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Thank you for all your fantastic questions for Virpal, Quynh, and
Kauthar. To read a transcript of all the answered questions, see
below:
What's it like leaving your home? Do you like President Bush's plans about immigration? Erin A.
Quynh: I feel really sad about leaving Vietnam, but I thought about how wonderful it will be to live in America, so it help me stop crying. My family and I really like President Bush's plan and we thought it would be helpful.
Kauthar: Everything is different but it is also fun here. President Bush's plan is good because many other people can come to the USA.
Did you go through Ellis Island? Joseph B.
Quynh: We went by plane so we didn't go through Ellis Island.
Kauthar: No we did not come through Ellis Island. We came through the regular airport at Hartsfield airport.
Do you have any pets? Michelle M.
Quynh: My mom says we will have a pet when we get a house.
Our class has studied about some of the problems that people faced in the
1900s after they immigrated to America. As young people, what were some of the biggest problems that you faced after becoming American citizens? Heather R.
Quynh: I felt left out when I first came to school, but after two months I felt better and more comfortable.
Kauthar: Making new friends and learning a new culture.
What do you think some major differences are from your journey to those who arrived almost a hundred years ago? KtLyNn W.
Quynh: 100 years ago I don't think there are airplanes to make the journey in. I think it was hard to get everything ready to bring with you for the trip.
What is your name and what was your hardest moment in the USA? Yamile M.
Quynh: The hardest moment in the USA is to study and learn English at the same time.
Do you ever still go back and visit your family and friends? OR do your family and friends ever come visit you? Amanda T
Quynh: Yes we have family and friends visit.
How long did it take you guys to get used to America? Erin T.
Qunyh: We have been here only two years and we still have to get used to it.
Do you do any sports that only America has or that your home country didn't have? Ashley P.
Quynh: I have never play basketball, football, and baseball before.
When you each of you came to this country and got to where you live now what did you think about the scenery? Did you think it was similar to your country, or was it different? Elizabeth D.
Quynh: I think this place will be wonderful for me to live because everything in here is better for me, and I think it is very different to my country.
Did you have any toys that we don't have in America? Tara H.
Quynh: The toys in America are even better than my country's toys.
Do you have as many friends as you had in your old country? If so do you think that any of your friends here are similar to the ones in your old country? I asked this question because when I moved here I thought that a lot of the people (my friends) were very similar to my friends in the place where I used to live. Elizabeth D.
Quynh: Yes I do have many friends in here. Sometimes, I saw somebody that look just like my old friends or sometimes somebody just act like my old friends.
Did you speak English when you came here? Elizibeth J.
Quynh: In Vietnam, my mom tried to help me learn English and I got a very good grade on it. But I still can't pronounce it all right.
Do you like the government of America or the government of your previous country better? Why? Lia R.
Quynh: In Vietnam I don't really care about the government, but now I like to read newspapers about the government.
What was it like going through the immigration process? Sarah H.
Quynh: It was crowded and exciting.
Kauthar: There were lots of immigration stops and long lines on the way. A lot of documents were exchanged and luggage inspected.
Tell me are you glad that America is a nation of immigrants? Zcereita S.
Quynh: Yes. It makes for nice people and culture.
Kauthar: Yes because it makes for a big mix of different people and cultures. Also, I wouldn't be seeing this land of freedom of it didn't have immigrants.
Do you have a citizenship? What's the process like coming into this country? Lisa W.
Quynh: No, I don't have citizenship. The process was long and we sat and waited a lot. We showed lots of papers and we answered lots of questions.
Kauthar: We are working on getting citizenship. INS was busy and crowded. It was exciting because I knew that if we could get done we would be in our new country.
Hi my name is Jesse I come from Puerto Rico In the Caribbean Islands. What is your favorite food? What is your favorite sport? What kind of music do you like? Jesse
Quynh: My favorite food in Vietnam is soups of different kinds. Here I like McDonalds. I like country music.
Kauthar: My favorite food in Somalia is a pastry called Mandozi. Here it is pizza. My favorite sport is kickball.
Do your parents like it here? Amy W.
Quynh: Yes
Kauthar: Yes they do. Here my mom is now in college and she couldn't go to school in Somalia
What is your favorite USA food? Nahomi Crystal F.
Quynh: McDonalds hamburgers!
Kauthar: Pizza without a doubt
Do you think American kids eat too much junk food? Tawanika B.
Quynh: Yes, you have many choices and eat all the time.
Kauthar: Yes, at home we ate our meals and there was not anything else to eat in-between like there is here.
Kauthar, what did you eat in Kenya? Michelle P.
Kauthar: My favorite Somalian food is mandozi which is a pastry. Gor breakfast we ate eggs, toast, and pancakes. For supper we ate salads, rice, and stews.
Why were you named your name? Karachara K.
Quynh: Quynh is the name of a flower
Kauthar: My name is from the holy book of the Quran meaning river of heaven
Do you have any pets? Jake M.
Virpal: In India I had a lot of dogs. The one I loved most,
Blackie, just died last week. Here, we have three dogs.
Do you do any sports that only America has or that your home
country didn't have? Ashley P.
Virpal: In India we play cricket. It is like baseball, but
with a different kind of bat.
What did you do for fun in your country? Molly D.
Virpal: In India we play outside a lot. There, we can play
out in the street, but here we can't. I love to play cricket.
Did you have any toys that we don't have in America? Tara H.
Virpal: In India there is a toy camel that talks when you
pull its tail.
When you each of you came to this country and got to where you
live now what did you think about the scenery? Did you think it
was similar to your country, or was it different? Elizabeth D.
Virpal: I noticed that the scenery is different. Here, the mountains
look blue from far away. In India, they don't.
Did you go through Ellis Island? Joseph B.
Virpal: No, I didn't go through Ellis Island. I flew to Holland
first, and then to San Francisco.
How did you feel when you saw your new home? Aniya W.
Virpal: When I saw my new home, it was a shock because everything
was so different. When I first got to my house my relatives were
there. My little cousin asked me to get some water for his dad.
They all laughed at me because I didn't know where to get the water
from. In India we had a hand pump for water. We used the pump to
fill pots with water. We also had a tap in the kitchen, and we could
get water from that, but our refrigerator didn't have water on the
outside of the door. I had never seen that before!
Virpal: how old were you when you were separated from your mother?
And When you lived in India did you see a lot of animals that you
don't see running free in America? What animals? Kayla S.
Virpal: I was in the second grade when my mother came to the
U.S. As for animals, in India I saw a lot of peacocks. I could also
see elephants. Sometimes they were in parades. They also came into
our village with their owners.
Kauthar, what transportation did you use to get to America?
Kayla S.
Kauthar: My family and I flew by plane to get to America. It
was an exhaustingly long trip, but we had fun seeing all the new
places.
Kauthar, when you lived in Kenya did you have school? Elizabeth
D.
Kauthar: Yes, I did attend school. It started at 8:00 a.m. and
ended at 4:00 p.m. each day on Monday through Friday. we learned
a variety of subjects including agriculture.
Kauthar, do you have a lot of animals in your home to keep you
company? Sarah D.
Kauthar: This may surprise you. Although we have many animals
in Kenya we didn't have any in my home because we lived in the city
and I suppose the animals would feel pretty cramped.
Were you excited to come to America? Jasmine B.
Quynh: I am very excited about America. I think it is the
best country in the world! When we were ready to leave (Viet Nam)
I felt a little nervous about how America looks like.
What did you do for fun in your country? Molly D.
Quynh: In my country, I did not go to a lot of places. I
lived in a small town so it was easy to go place to place. I usually
went to my friend's house just by walking, or I watched TV at home.
Quynh, what is your favorite subject in school? Sarah D.
Quynh: My favorite subject in school is math, but I think
language is the most important thing for me to learn.
Quynh, you said that you like school, what is it you like about
American schools? Kayla
Quynh: America is a wonderful country and Americans are very
nice, too. In school, all of my friends and teachers always help
me, or teach me, everything I need to know.
Did people make fun of you when you first came to America? Sarah
D.
Quynh: Like I said, Americans are very nice. I thought they
will make fun of me, but they even help me and teach me new things.
Were the people in your new school interested in the journey
you had to take? Sarah D.
Quynh: After my teacher told the class about my journey they
seemed to be interested about it and asked me lots of things.
Kauthar: Oh yes, the children in my class asked all sorts
of questions regarding my journey to America
Was it hard for you to fit in? Erin T.
Quynh: It's hard for me to fit in because I need to learn
English and study at the same time.
How long did it take you guys to learn English? Graziella L.
Quynh: If you're still young, it's really easy for you to
learn English and pronounce the words. It's about two years now
and I speak English easier. My little brother speaks English just
like American kids.
Kauthar: Luckily, I did not have to learn English. I was
fluent in English before coming to America.
If you could choose would you stay where you lived or come
to America? Why? Amanda
Quynh: If I could choose, I'll stay here in America because
I had more fun and I will get a good education.
Kauthar: Although I loved Kenya I am happy in America.
Was it hard to learn how to write, read, and even speak English?
Alicia K.
Quynh: It's really hard to read and speak English because
it is hard to pronounce the word right. About the writing, it's
very easy. It will become familiar to you when you do it a lot.
Kauthar: No, because I could communicate fluently in English
since English was the official language of my country.
Virpal: Yes, it was hard to learn to write, read, and speak
English. Everybody takes English in my school in India, but there
the pronunciation is different. It is more British. Here some of
the spellings are different, also.
When you came to America did you or your family have to make
sacrifices? What were they? Mohammed F.
Quynh: When my parents decided that we'll come to America,
they had to give up their businesses, money, and house. For me,
I had to say goodbye to my friends, relatives, and most of all,
my grandmother. She's the one that helped me grow up. She made food
for us when my parents were at work. She walked to school with us
every morning. Now I had to say good bye to her.
Kauthar: We had to leave our friends and family and start
all over again. This was difficult at first but got much better
as time went on.
Do you do anything around your town to pass the time? Sarah
D.
Quynh: When we arrived here, I didn't know a lot of things
for fun. I usually read books or watch the TV news while I don't
have anything to do. Sometimes my Aunt rode us to the park, pool,
or markets and buy stuff for us.
Was it [coming to America] a difficult decision that your parents
made? Fred B.
Quynh: It was hard. They have to stop their own business
(they were photographers). My family was doing well in our town.
What was so bad in your country that your parents decided to
come to the United States? Nick W.
Quynh: There were no wars or anything bad in my country,
but (we came) because our relatives wanted us to come join them
and so my sister, brother, and I could get a good education.
How does it feel the first time to you when you meet people who
are different that does not speak the language? Jenny M.
Quynh: When I first came to school, I didn’t know any English.
I tried to copy my American friends so it will be easier for my
language. My American friends and teachers helped me with a lot
of things, so I didn’t feel left out.
How long did it take you to get here? Kingo V.
Quynh: My family and I came here by airplane, so it took
us about half a day to Hong Kong. Then it took more than a day to
my Aunt’s house at California. After a delicious dinner at my Aunt’s
house, we were on the plane again and ready to leave. It took us
about 5 hours to get to Atlanta where my other Aunt lives.
How did you feel when you saw your new home? Aniya W
Quynh: Until now, we still not have a house or an apartment.
My mom and dad have to work hard to get money, and since we (the
kids) cannot stay home alone without an adult, we are living with
my Aunt..
Virpal, why couldn't you go with your mom to America in the
first place? Jake R.
Virpal: When my mom came to the US, she could only bring
one child with her. She did not want to separate my sister and me,
so both of us stayed in India.
Do you want go back to your home country? Sally Y.
Virpal: Yes, I do because I have a lot of friends there.
Quynh: My father always says that when he had enough money
for the family, he'll go back to Vietnam. I don't think I will because
I like it here.
Kauthar: Yes, I would like to go back to my home country
because I miss my friends and the quiet relaxing atmosphere.
This question goes to Kauthar: What are your future plans? Benjamin
L.
Kauthar:I hope to finish school successfully and write and
illustrate novels.
Are you happy to be in America? Sue T.
Virpal: Yes, I am happy to be here because I am with my mom.
Quynh: I think everyone would be happy here when they come
here. You get a lot of fun and chances for your education and future.
Was it hard to move from that place to the other place? Alexander
J.
Virpal: It was very hard to move. I cried a lot when I first
came.
Quynh: Yes, it was very hard to move from that place to this
place. The hardest thing was cleaning (packing) up all your stuff.
It took my family three days to get ready. Making friends was hard
for me too. I just know a little English when I moved here.
Kauthar: No, it wasn’t hard to adjust to this country. Actually,
everyone was welcoming me and I felt comfortable.
My Class is writing stories of immigration. What did you leave
behind when you came here? Miriam J.
Virpal: I left my family, friends, and my dog, "Blackie."
I wish I could have brought my cousin with me.
Quynh: I cried a lot when I left Vietnam to come here. My
grandmother, my dad's mother, is the one I love the most. She helped
me with everything I needed, but now, I had to leave her. That was
the hardest to leave her behind.
Kauthar: I left behind most of my belongings and, of course,
my friends.
Is it hard being a newcomer? Blake H.
Virpal: Yes, it is hard learning a new language and meeting
new people is hard too.
Quynh: It's not really hard to be a newcomer because when
my friends and teacher knew I was a newcomer, they have been very
nice to me. I know I have an English problem, but that is easy for
me because I will learn English quickly at this age.
Kauthar: Yes, it is hard being a newcomer because I am unfamiliar
of the environment.
What's it like in Georgia?
Quynh: In Georgia, a lot of people are very nice. One reason
we came to Georgia is that, here, they have places where you can
find Vietnamese food.
Kauthar: Georgia is a lively place that has a multitude of
trees and plants and it is a haven for tourists.
When did you first come to America? Sarah L.
Quynh:My parents had planned to move a long time ago when
I was just three or four months old. Now (almost) ten years later
we got permission to leave. In 2001 my family and I was on a plane
and were ready to leave. I was nine years old.
Kauthar:I came to America in 2001
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