Welcome to America
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December 13, 2011 • by Dan Baden and Britta Scott
Filed under Life at Como, Top Stories
On a frigid December day, the air outside Como Park Senior High School is so cold the trees are shivering, and puffs of air rise above a group of students like steam in a sauna. These students are waiting for the bus that will take them to the Minnesota state Capitol. But this is no normal field trip. Most of the students have never been on a bus before. This is the level one English Language Learner class and many of them have been in the United States less than two years.
They have been preparing for this trip for weeks, learning how to ride the bus, how to get a transfer and, for a special treat, ordering at McDonald’s — in English.
“This is the third year that we’ve made the trip,” said Jeff Caulum, the instructor for the level one ELL students. Mr. Caulum is accompanied by Mr. Aung-See, who acts as a translator for the large number of Karen and Karenni students. Karen and Karenni are two separate cultures from Burma. In recent years there has been a large increase in the number of Karen and Karenni students attending Como.
But the Level 1 ELL class has more than just these two cultures. Somalis, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Hmong, Oromo and Mon represent a full spectrum of ethnicities in this class. Some have never been to a restaurant before, having grown up in refugee camps.
The trip to the Capitol is eye-opening for them, a completely novel experience for this new generation of Americans. They even met a politician up close: Sen. Mary Jo McGuire, DFL-St. Paul, who explained her role at the Capitol and inquired about concerns the students might have. There were no responses until the translator stepped in and rephrased the questions in multiple languages.
After the tour ended, the group walked along University Avenue, heading for the nearby McDonald’s, and the conversation turned to food. Each student was allowed to buy two items from the dollar menu through the school, but could bring extra money if they wanted more food.
Here was where all those weeks of preparation came into play — the puzzling, painstaking task of ordering American fast food with an English-speaking cashier. Everyone passed with flying colors. Soon the initial confusion of ordering food was replaced by excitement when the food arrived. When everyone sat down to eat, the buzz of excited voices coming together for a simple meal expressed the satisfaction felt by everyone.
The meal was cut short by a rush to catch the bus, which they missed by minutes. A second bus arrived soon, with everyone piling in for a crowded ride back.
The bus dropped the group off a little ways from Como, which added a few more blocks to walk and another chance to burn off those calories. Soon everyone was delivered back at Como, all accounted for. Once they got back, smiles broke out all around.
“They all know just how lucky they are,” Mr. Caulum said, referring to their chance to live in America and come to school here at Como Park.
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