It has been a long time since I posted my last blog. I guess I was too busy getting ready for summer camp. And while I do this I have been wondering why I chose to embark on this new voyage, "World Voices?"
Ever since I moved to USA with my three children, ages 12, 10 and 2 and a half, old, I realized how difficult it has been for the older ones to find their place in this new country. Where we used to come only on vacation to have a good time, and suddenly, one day we stayed for good. Everything was different from home as they were exposed to a new language and a new culture.
When we told them we were moving because of daddy's job, it was very hard for them. They were confused because, besides leaving friends and family in our country, they had to learn to speak in English while they were trying to fit in.
This was the hardest part: my older boy tried very hard to fit in and learn a new language and a different culture. He was bullied by the other children, and we didn't even know why. He had always made friends very easily, and he really tried, oh yes! How he tried! He wanted to be part of a soccer team -he was an excellent player and had played since he was 5 year old- so he tried out, but not knowing the language he could not understand what the coaches were saying, and of course he was rejected.
My daughter, in middle school, was in the same situation. She couldn't understand: "Mommy, why are they so mean, I'm just trying to be nice and make friends. They just don't like me...Why?" On the tennis court, going to regional’s and sectionals , very motivated to play, one day she just said, "I'm not enjoying tennis any more, it just isn´t fun anymore, I have no friends."
I gave it a lot of thought. I knew the other kids were not being mean. They just couldn´t understand and were wary of something they didn't know. It's totally normal; it takes time to understand other cultures and other languages.
The little one, on the other hand, was fitting very well in preschool and learned the new language before he turned three. When we went somewhere and met other people, he would look at me and ask: English or Spanish?
Throughout these 12 years of living in San Diego I have realized how many different cultures there are around us. How much more we have to learn , how hard or easy it is for our children to fit in this global world ...and I tell myself, we parents are responsible for giving them as much as we can, to help them evolve, to learn other languages, other cultures... because their world will be different from ours. Their world will be the whole world.
Just now, as we were watching the end of the French Open, we realized three different languages were spoken at the awards ceremony. Ours is a huge world!
