Part II: Observations from Fremont, CA

“We need to change the way we see the world
to allow us to feel responsibility.”

An edited quote derived from MINDWALK,
a film by Bernt Capra, based on the book
The Turning Point by Fritjof Capra. (1991)

Fremont, CA is the 4th largest city in the immediate S.F. Bay Area and it is the 16th largest city in California. What I want you to know is that Fremont over-represents California in terms of an immigrant population. With a total population of about 200,000, more that 37% of the population is foreign-born. It’s a diverse city which I was aware of before I applied to teach there. I chose Fremont because I am attracted to diversity like a magnet, a moth to a flame, a deer in the headlights or whatever metaphor you choose. It has not disappointed me even though I should disclose here that I do not live in Fremont. I live in San Jose. But I travel the world in my classroom.

Please visit this website http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/Business/Demographics/EthnicBreakdown.htm. This chart with 2006 data reminds me how misleading pie charts like these can be and why immigrant groups don’t have a lot of clout. It doesn’t clarify the term ‘White’ or ‘Asian.’ ‘White’ can also cover Afghans, Hispanics, Iranians, and those from Arab nations. The term Asian can cover Korea, Thailand, India and Pakistan as well as China and Taiwan. There is no explanation for the ‘Other’ category and mixed cultures are not included. But read the other way, strictly as 32% are white/48% Asian, it does show that, politically speaking, there is likely to be an imbalance, but not the same as it was in 2000 (41.37% white/36.76% Asian.)

I started teaching ESL more than 7 years ago and I have collected some personal (anecdotal) and paradoxical concerns for my students and immigrant populations in general. However, you can certainly argue these 'concerns' real or imagined are applicable to native born citizens as well.

1. Immigrants are free to live under the radar. This is both good and bad. Perhaps in their previous country they were a target of persecution, but now in a new country they haven’t registered to vote or voted. Living under the radar means there is limited personal investment in community. Garbage thrown on the street is seen as the city’s problem, not a personal problem that I, a citizen, can help solve. They also lack political clout until their minority reaches sufficient number to gain a sliver on a pie chart. And then they find there are many slivers of other minorities and this doesn’t add up to anything on a ballot. The city government doesn’t reflect the population. The immigrant population passively accepts their lack of influence.

2.Immigrants don’t have time to learn the language. Some immigrants come to the US with some English language skills. Some learn quickly. But the reality is that immigrants often live and work in their co-ethnic community, because that is the community that hires them and has jobs ready for them when they arrive. The community and city don’t always help match new arrivals with entry-level jobs. Also many entry-level jobs have variable schedules so students are unable to go to school. Many are forced to give up school because of work hours. Consequently, they learn their language skills “on the job.” They learn enough to get by but they don’t learn the language enough to be proficient for furthering their education. Also by living and working in co-ethnic communities, they may not get connected to employment trends and training in growth industries. Employers use H1B Visas to secure engineers or nurses and continue draining the brain power from outside countries. If an immigrant arrives here and starts working as an underclass, there is almost no way out of the cycle until one or more generations later.

3.Immigrants acquire the same bad habits I have. On the positive side of immigration, newcomers are thought to bring a strong sense of family and a heritage of caring for elder family members. However, this isn’t always true. Youths learn new values from classmates around them. In the pursuit of more than sustenance living, sometimes family ties and generational responsibilities are pushed aside and forgotten. Some that come are so focused on getting educated and making money that they don’t stop to breathe between degrees. As well, rampant consumerism and lack of attention to our environment and resources pervade the behavior of new arrivals. Immigrants can’t necessarily follow models of good behavior when they don’t have one to start with.

4.Immigrants don’t give back to the community. The community has many resources, but immigrants don’t always have connections to them or understand how to use them. If they come to school, they have more opportunities to learn about the resources, but still they can be shy of demanding more. Cities don’t always know how to help and connect immigrants to resources. Why isn’t there a job match or a willingness to connect the dots for new immigrants? And if the community is perceived as only giving a little to the newcomer, how can we expect an immigrant to feel connected to the community and then share and volunteer their services? There is no mandated policy of coordinating connections like this so if a person wanted to volunteer, they wouldn’t know where to start. And our classroom culture, where they have friends of all ethnicities and share and help each other, doesn’t necessarily go much further than the parking lot. Cross-ethnic support is not automatically extended beyond that campus border and into the greater community.

Question:
How do I help foster in my students a stronger connection to the greater community? And vice-versa?

Answer:
I must become a Global Citizen and model Global Citizenship ideals. As a teacher, I must cross imaginary borders in the community, in my own mind, and encourage others to do the same. I must strive to understand and make connections with the community for my students whenever possible.