The American Dream is a concept that we are all aware of.
As Americans, we like to believe that in our country, anyone can be part of the community and through hard work, prosper and succeed. But in our heart of hearts, we know that it is not that simple.
9th and 10th grade SACS students performing “The American Dream”
This fall, 9th and 10th grade students at the Salem Academy Charter School have worked hard to educate themselves about the true “Immigrant Experience”. By reading books like Francisco Jimenez’ Breaking Through, Judith Ortiz Cofer’s An Island Like You, and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, students heard original accounts of immigrant or first-generation experiences. Some then went on to interview immigrants in their own lives, hearing first-hand about what it is like to adapt to new traditions, cultural norms and languages. Others worked to express their own opinions through original response poems entitled “What Does Your America Look Like?” Still others wrote poems and essays to paint a picture of the immigrant experiences that they had heard, read about or experienced. And they did so in front of their school community.
On October 19th, 2011, SACS hosted its first ever Hispanic Heritage Night. Amidst posters, interactive displays and plates of home-cooked Hispanic delicacies, students presented their work for classmates, families and guests.
Denise Granniss, the teacher who developed the project for her High School students, envisioned it as a way to make students “a little more proud of their heritage, a little more empathetic to the struggles of others and more appreciative of the opportunities America offers.” She also saw it as a way to encourage Hispanic families to feel welcomed and valued. To assist with this mission, SACS families prepared all of the food for the night and the entire evening was presented in both English and Spanish.
The event was a great success (so much so that the food eventually ran out!) For Ms. Granniss, one highlight of the evening was a performance entitled “The American Dream”. Though it was not part of her original plan for the project, her own students had decided to create a unique performance from the poems they had read. Their creativity and effort in mastering the difficult verbal choreography was extremely moving. More so was the pride that students seemed to take in their cooperative efforts throughout the night.
Perhaps the most significant evidence that the evening was successful occurred in the days after the event. Already Ms. Granniss has received calls volunteering to help with next year’s Hispanic Heritage Night. She has also heard rumblings about a plan for a similar night to celebrate Black History Month in February. For now, she’s ready to rest up for a while.
