Refugee: True Life Stories...

I am going to share a story with you. It is my personal story with refugees that I worked with in my life time you see. There are two stories that will comprise this writing of two parts, or perhaps three to four parts (my writings are always evolving). One story I write is of my BEAUTIFUL GIFT of working with refugees from the Vietnam War. The other will be, of refugees from Central America, when my husband Brian, now deceased, and I, had restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. What I would truly love for you to have in your mind, is that a refugee, to me, is a BEAUTIFUL person with struggles; they have endured what we could not begin to imagine.

The picture of the two small boys reminds me so much of the two children that I worked with at my first job out of High School. Fortunately, in college, I had taken a sign language class and I became pretty good so out in search of a job, with this skill in tow, I went into the working world! I had been volunteering for Special Olympics, and I was able to make some amazing connections with great people all without a degree. I had drive, determination, and the spirit to succeed.

I was able to get an interview with the Stockton Unified School District, oh wayyyyy back in 1980. An aid was needed for a Special Assistant with sign language skills. Well, they already knew who was going to be hired, but had to go through the protocol of checking out all who applied. Thank goodness for me. :) I had impressed the panel of FIVE interviewers (right out of High School and your first major job interview with, oh no, not one, not two, but five!!!!!) I made it through, although I was no where near at ease.

The Director of Special Education at that time took me aside after my interview came to an end, and he told me that he thinks he has the perfect job for me. It was to be at Edison High School, in one of the roughest parts of town, in a very small Special Education class. He said, he would set up the interview and give me call. Wow, I thought did he really say all of this to ME!?

Yes, he did indeed, and this interview did go with ease. I began the very next week, Maria J. Beam, Special Education Assistant. I was so very excited and I had no idea what to anticipate. In retrospect, we oft find the reason why somethings do not work out as we would have wanted. It was meant to be for me to not have the first job, I was meant to have the job I recieved...and what a gift, so much better than gold.

Although the Vietnam war had ended in 1975, it took some time for refugees to arrive. I will share with you some facts that many are unware of, allow me please to shed some light. During the war, we were not only engaging in Vietnam, but also, Laos and Cambodia. The CIA, aka "The Central Intelligence Agency", had recruited the Hmong Highlands peoples of Laos to become trained soldiers to battle the "threat" from Cambodia and North Vietnam . The Hmong People are gentle, yet fierce warriors, and the CIA used this as an opportunity to help fight "the enemy," the Viet-Cong and Communisim.

The brave and proud men were promised, by our government of the USA, that if we were to lose the war, they would be allowed refugee status in the United States. They were promised their own land since they are a very communal peoples, farmers, and fisher peoples. They were promised food, money, and shelter in payment for their services done. Tragically, this is not what transpired once they came to the United States. During the war they were given a bowl of rice each day as a partial compensation.

Peoples from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam began arriving to the United States in the early 1980's. They were given the name, "The Boat People," for they had literally arrived upon the West Coast shores in very simple boats and very often under dangerous conditions. In California many of the refugees ended up in San Joaquin Valley cities and not the pieces of land that they were promised so that they could continue as best as they could, their communal way of life.

Suddenly, gardens appeared on bare patches of land and tennis nets began to disappear, and strong smells of fish were deep in the air. Many of the Hmong were out upon the Delta waters fishing for their daily meals. The people in Stockton where in shock in awe, "what is happening here!?"  For the Hmong, this was a natural way of living, although in a stange enviveroment, these amazing people found a way to make it work! It took many years for the people of the Valley to understand and accept these people so different from us, yet now, it seems as if they have been woven into the society.

Now, with that bit o' history, let me get on with my story. :) The class I worked with was indeed small, five students in all. Beautiful, lovely, I loved them all! Each of the students used sign language so that skill of mine came in quite handy. Here was the most wonderful experience of my two years with this class, I was given the gift of working with two refugees, one from Laos, and one from Cambodia.

This was the challenge, to teach them sign language in English, a language mostly new. I also taught them math, reading, and social skills. Thankfully, while in a refugee camp one of the boys had been already taught some of the American Sign Language -ASL. He was amazing, so bright, so quick, and so eager to learn.  The other young man, was so very quiet and shy. It seemed as if he just always wanted to hide, but as time went by, he began to leap out of his shell, and a beaming smile he would begin to shed. Neither boy could hear nor speak, but with our hands did we reach. Reach out to one another in communicating in love, and in laughter.

I wanted to learn so much about their lives outside of school and their families were so delighted with our work together that they oftentime would invite me into their homes. I would take the boys after school, and on weekends, to baseball games, carnivals, and so many other places. I wish with all of my heart, that my brain could remember their sweet, sweet names. I can let you know this, that I shall never forget their delightful faces...:)

I thank each and every one of you so very much for reading this post. That time in my life was incredible. I want to share with you my own experiences as well as only what I can imagine what our world's refugees must go through. I will write more about these beautiful boys in another piece and it will be more on the serious side for with their hands they shared with me the saddest of stories. This story will also include the forgetten and left behind peoples who helped fight the Vietnam War. Please, I ask all of you here at Beam the Light Be the Change, to keep in mind their pain. I thank you for this so very much. With all of my heart Paz Y Amor...Maria

PART 2 of this serious will appear, if not tonight, then tomorrow...I'm keepin' my fingers crossed...;)

Musical Selection: Chris Brown "Beautiful People"

http://youtu.be/KPn-SFLSg9g

ENJOY!!!