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Build vocabulary by finding words related to the lesson concept. |
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Listen for sequence of events. |
this week's Leveled
Readers. See pp. 194f–194g 
| 1. | What steps did Dan Thuy's family follow before immigrating to the United States? (First, they applied to the INS. Then an INS agent interviewed them. After they were accepted as refugees, the INS arranged travel for them to the United States.) Sequence of Events |
| 2. | In what way do immigrants lead a double life? (Possible response: They feel torn between their new and their old culture. They try to keep ties to both.) Details |
Large grocery stores and shopping malls are familiar sights to most Americans. But to 13-year-old Dan Thuy Huynh (pronounced Dahn Twee Hween), these are among the many surprising aspects of life in the United States. Fast food, movie theaters, computers, and the English language are also new to Dan Thuy and her family since they moved from Vietnam to San Diego, California, after spending three years in Thailand. They have lived in the United States just four months. Vietnam, Dan Thuy's homeland, is a small country in Southeast Asia about the size of California. It is located south of China between the South China Sea on the east and Laos and Cambodia (also called Kampuchea) to the west.Dan Thuy and her family are immigrants—people who have moved permanently from one country to another. In some ways, immigrants lead a double life. They are caught between the old culture and the new, between their native language and a new language, between friends in the old place and friends in the new.When the Huynhs arrived in the United States, they had an advantage that many immigrants do not have. Several members of their family had come to America during the mid-1970s, so aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents were there to greet them.Many Vietnamese immigrants settle in Southern California because the warm, mild climate is similar to that of their native land. Some choose the area because they know other Vietnamese people there. The sight of people from their homeland helps immigrants feel that they belong.Many things can slow down the immigration process. When a family like the Huynhs applies to move to the United States, an agent from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) opens a file of information about the family. The file includes documents such as birth certificates and military records. Sometimes documents must be sent from Vietnam, which can take a long time. The waiting period also depends on the number of people who have applied to immigrate, the number of available immigration officers, and the time it takes to process the applications.Finally the day arrived when the papers for the Huynh family were ready. An INS agent interviewed them. After they were accepted as refugees, the INS arranged for them to travel to the United States, where their sponsors were waiting."We have a proverb in Vietnam," Dan Thuy's father says. “‘No place is better than my country.' I am happy to be here, and I don't worry about anything anymore, but I still have my parents, brothers, and sister in Vietnam. I miss them so much."
