working at the nail salon and feel it is fine and not heavy. My colleagues are also very friendly and help each other during working hours. But most importantly, working at a nail salon makes it easy for me to arrange time to go to school and also have more money to spend for myself. The coming fall in 2023 is also the time when I will start college, and I have chosen to major in software development. I hope I will always be strong enough to keep trying, hope I can confidently communicate in English better every day with everyone here.

Last week, I flew to Massachusetts and New York. I went to the University of Massachusetts Lowell to attend my boyfriend's graduation and spent a few days there with him and his family. It felt great to see him in his graduation gown. Then we went to New York together by bus and experienced many new things here. My boyfriend is also an old classmate; we have known each other since high school when we were in Vietnam around 2010 or 2011. He moved to the US to live with his family in 2013. I was surprised when he confessed the first day we talked again when he found out that I had moved to America. Small hint, he actually liked me since high school. Now he wants to have a serious long-term relationship because he wants to get married after I finish two years of college. I fell in love with him and then I told him "If I had known that I would love you so much now, I would have loved you since we were in high school."

There are unexpected things that happen that we don't know in advance, so let's always believe that everything will be okay. It's lucky that I didn't give up when I was desperate.

Work and study hard, set goals to do, don't give up and always smile! I believe you will do it and be successful.

MY COUNTRY

By Oanh Quan

My name is Oanh. I am from Viet Nam. In Viet Nam we have the lunar New Year. New Year’s Eve has a very beautiful fireworks display. In spring the weather is very warm.

A BOUT THE A UTHORS

Ahmadi, Mariam – Mariam is from Afghanistan. She has been living in Olympia for seventeen months. In her free time, she enjoys going shopping and listening to music.

Ahmadi, Marwa – Marwa is from Afghanistan. She has been living in Olympia for seventeen months. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family.

Ahmadi, Tamim Ahmad – Tamim was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1996.

Barat, Feerozan – Feerozan lives in Olympia. She takes care of her kids. She doesn’t have a job. Her life is better in America.

Bi, Ya Jie – Ya Jie lives in Olympia. She works as a cook. She likes ice cream. She has been studying English for six months. She has lived in the United States for one year.

Bibik, Anna – Anna is from Lviv, Ukraine. She has lived in Olympia since 2022. She works as a 3D interior/exterior visualizer. She enjoys reading, traveling, running and swimming in her free time.

Calderon, Heidi – Heidi is from San Salvador, El Salvador. She has lived in Lacey since 2017. She has worked in restaurants and cleaning services. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching TV, and listening to music.

Candelaria – Candelaria is from Peru. She lives in Lacey. She loves sleeping, work, and parties. She is studying English at SPSCC.

Castro, Lucia – Lucia is from Mexico. She has lived in Olympia for 22 years. She has 3 children and is married. She came to the United States to meet people. She is studying English because she wants to talk with more people and wants to understand. Her favorite food is tacos.

Ceja Cisneros, Javier – Javier is from Mexico. He has been here since 1989. He was a shingle block cutter for 33 years. He has a wife and three sons. He enjoys cooking and walking around the park.

Chavez, Sandra – Sandra lives in Lacey, WA. She enjoys being with her family. She has been studying English for 6 months. She has been living in the United States for 2 years.

Contreras -Perez, David – David is from Mexico. He has been living in Olympia for two years. In his free time, he likes to play soccer and spend time with his loved ones.

Coste, Irina -And reea – Irina-Andreea is from Romania. She has lived in Olympia since September 2022. She’s the mother of three kids and likes to travel, meet new people and learn about their cultures.

Covarrubias, Emanuel Hernandez – Emanuel lives in Shelton. He works in a Japanese restaurant as a kitchen helper. What he likes to do the most is go for a walk with his wife in green areas. He has been studying English for a month and has lived in the United States for eight months.

Cun ningham, Claudia – Claudia is Salvadorian. She is studying level 6 in ESL and is so happy to write down a little experience of her life in this book. Blessings.

Dai, Sheng Yun – Sheng Yun lives in Olympia. She works at the Overlook. She is a cook. She has lived in the United States for seven months. She has been studying English for six months.

Dang, Thanh – Thanh is a Level 1 ESL student at South Puget Sound Community College.

Dang, Tuyen – Tuyen is from Vietnam.

Davida, Ester – Ester is from Tel Aviv, Israel. She moved to the U.S. 2 years ago. She lives with her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.

Dias De Andrade, Fernanda – Fernanda is from Brazil. She has lived here in the United States about three months. She loves to spend time with her husband hiking.

Dominguez, Ana – Ana lives in Olympia. She does not work. She likes to walk and cook. She has been studying English for a year at SPSCC. She has lived in the United States for 26 years.

Esparza, Stephania – Stephania is from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Espinal, Alejandro – Alejandro is from Mexico State, San Sebastian, Ocuilan City.

Espinosa, Anacecilia – Anacecilia is from Mexico, the state of Nuevo Leon. She studied veterinary medicine in the university Centro de Estudios Universitario in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Anacecilia enjoys walking her dog, Bonnie. She likes to go to the lakes with her husband Angel.

Farooqi, Shella – Shella was born in Afghanistan. She was a teacher for many years. She likes to enjoy her time with her family.

G. Maldonado, Amanda – Amanda was born in Las Vegas, NV. When she was a baby, her parents took her to Mexico. She grew up in Mexico until she was 21 years old, and now she is 23. She came to the United States when she was 17 to work in the cherry season to get money for her school in Mexico, but in 2021 she made the decision and emigrated to the United States to continue her studies. She is not 100% sure about her decision, but she is trying to do her best.

Goderidze, Daviti – Daviti is from Georgia. He has been living in Olympia for eight months. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his son.

Gomez Arana, Edwin – Edwin is from Perú. He lives in Lacey. He works in construction. He’s lived in Washington for five months.

Gomez Maldonado , Am é rica – América is from Mexico.

Gomez, Arlette – Arlette is from Guerrero, México. She has lived in Olympia since 2021. She likes to travel, taste new food, and know and learn different things.

Gonzalez, Victor – Victor lives in Lacey, Washington. He works as a handyman. He likes to know new places and learn new things about different topics. He has been studying for the last 2 years. He has lived in the United States for 4 years.

Grapeniuk, Anna – Anna lives in Olympia. She likes to read, make healthy sweets and embroider. She has been studying English at SPSCC for 5 months. She has lived in the United States since Fall 2022.

Grapeniuk, Bogdan – Bogdan is from Ukraine. He has been living in Lacey for seven months. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family.

Guadalupe – Guadalupe lives in Olympia in the US. He installs siding. He likes to play soccer.

Guzman, Noemi A. – Noemi is from Mexico. She has lived in the Olympia area since 2009. Noemi is married and has 2 children. She enjoys hiking, camping, paddleboarding and spending time with family and friends.

Hernández, Hortencia – Hortencia is from Venezuela. She lives in Lacey. She has lived here for 11 months.

Hyrtsak, Andrii – Andrii is from Ukraine. He has been living in Olympia for two years. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, talking with friends, and traveling.

Hyrtsak, Marianna – Marianna is from Ukraine. She has been living in Lacey for one year. She enjoys traveling with her family in her free time.

Ibrahim, Shakira – Shakira is from Peshawar, Pakistan. She has lived in Olympia since 2016. She enjoys cooking, sewing and learning new things. Shakira got her United States citizenship in 2022.

Jaimes Garcia, Jose – Jose is from Mexico. He has been living in Lacey for two years. He likes to skate and run in the mornings.

Jimenez, Rolando – Rolando is from Lima, Peru. He has lived in Olympia since 2023. He has an 11-year-old son named Alonso. He likes to read, run and play soccer.

Juan – Juan is a Level 1 ESL student at South Puget Sound Community College.

Kashyna, Olha – Olha is in ESL Level 5 at South Puget Sound Community College.

Kim, Hae Mi – Hae Mi is from South Korea. She lives in Olympia. Her favorite activity is going to a farmer’s market and Costco. She wants to get a degree and a full-time job.

Kim, Sammi – Sammi was born in South Korea. She has lived in Seoul, Korea and Tokyo, Japan and she lives in Yelm now. In her free time, she likes to read and garden with her daughter.

Lagos, Nadia – Nadia is from Honduras. She has been living in Seattle for two years. She likes to travel with her family when she has free time.

Lam, Nhuy – Nhuy is from Vietnam, and is working in a restaurant. She loves painting and drawing. She started English class in summer quarter 2022 and has lived in the United States for 1 year.

Lam, Van – Van’s hometown is Can Tho, Vietnam.

Le, Dung Chien – Dung Chien is Vietnamese. He’s living in Olympia now with his son’s family: his wife and his children. He came to the USA in May 2022.

Lee, Suji – Suji lives in Olympia. She is not working yet. She likes exercising outdoors. She immigrated to America. It has been almost 4 months since she started studying English.

Lopez, Antonio – Antonio is from Mexico, San Sebastian, Ocuilan City.

Lopez, Iris – Iris is from El Salvador. She has been living in Olympia for fourteen years. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family. She also likes to go fishing.

Machacón Villarreal, Marly – Marly is from Cartagena, Colombia. She has lived in the United States since 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. Since then, she has not been able to return to visit her country. Now she lives in Olympia, studies English at SPSCC and sings in a restaurant on weekends, which she enjoys because she likes to share with others.

Martinez, Edgar – Edgar lives in Olympia, WA. He is a graphic designer and screen printer. He lives to draw, design and spend time with his family. He has been studying English for 2 years. He has lived in the U.S. for almost 10 years.

Mendez, Nelba – Nelba has lived in Lacey for 2 months. She works in a jewelry store. She likes walking in the park. She has been studying English for a short time. She arrived in the United States 2 months ago.

Mendez Arizmendi, Anahi – Anahi has been living in Shelton Washington for 5 months. She works in a Japanese restaurant as a dishwasher. She likes her job because she can study to improve and she really likes school.

Mendoza, Antelma – Antelma is from Guatemala. She is a student, and she is learning English at SPSCC. She works at an oyster farm. In her free time, she likes to go for walks in the park.

Montalvo, J. Israel – Israel is from Mexico.

Ngoc – Ngoc is from Vietnam, where she lived for 19 years.

Nguyen, Son – Son has lived in Lacey for 10 months. He is from Vietnam.

Ny, Lima – Lima is from Cambodia. She sells things online. She likes selling perfume. She has been studying for 4 weeks. She has been living in the United States for 1 year and 3 months.

Oliveira, Eder – Eder lives in Olympia. He likes to train in Jiu jitsu, go hiking and go to the gym. He has been studying English for a month and moved to the U.S. 8 months ago.

Park, Son – Son lives in Lacey, WA. She enjoys life and likes to make food. She has been studying English for about 8 months and has lived in the U.S. for 38 years. She is from Seoul, Korea. She was born in 1960.

Peña López, Rolando – Rolando likes Mexican music and the Mexican food enchiladas, posole, mole, tacos, and tequila. He’s from Mexico City. He has been living in the United States for 1 year.

Plasido Cruz, Misael – Misael is from Oaxaca, Mexico. He has lived in Olympia for 16 years. His first job was cook’s helper at Happy Teriyaki and his current job is carpet cleaner. He enjoys spending time with his family and he loves sports cars.

Quan, Oanh – Oanh was a strong teacher in Vietnam.

Rivero Guerrero, Kimberly – Kimberly was born in the U.S. but grew up in México. She came to Washington 1 year ago because she wanted to study English here. In México, she studied English but had no one to practice it with. Also, she graduated high school there. Every 6 months she has traveled to México with her family. She likes to live here but misses all her family in México.

Rodriguez, Leonel – Leo was born in Mexico. He grew up in Zacatecas City.

Rodriguez, Leonora – Leonora lives in Olympia. She is not working. She likes to go shopping and visit gardens. She has been learning English for 3 weeks. She has been living for 19 years in Olympia, WA.

Roldan Solis, Miguel – Miguel is working as a cleaner in Target. He likes soccer and basketball. He is from Tapachula, Chiapas in Mexico.

Rovech, Rortos – Rortos lives in Olympia. She works at a restaurant. She likes studying English. She has been studying English for one year. She has lived in the United States for two years.

Sanchez, Angelica – Angelica lives in Olympia with her husband and children. She has lived in Olympia for 14 years.

Sosa, Dafne – Dafne is from Mexico. She has been living in Lacey for five months. She enjoys experiencing the different seasons here in Washington.

Soto Torres, Marilu – Marilu is in ESL Level 6 at South Puget Sound Community College.

Sou, Safira – Safira lives in Olympia. She likes to cook and work. She has been studying English for 2 quarters. She has lived in the United States for 3 years.

Spivey, Yoko – Yoko is from Okinawa, Japan. She and her family have lived in Washington since 2015. She loves taking pictures of the sky, flowers, her dog and cats, and also enjoys reading and playing Okinawan music.

Tran, Anna – Anna is from Vietnam. She has lived in Olympia with her family since 2022. She enjoys listening to music, shopping, watching TV and traveling in her free time.

Trofimova, Olga – Olga was born by the Japanese sea in the beautiful city of Vladivostok. Vladivostok is a modern center, the capital of the Far East. Her love for the sea, forest, and mountains kept her in her native land for 50 years. Eight months ago, she packed her whole life in one suitcase and came to the United States of America. Olga started English here.

Tsvietkova, Olya – Olya is from the wonderful country Ukraine. She has lived in USA for almost 1 year. She likes it here and also misses home too.

Vera -Fierro, Mariana – Mariana was born in Valparaiso, on the central coast of Chile, where she studied visual arts at the University of Educational Sciences. She taught secondary students, and developed as an educator by working with students of all ages around the Patagonia region of southern Chile. She has one daughter who lives in Patagonia and one son who lives in Olympia. In her free time, she enjoys painting birds of diverse species, inspired by photographs taken by naturalists.

Villavicencio, Consuelo – Consuelo is from Mexico. She has been living in Lacey for ten years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family.

Yasar, Muharrem – Muharrem is from Türkiye. He has lived in Olympia since 2022.

Zanon, Debora Sprenger – Debora is from São Paulo, Brazil. She has lived in Olympia since October 2022. She has two kids and she enjoys playing with them, getting to know different places and restaurants, and traveling in her free time.

Zavala, Xiomara Elizabeth – Xiomara is from El Salvador. She has been living in WA State in the U.S for 4 years. She likes to ride a bike and spend time with her family. She started to study English in Fall 2019 but only took 2 quarters of class face to face because of the COVID 19 pandemic. Then she took 3 quarters online in 2020.

Zavrazhnova, Iryna – Iryna left Ukraine because of the war in Ukraine. The city of Mariupol, where she lived, and her house were bombed. She lost her job. Now she is learning English, and she hopes to stay in America.