Immigration Experience- Spanish
- Identifies a local, regional, or global issue significant to the target language community, and poses specific
- Develops a clear position on a globally significant issue based on knowledge of the target language and
In AP Spanish IV, while learning about the immigrant experience, we were given mylar blankets, or the emergency blankets given to newly arrived immigrants at detention centers. We were told to sit with these blankets, touching and feeling them in silence for five minutes. The blankets are essentially thin sheets of tin foil that rustle loudly with the slightest movement and seem to provide no warmth or comfort. The five minutes of silence were extremely powerful, as I could imagine the conditions faced by newly arrived immigrants, scared and confused, with not even a warm blanket to comfort them. I could see the children recently separated from their parents in detention centers with the mylar blankets, not being able to sleep because they miss their parents, they’re frightened and the sounds of hundreds of the blankets moving is too loud for them to fall asleep. It was heartbreaking, but developed so much empathy in every person in the class. In a class discussion, we used Spanish vocabulary to describe what we felt, saw and heard with the blankets and connected it to the cultural aspect of the immigrants of Spanish speaking countries arriving to the US. This experience connects to Recognize Perspectives because it is important to see the perspectives of immigrants and the great lengths they will go through in hopes of a better life. This experience gave us insight to what immigrants have to go through on a daily basis.