Wednesday, December 7, 2011
My Hypothetical Family Situation
Our family is made up of two parents. We are not married and we have just moved to this country from Mexico to make a better living. I don't know any English. I am about to have my second child and my ultra-sound has revealed that my baby has cleft lip and palate. My partner has just found work and will be making $8.00 per hour at the local palate company. I cannot work because he will be upset. In our culture it means you are not a man if you can't take care of you family by yourself. Our child that is about to be born will be eligible for Medicaid Insurance but myself and my oldest daughter do not have any insurance. I go to the state hospital for care for me and my baby. I do not have much education. I had to leave school in 3rd grade in Mexico. My partner went to 5th grade and we don't understand much. All of my family lives in Mexico so I have no one to rely on for care of my children. I cannot get a drivers license to drive. I do not understand the test and I have no birth certificate. My husband has to take off work to drive me and my first child to appointments. We have no car but a neighbor lets us use his little truck for appointments. Its very small and we don't have much space. I wish for more help in understanding English. I want to learn more to be able to help my child with her learning but I don't know much myself. I wan to be able to understand the papers that come home from school with my first child, but they are in English. Even if they were in Spanish, I still can't read too good.
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Susann,
ReplyDeleteyou did a great job describing your family's situation and it does sound realistic. I currently work with in an area where we serve many migrant families. Sounds like you might know something about that. One thing that would be interesting is how you think politics have impacted this family's situation.
Susann,
ReplyDeleteYour family does sound very realistic, I also work in an area with a large immigrant population and this is a very familiar situation that many of my families find themselves in. What is the special need of your child or children? What type of early childhood services do you think would assist your families?
Susann,
ReplyDeleteYour hypothetical family situation sounds very realistic. There are so many needs that this family has. Learning English as a Second Language are amongst those needs. Are you considering language as a special need?
Susann,
ReplyDeleteI could feel you because am an immigrant myself.Your culture is similar to mine in a way that man is seen as head of the family and he is main provider for the family .A man feels inferior when he cannot support his family. Are you considering having a surgery for your baby within the first few years?
So many families where I live (in San Jose, CA) find themselves in that difficult situation of a language barrier and a financial and medical burden they did not expect. There are many organization here that help with langage issues and forms, but even with that the stress and pressure must be enormous.
ReplyDeleteSusann,
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your post, I could actually feel the emotion you put in your writing. I felt as if I was reading this dear woman's thoughts. I truly feel for people who are in this situation and for so many, this is their real life. My sister-in-law is from Colombia and moved here to the US when she was 7. Her mother speaks very little english 14 years later and has managed to open her own business. I really admire her and felt a connection to her in your post. Great job!