Nine Weeks Building Power with Immigrant Communities

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By Tinny Faulkner, OneAmerica Intern

I worked as an intern with OneAmerica for nine weeks this summer and it was a rewarding experience.

I began working with the Communications team and saw the integral role that OneAmerica plays in informing the public about immigration issues as well as how the media has helped create an often negative image of immigrants and immigration. I have also worked with the Organizing team, engaging members of immigrant communities to ensure that their voices are heard.

But the most memorable and inspiring experience for me was hearing the experiences of the students from the English Innovation Program (EIP). OneAmerica received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to run the program for 18 months. During this pilot project, there were three cycles and approximately 200 students who attended the classes. At the end of April, the grant expired. But the classes were a success and the students still wanted to continue their education. Thus, OneAmerica began the application process for another grant. Part of the proposal required results of how the program fared during the 18-month pilot.

When I first joined the Policy team and my supervisor told me of their ambitious interview goals before mid-August, I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into. Contacting the students was the first step and the most difficult part. Not only was it hard to get a hold of a person, but when they did answer the phone, there was a language barrier to overcome. But that did not stop us.

Over the course of three weeks we were able to interview 52 students. They told us about their experience with the class and how it has changed their lives. Many of the students are highly intelligent with a variety of interests and an appetite for learning. Some of them have degrees from their home country but are unable to use them here in the U.S. because they do not speak enough English.

One of the students that we interviewed was a woman from South America who likes to watch Korean soap operas now that she knows how to use her laptop. Another woman has completed two online degrees. It was amazing to see how their faces lit up when they spoke about their favorite part of the class and how the class has made an impact on their life. Some of the students have even received promotions or new jobs because of their increased proficiency in English and computer skills they learned from in class. The students also value the lifelong friendships they have made with their classmates.

It was an eye opener for me to see how much this class affected the students and how much we take for granted the ability to speak English and use basic computer skills from day to day. This class has given them hope, confidence, and has opened the door to so many opportunities they once thought were closed to them. I'm glad I had a chance to hear these stories and I hope that the English Innovations Program receives the funding it needs to continue.

As one of the students poetically stated in his interview, "What we are now is OneAmerica’s gift to us…What we will become tomorrow is our gift back to OneAmerica."