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Where I'm From                   

By Caitlin Genrich &      

Hillary Ross

Carlos and Carmen moved 

from Puerto Rico to Othello, 

Washington. Their parents 

got a new job. Their home 

and native language is 

Spanish but they have some 

fluency in English. Carmen 

and Carlos have been 

transferred to a public 

middle school. Carmen is in 

the 6th grade and Carlos is 

in the 8th grade. 

Carmen knows 

very little English 

but can sparingly 

communicate in 

her new 

community. She 

was in advanced 

classes in Puerto 

Rico but is now 

struggling in 

school. A 

language barrier 

is working against 

her.

Carmen is being tested at school to find out 

if her current classroom is the right grade 

for her. She struggles with word problems 

and language arts because her English is 

fair. If she does poorly on the test, there is a 

chance she will be placed in a Special 

Education class.  

Carmen feels confused and frustrated. She 

is trying to learn English and understand 

what is going on, however, she can't. She 

has made many friends in Othello and wants 

to be able to be on the same level as 

everyone else. 

Carlos learned English in his former classes. He's 

doing well with communicating but fitting in is a 

challenge. The boys back at home dress stylish- 

looking nice is important to them. The Puerto Rico 

culture is also affectionately friendly. It's common to 

hug and to give kisses on the cheek.  

In Othello, the boys at school tend to 

dress more causal and comfortable. The 

boys don't understand why Carlos is so 

touchy and dresses with such style. 

The other kids in his class have been 

commenting on his style which makes 

him feel uncomfortable. Their gender 

slurs have been directed at Carlos's 

girly and gay style. 

No one really understands the put-downs 

he's been receiving and feels extremely 

alone and misunderstood. He's having a 

hard time making friends and turns to 

Carmen and his family for help.

How would we address a situation like the one 

Carmen is in?

Because Carmen's native language is not English, she 

is in danger of being placed in the Special Education 

program at her school. We would first test her 

understanding and comprehension of the English 

language. Depending on how well she scores on that 

test, we would then decide which route she should go. 

This may involve tests being written in Spanish for 

her, placing her in an E.L.L. (English Language 

Learning) program, or perhaps hiring a translator for 

certain classes.

Carlos is in a less than ideal situation as well. What 

would we do to fix this and hopefully have him feel 

more at ease and comfortable at school? 

It would be important and beneficial to address the 

culture and recognize the differences between the two 

countries. We could put the class into groups and each 

group could research a different topic, such as food, 

clothing, religion, social life, and traditions about 

Puerto Rico specifically. 

The gender slurs and name calling is another important 

issue to approach in an open-minded way. Explaining 

what the words mean and the way it makes someone 

feel can be a powerful message to show those actions 

aren't acceptable. 

  THE END

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