In this episode, I attempt to explain my perspective on the immigrant experience. I have struggled with how to explain this all my life. I share the complex feelings that come up when I visit my home in Lithuania. It feels impossible to explain my life as an immigrant in the United States to people in Lithuania and it feels impossible to explain life in Lithuania to people in the US. There are so many cultural differences that it is difficult for people to understand.
My experience helps me understand my students’ immigrant perspective to an extent, but each story is so different. People immigrate to the United States for a variety of reasons and we cannot assume we know what they have been through. Immigrant students often have difficulty connecting with American youth because of these drastically different life experiences.
Thinking about the perspective of an immigrant reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Atticus Finch, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”
There are a few books I recommend for anyone trying to shift their perspective about this topic:
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is a story about a Nigerian Woman who leaves Nigeria to work and study in America. It addresses questions of race, belonging, diaspora, and longing for home.
- All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan. This is a controversial love story about an Israeli woman and a Palistinian man, only possible far away from both of their homes.
- The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. This is another love story under impossible conditions, told from the perspective of a Fig Tree.
What you will hear in this episode:
- My experience as a Lithuanian immigrant living in the US
- My perspective on what it is like trying to explain another culture to someone
- Challenges that some of my students experiences as they adjust to American culture
- 3 Books that I have read and recommend for a perspective shift.
Resources
As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!
- The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
- 25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
- Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
- Teachable Platform – Courses and Workshops
- Follow me on Instagram
- Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
- Simply Ieva Youtube Channel
You may also be interested in:
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan
- The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
- *These are affiliate links
