Latin America had occupied my mind ever since I was an adolescent. Spanish was the first foreign language I studied, beginning at age 11. My first job involved counseling Puerto Ricans. In my mid-twenties I applied for health education jobs overseas, hoping to land in South America. It didn’t happen; instead I was sent to Yemen. It wasn’t until my late thirties—and my husband’s transfer—that I got to live in a Spanish-speaking country,…

As an ESL teacher—and someone who often finds herself around immigrants— I often encounter situations that baffle me. Some involve students who support people or organizations that go directly against their interests. I call these little ironies, “all mixed up.” VOTING WITH THEIR POCKETBOOKS I taught a young female Saudi student named Aya for several years. Very nice, very helpful in class, well-educated. She was here in Minnesota with her husband, who had a scholarship from…

“Seriously, Mom, you should watch Project Runway. I think you’d like it.” This from daughter Angela in 2008. Hmm. A reality show. I’d quickly tired of The Bachelor; an episode of Top Chef had left me hungry; and the thought of Americans setting up Amazing Race competitions in poorer countries made me feel vaguely embarrassed. I sat down with Angela and watched several episodes of this clothing design competition. She…

  Dear readers, I knew little about Turkey when I moved there in 2010. I learned that most Turks came from elsewhere. From the Asian steppes. From Mesopotamia. From Bulgaria and other former Ottoman colonies. I thought about my ancestors, who journeyed from Europe to America, and I realized that immigrants worldwide face similar opportunities and constraints. This is a story of my immigrant ancestors.   There just wasn’t much good land left.…

As a young woman I was adventurous, at one point choosing to live for a year and a half in Yemen. During my time there I struggled with electricity outages, uncertain water, and a lack of support for development work. But the Yemenis went out of their way to be hospitable, their country had majestic scenery and architecture, and I became conversant in Arabic. Overall, the experience was a success. Years…

  I always need to have a firm purpose for what I’m planning to do. Otherwise, I will talk myself out of it. The January 21st rally’s purpose was initially hard to discern. It was billed as a “women’s march,” and I could list women-related issues I care about. Access to health care. An end to discarding untested rape kits. Subsidized childcare. But how was walking with others going to…

  The Muslim world is so diverse that familiarity with one or two groups (for me, Turks and Yemenis) doesn’t guarantee expertise with others. Somalis are a new group for me, and since November I’ve been teaching a majority Somali class. For me, that  brings forth surprises—and varying emotions. Pity was, unfortunately, my first sentiment. My Somali students are vibrant, capable women in their twenties and thirties, but I discovered that…