\The Literacy Center

Japanese Shock Language

• How hard is it to communicate with a language barrier?

What is the literacy center?

• The literacy center is a place in attleboro, ma where people can receive an education and better their lives
• funded by government grants, private foundations, and fundraisers

Untitled Slide

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stAVhkk5LNo

the literacy center to a student

• Mai lam
• LIVED IN VIETNAM
• CAME TO NEW YORK WITH HER SON
• THEN MOVED TO BOSTON
• DID NOT KNOW ANY ENGLISH

tHE LITERACY CENTER TO A STUDENT (cont.)

• SHE TOOK EVERY CLASS
• AFTER TWO YEARS, SHE CAN SPEAK BROKEN ENGLISH AND IS ABLE TO BE UNDERSTOOD
• HER GOAL IS TO GO TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
• SHE ALSO WORKS WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND HELPS FUNDRAISE

Tutor: Dennis Dunlap

• he says that tutoring is just as fulling for his as it is for his student
• he helps people from all over: Korea, Vietnam, Russia, Central American, and more

Tutor: Dennis Dunlap (cont.)

• students become examples for others
• they are not afraid to go out in the world and talk to people

Joan Ricci: Executive Director

• 110 volunteers
• 700 hours per year
• diversity in every way (race, education, etc.)
• real life things relevant
• not a lot of advertising
• never enough for people learning

Beth Gould: Volunteer Coordinator

• One woman was a native speaker with low reading skills
• now able to help and understand son
• domino effect

Church teaching on immigration

• pastoral letter: welcome immigrants form a family of unity where we can learn from each other

Church Teaching on Immigration

• people have a right to migrate in order to have the necessities of life for themselves and their family

Church Teaching on Immigration

• everyone has the right to respect and the right to move
• everyone has equal dignity

''Respecting Life and Human Dignity''

• often difficult to determine if someone is from a different country- move because of war, financial struggles, poverty, etc.

''RESPECTING LIFE AND HUMAN DIGNITY''

• ot: in genesis god told abraham and sarah to leave their homeland to migrate to a new land he had set aside for them
• they were given great hospitality and taken care of by the locals
• immigrants were taken care of

''RESPECTING LIFE AND HUMAN DIGNITY''

• nt: mary and joseph had to migrate to bethlehem where jesus was to be born

Social Justice Principles and Rights:

• people have the right to find opportunities for work in their homeland
• people have the right to migrate in order to support their families
• sovereign nations have a right to control their borders
• refugees should be given protection
• the human dignity and human rights of undocumented immigrants should be respected

Problems

• people have no connections
• treated poorly by border patrol and citizens
• have little to no understanding of the native language
• certain immigrants cannot utilize their degrees and education in the united states
• work opportunities are usually long hours with little pay

Solutions:

• representatives from countries offer assistance
• educate the public on immigrants' situations and need for help
• offer translators to help assimilate immigrants into society
• provide ways to somehow use their experience to help with their new life
• reform work conditions and call for just wages

the end...or is it??