| People immigrate all over the world, coming and going | | | | also started right away learning English by watching |
| from their homelands for a variety of reasons. The | | | | American TV and forcing themselves to speak English |
| important thing is when you reach your new home to | | | | at home. It was amazing how fast they were able to |
| try and learn the culture, the laws and most | | | | pick it up. The children learned English within a year |
| importantly the language. We have three families in | | | | and the parents through classes, friends and plain |
| our neighborhood who immigrated to America about | | | | hard work are doing marvelous in business and |
| ten years ago. It is has been interesting to observe | | | | socially. |
| the differences in their lives after this length of time. | | | | The third family immigrated to America from Korea |
| Those that have embraced their new land, customs | | | | due to political unrest and a hope of a better life for |
| and language are thriving, integrated, providing a good | | | | their family. The mother is a stay-at-home mother. |
| living and enjoying life. Those that have stuck solely | | | | She hardly speaks a word of English, she is very |
| to their old ways, never learning English have really | | | | isolated, withdrawn and I am sure depressed. The |
| struggled. | | | | children speak fluent English but she isn't a part of |
| The first family moved here from Italy; their eight | | | | their outside world at school or anywhere else. It has |
| year old daughter was dying from a brain tumor, | | | | been very hard on the family. The kids are angry and |
| they came for the advancements in medicine she | | | | are not adjusting well. |
| required. They dove right in and learned English as a | | | | There are amazing ESL programs here in Queens to |
| second language, made friends with the neighbors, | | | | help people become integrated into their new land, |
| gotten involved in civic and church organizations and | | | | home and culture. It is a hard transition and one that |
| are now running a thriving imported Italian leather | | | | takes a lot of patience and hard work. ESL programs |
| goods business. | | | | in Queens can make a huge difference, it doesn't |
| The second family moved here from Peru, the | | | | matter why people immigrate to a new land it just |
| husband and wife were both educated in Peru, she is | | | | matters that they learn the language so they can |
| an accountant and he ran a printing business. They | | | | feel at home. |