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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
AT LAKE RIDGE COMMUNICATION & COMPUTERS,
PARENTS HEAD TO SCHOOL TO HELP CHILDREN AT HOME
BY INÉS GALIANO-TORRES
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Founding editors Dr. Jack Mooney, Dr. Ardis Nelson Editorial directors Mary Alice Basconi, Dr. Ardis Nelson Spanish editor Inés Galiano-Torres Design Dylan Chesser Copy editors Callie Barber, Jessica Brown Kendal Groner, Sarah Laposky Johnmichael Mena, Ashley Miles Heath Owens, Regan Russell Eryn Samuels, Amanda Bell Elizabeth Whiddon, Cassie O’Laughlin On the Web etsubilingualjournalism.org
magine having to enroll to your child in school and not with the school and to get them more comfortable with being able to understand what you are being told at the interacting with the personnel at the school,” said Tipton. office. Imagine not being able to fill “Parents just didn’t come to the school out the forms. Imagine not being able to and they didn’t communicate with us. Once help your child with his or her homework. we got the classes started they felt that we English as a Second Language teacher were reaching out to them and they felt Freta Tipton was aware of the obstacles that we cared, that we wanted them, and that many Hispanic parents face every day the situation changed. in their child’s education. “They started coming to the office When they don’t understand English and they would make an attempt to well, “parents don’t come to the school and communicate, and they even started to they don’t talk to the teachers,” said Tipton, come to the parent-teacher meetings.” who teaches at Johnson City’s Lake Ridge Tipton believes that getting the parents Elementary School. involved helps the children too, because Tipton began teaching English to they make more effort to help them with schoolchildren’s parents three years ago, their homework and to establish study starting a collaborative project with the at home. —COREY JONES times Language and Culture Resource Center at One student’s mother, Ofelia López, says East Tennessee State University. The goal that she loves the program. “I need to learn was to get a school’s parents more involved in their children’s English, because my children come to school and they bring education. homework home and I want to help them,” she said. “We were looking for ways to involve the Hispanic parents López is from Oaxaca, Mexico. She has been in the U.S. for
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THE PARENTS ALWAYS COME WITH QUESTIONS. THEY ARE EAGER TO LEARN ENGLISH AND TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES AND THEIR CHILDREN’S LIVES.”
Cover design Damien Johnson Cover photo Timothy Morris Ad graphics Emily Cox On the cover Johnson City’s Antonio Rusiñol turned his love for sports into a dream job as a researcher for the sports network ESPN. Page 6 El Nuevo Tennessean is produced each spring by students in East Tennessee State University’s Department of Mass Communication and Applied Spanish program, with support from the Language and Culture Resource Center. For copies or comments call (423) 439-8342, or visit the LCRC at 219 Campus Center Building, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614
INÉS GALIANO -TORRES // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
ETSU student Corey Jones, above, got a grant to buy materials for the program. At right, Beatriz Santiago and Ofelia Lopez share a joke during class.
JAKE JONES // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean
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I NEEDED TO LEARN ENGLISH, BECAUSE MY CHILDREN COME TO SCHOOL AND THEY BRING HOMEWORK HOME AND I WANT TO HELP THEM.” —OFELIA LÓPEZ
JAKE JONES // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Anna Van Balen and Freta Tipton, left, converse with Beatriz Santiago and Ofelia López during the parents’ class on Fridays. Elementary School. nine years, but has had difficulties at work and at the school. “I come here to fill forms out for [my son] and I don´t understand them,” she said. “I translate it with the phone and it helps a little, but sometimes I go to buy groceries and I don’t know what people are saying to me, and it is the same at work. I am grateful and I will keep coming to the classes.” Tipton knows how important it is for the children’s education that parents and teachers communicate, and that parents understand the importance of doing homework. “The parents are so grateful, every time they saw me they would hug me. They felt that somebody was doing something for them,” she said. After Tipton changed schools and started working at Lake Ridge Elementary, she felt that her new school needed this program.
She contacted Dr. Ardis Nelson at the LCRC, and they decided to start Lake Ridge Communication and Computers, with classes held on Fridays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The person in charge is Corey Jones, an LCRC student worker and senior at ETSU. Jones is graduating in May 2015 with a major in Spanish and international affairs. After graduating, he plans to keep working with the Hispanic community. “In the future, I want to be an immigration lawyer, because I have seen the negative experiences that undocumented people have been forced to live through, and I want to help to change that for people,” said Jones. Jones loves being part of the Lake Ridge School project, because he believes there is a need. The classes are taught in English, start with a grammatical topic and then end with students’ questions. “The parents always come with questions.
They are eager to learn English and to improve their lives and their children’s lives,” Jones said. Thanks to his efforts and teaching methods, Jones received a collaborative research grant from the Honors College at ETSU that will enable him to pay for certain materials for the class. “This grant gives us money that we need so that we can keep doing the classes more effectively,” he said. “We will be able to get books, markers and a projector.” The parents come with their children to the classes and ETSU volunteers plan activities for the kids while their parents learn. Jones brings the volunteers. Anna Van Balen volunteers every Friday and helps Jones prepare the classes. “Sometimes the students ask a lot of questions and they understand everything, and that is really rewarding,” Van Balen
said in an interview before the class. “I am going to continue this class in the fall. Also, we have been working on starting another class at the church Casa de Restauración that, hopefully, will start this summer. “I want to get involved in the Hispanic community here,” Van Balen said. “I would like to let the Hispanic community here know that people are interested in helping them and acknowledge that they are struggling.” Jones’ eyes teared up when he heard that. “It feels really good hearing you say that,” Jones told her. “We have the best volunteers.”
PAGE DESIGN // EMILY COX
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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
ETSU PHYSICIANS OFFERS INTEGRATIVE MEDICAL SERVICES Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine used as treatment options
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OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE IS A MANUAL TYPE OF MEDICINE. IT’S HANDSON CARE. IT’S AN EXTRA TOOL YOU CAN HELP YOUR PATIENTS WITH.” — NEIL ANTON BORJA APRIL RICHARDSON // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Dr. Borja studied traditional medicine in China, where he learned ways to restore and maintain the body’s natural balance.
BY APRIL RICHARDSON
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hen most people think of visiting the doctor they usually think of visiting a medical doctor, somebody who examines symptoms and prescribes medicine or surgery to help the patient overcome maladies. But other forms of treatment have been widely used around the world. Neil Anton Borja is a family physician and doctor of osteopathic medicine at East Tennessee State University. He also has a master’s of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine and practices integrative medicine. After completing studies in China, California and New York, he now serves as the director of the integrative medicine clinic at ETSU, and as assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the Quillen College of
Medicine. Borja’s areas of expertise reflect his heritage. He affectionately refers to his parents as “Hisp-Asian” because his mother is Filipino and Cuban, while his father is Chinese and Spanish. “[Spanish] was my first language, but like many raised in the U.S., I lost the skill simply because I did not want to use it as a child,” Borja said. “But I have been working hard ever since to get it back.” Borja said integrative medicine combines aspects of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. He says it is a growing field. “Many patients seek a holistic, patient-centered type of treatment,” said Borja. “Integrative medicine uses modern
conventional medicine and other evidence-based, nonconventional treatments. It is patient-centered and looks at the whole person.” About 80 percent of hospitals in the U.S. offer integrative medical treatments, according to Ruthann Russo, assistant professor at City University of New York and author of “Putting the HIM in IM.” If a person seeks treatment for a bacterial infection, it is not uncommon for a medical doctor to prescribe antibiotics. This is allopathic medicine, the methods of prescribing medications, surgeries or procedures to treat the symptoms of the patient and work toward a cure. A patient visiting an integrative medical clinic for neck pain may be treated with osteopathic manipulation instead
2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean
of painkillers or invasive surgery. A doctor of osteopathic medicine treats patients by massaging muscles, manipulating movement or stretching ligaments. The idea behind osteopathic medicine is that if bones, muscles and ligaments are functioning properly, the patient will feel better. “Osteopathic manipulation is a manual type of medicine. It’s hands-on care,” said Borja. “It’s an extra tool you can help your patients with.” At an integrative medicine clinic, traditional Chinese medicine treatments may be used for the patient with neck pain. One of these treatments might be acupuncture, where the doctor inserts needles the width of human hair into points on the body to relieve pain. This type of medicine views health as a state of balance, so that if a person’s body is out of balance, the patient feels unwell. According to Borja, traditional Chinese medicine seeks to restore balance. “Chinese medicine looks at the body as a microcosm of the whole world and universe. It seeks to help a person maintain that balance,” said Borja. Some medical offices use osteopathic medicine to complement allopathic medicine. A patient with neck pain might be given allopathic medication in addition to osteopathic manipulation or acupuncture in the regions responsible for the discomfort. Someone unfamiliar with integrative medicine may be concerned about the legitimacy of the field, and may assume a doctor of osteopathic medicine is not qualified to administer allopathic treatments. Borja says this is not the case. “A doctor of osteopathic medicine [D.O.] has to take the same college classes and tests [as M.D.s] to get into medical school; they study the same material, they go through the same residency training and are licensed to practice in all specialties of medicine,” he said. “What is different for a doctor of osteopathic medicine is they also train in osteopathic manipulation, which is an extra tool that can be used in treating patients.” Osteopathic medicine and integrative medicine are growing fields, with facilities offering these treatments opening daily. Between 2010 and 2013 the number of osteopathic physicians in the U.S. grew from 70,480 to 82,146, and 5,154 osteopathic physicians-in-training were expected to graduate within the year, according to the American Osteopathic Association. Tennessee granted licenses to 813 osteopathic doctors in 2013, and 794 in 2014. According to a 2012 study, patients treated with osteopathy have seen results. In a study conducted in the UK, 160 osteopathic hospital patients returned a survey about their experiences. The patients were questioned about their osteopathic treatment 24 hours after it was administered; 74 percent reported less pain, 90 percent had a reduction in anxiety and 98 percent would
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APRIL RICHARDSON // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Dr. Borja shows acupuncture points on a medical doll.
recommend the treatment to other hospitalized patients. A benefit of osteopathic medicine is the hands-on treatment and interaction between patient and doctor. Osteopathic manipulative treatment can be used on patients of all age groups, allowing more interaction between doctors and patients at all life stages. “One of the things I love about this job is that I see a varied group of patients,” Borja said. “We see everybody from the cradle to the grave—everyone from newborns to our very oldest patients.” Borja enjoys the variety of patients he sees at ETSU Family Physicians, and said patients are excited to have more options for medical treatment. Harriet Masters, director of the ETSU Women’s Resource Center, invited Borja to speak at a women’s health lecture in October. “When I saw that we [at ETSU] hired you, I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’re finally breaking out of the box,’” Masters told Borja. Some patients who do not receive integrative treatment have expressed interest in making the switch to ease their muscle and bone pain. “I would consider this type of treatment for my fibro,” said Brooke Edward, a patient with fibromyalgia. “I like the idea of controlling my pain at the source instead of taking medications alone.”
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ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THIS JOB IS THAT I SEE A VARIED GROUP OF PATIENTS. WE SEE EVERYBODY FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE–EVERYONE FROM NEWBORNS TO OUR VERY OLDEST PATIENTS.” — NEIL ANTON BORJA
The growth of the integrative medical field suggests many patients share that view. “If an integrative medicine treatment has evidence that it benefits patients, they should be able to get it,” said Dr. Borja. “If it works, by all means use it.”
PAGE DESIGN // KENDAL GRONER
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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
ESPN RESEARCHER GOES FROM LITTLE LEAGUE TO WORLD CUP BY TIMOTHY MORRIS
TIMOTHY MORRIS // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Rusiñol revisits the ETSU campus.
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magine being a passionate soccer fan on a dream trip to the World Cup in Brazil. You are paid to be there because it is a part of your job. Imagine that and you have stepped into the life of Antonio Rusiñol, 28, senior researcher at ESPN Stats & Information Group. The group does analytics for ESPN Deportes, providing advance statistics for game coverage – ratings, rankings and material that doesn’t usually appear in box scores. “It’s really a dream come true,” Rusiñol said, “because ESPN was my first real dream job, just because my No. 1 passion is sports.” A native of Argentina, Rusiñol spent his adolescent years in Canada. His family moved to Johnson City, Tennessee, where he attended Science Hill High School. Rusiñol played baseball and soccer while in high school: outfielder on the baseball diamond and midfielder on the soccer field. But before playing in high school, he was a Little League Baseball all-star with a high level of competitiveness and a flair for the
dramatic. always been a part of Rusiñol’s life. One could ETSU associate professor William say that the love for the game is in his blood. Hemphill, a family friend, remembers one His family instilled that love for sports Little League game in particular. through stories like the one about his It was July 2000, and grandfather, who would Rusiñol’s Johnson City become physically ill if his IT’S REALLY A National All-Star Little beloved Boca Juniors, an League baseball team Argentinian football club, DREAM COME played a team from ever lost a game. TRUE, BECAUSE Lexington, Tennessee, in Rusiñol worked at a the second game of the ESPN WAS FIRST REAL men’s clothing store while state tournament. he was in college. After DREAM JOB, JUST After two consecutive graduating with a degree in home runs, Rusiñol international commerce, he BECAUSE MY NO. 1 stepped to the plate and returned from a visit with delivered a third-straight PASSION IS SPORTS.” family in Argentina to find home run, virtually an online posting about a sealing the win in the first researcher’s position in the –ANTONIO RUSIÑOL inning. ESPN Stats & Information “Twelve-year-olds are group. funny like that,” Hemphill There were a number said. “They’re pretty competitive. He silenced of requirements for the job, but two stood the bench and showed that the Johnson City out as important: knowledge of sports and team was serious about winning.” fluency in Spanish. With a Spanish minor at Sports, especially the game of soccer, have ETSU, Rusiñol credits his knowledge of the
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language for getting him in the door. ESPN has a Spanish-language sports network, ESPN Deportes. ESPN started in September 1979 when the communications director of the New England Whalers hockey team, Bill Rasmussen, founded the network with his son, Scott. In the early days, the E.S.P. Network, as it was called, only provided sports fans with a couple of live events, like the NCAA basketball tournament games that other stations were not playing. But the first sport ESPN covered from the professional ranks was hockey. According to ESPN, Rasmussen’s experience as a National Hockey League communications director meant the NHL was the first major sports league in the United States that had a contract for the network to air its games. Even those games were at a premium, and time slots had to be filled. Before ESPN was the network sports fans around the world come to know and love, the company had humble beginnings as far as programming went. The program lineup was hardly recognizable to the average sports
2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean 7
FOR LAST SUMMER’S WORLD CUP, THE ENTIRE RESEARCH PROJECT STARTED IN JANUARY: MAKING GOOD TEAM NOTES, PLAYER NOTES AND STORYLINES.
as programming went. The program lineup was hardly recognizable to the average sports fan today. The first live event was a slow-pitch softball World Series game. International sports aired on that first weekend as well, like Australian-rules football, Irish cycling, volleyball and racquetball, just to name a few. One program was and still is synonymous with ESPN: SportsCenter, the station’s premier show, debuting live on Sept. 7, 1979, from the ESPN studio in Bristol, Connecticut. Growth was steady within ESPN as programming contracts were signed over the years with the major U.S. sports leagues. In 1987, ESPN secured its first cable contract with the National Football League, agreeing to broadcast a small number of
games, and three years later, major league baseball came to the network. Events that sports fans wait all year for were born on ESPN, like the NFL draft in 1980, and the emergence of the NCAA basketball tournament and the “March Madness” that surrounded it. Throughout the years, several technological advances have shaped not only sports programming, but also the sports themselves and how fans view them. The first-and-10 line shown during college and professional football games, a digital line indicating the approximate location marker, debuted in 1998; the “K-Zone,” a digital box outlining baseball’s strike zone, won a Sports Emmy Award in 2001 while airing on the network’s “Sunday Night Baseball” program.
PHOTO COURTESY ANTONIO RUSIÑOL
Antonio Rusiñol views a World Cup game from Macaraña Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The same year, ESPN Deportes started, giving Latin and Hispanic Americans a Spanish-language sports network. While every sport is covered, Rusiñol says soccer is the mainstay on ESPN Deportes. He does most of the statistics for many soccer leagues. Fast-forward to 2014 and ESPN is one of the most advanced networks, technologically as well as statistically. Large events, such as the World Cup, have to be planned months in advance from a research production standpoint because of the cutting-edge statistical work that he and his colleagues do, according to Rusiñol. For last summer’s World Cup, Rusiñol said, “the entire research project started in January:
every single soccer team, dividing the workload up within our group, really making good team notes, player notes and storylines.” Rusiñol says the network is popular because of the time that people at ESPN put in to assure the best sports coverage from top to bottom. From stats and scores to storylines, he said, ESPN tries to educate sports fans with its coverage. Although the position that Rusiñol holds may seem like a dream job, he said in reality, getting it was not as difficult as it seems. Rusiñol advises aspiring journalists to follow his path. “Just apply,” he said. “You never know what may happen.”
PHOTO COURTESY ANTONIO RUSIÑOL
Rusiñol on the top of the ESPN studio set on Copacabana Beach.
PAGE DESIGN // CALLIE BARBER
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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
FINDING LOVE IN THE SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY People who marry into Hispanic families expand their world to gain a new culture BY JESSICA BROWN
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JESSICA BROWN // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Bob and Judy Schaal share memories of their Puerto Rican wedding day.
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WE SPOKE THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE.”
— JUDY SCHAAL
eople who marry into the Spanishspeaking community may find themselves assimilating into both a new culture and a new family. One couple’s journey led to overcoming a language barrier, while another merged both of their families into one. Bob Schaal and Tracie Avila each faced challenges, but they were able to find love and share their stories on what it takes to adjust to another person’s culture. Imagine going into a Spanish-speaking community, without knowing the language, then meeting a woman you want to date. You pay a young boy quarters to translate what you say to the person who could potentially become your spouse. Bob Schaal of Johnson City, Tennessee, had to do just that. It was the language of love that ultimately brought Bob and Judy Schaal together. Bob is from Minnesota and Judy grew up in Puerto Rico. They met when Bob was stationed in Puerto Rico in 1975 at the Ramey Air Force Base. Judy lived in the area her whole life, but didn’t realize that a single evening would change everything. “I went out to a local bar one night,” said Bob. “There was this girl wearing red and she was laughing. I instantly knew I wanted to get to know her.” Bob said he went out with his friend “Papa John” Pyatt, a retired Air Force sergeant. It turned out that Judy knew Papa John Pyatt’s daughters.
Since that first night, Bob and Judy have overcome many obstacles. “I didn’t know any Spanish and she didn’t know any English,” Bob said. “I remember I paid a boy a bunch of quarters to translate for me.” Bob said it was the best quarters he’d ever spent. Throughout the course of a couple months, they got to know each other by Bob coming to see Judy at her house, talking on the front porch and even spending a weekend at the beach. “Her dad was very protective of her,” said Bob. “I remember I had to have her home by 11 p.m. and we had chaperones.” At the time, Bob was 21 and Judy was 22. “After only knowing each other for a few months, I proposed in July and we got married in October,” said Bob. Bob said his transition into the Puerto Rican world wasn’t hard. “On base, I lived in English basically,” said Bob, “although I couldn’t figure out salsa [dancing] until later.” Bob and Judy had a traditional Puerto Rican wedding. “Her dad fixed up the yard nice with a cabana,” said Bob. “There was a pig roast, white table cloths and my parents came down to celebrate with us.” When the two families came together for the first time, communication was non-verbal. “Our families couldn’t understand each other,” said Judy. “Everyone was just kind of smiling at each other.”
2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean 9
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THEY CAME HERE WITH NOTHING BECAUSE CASTRO TOOK EVERYTHING, ALL THE MONEY, ALL THE HOUSES, ALL THE PROPERTY.” — LUIS AVILA
Fernando and Marta Avila
PHOTOS COURTESY LUIS AND TRACIE AVILA
Luis and Tracie Avila remember stories of how they first met. Judy recalls how her father was very polite about everything, while her mother thought she was crazy. “We spoke the language of love,” Judy said. Judy’s mother cooked a wide variety of food such as rice and beans, blood sausage, breadfruit, flan, turnovers and “spaghetti soup.” “Lunch was the main meal,” said Bob. “Then we had leftovers later.” Bob said the food was an easy adjustment, but one of the harder ones was dealing with the water company. “I remember I didn’t get a water bill for over a year and a half,” said Bob. Bob said this was due to inefficiencies in the system, making the waits in the water company lines terrible. After taking a number, Bob said a person would sit and camp out for the rest of the day there. “After they learned I worked for the government, they turned it [the water] back on real fast,” Bob said. After leaving Puerto Rico, Bob and Judy have lived in several places including: New Mexico, Miami, Minnesota, and Tennessee. “When I got out of the Navy, I went back to electronics school and took a Spanish 101 class,” said Bob. Judy picked up English quickly. “It seemed to work for us,” said Bob.
Today, the roles are reversed and Judy resides in Bob’s world. They are both prominent members of the Club Latinoamericano in Johnson City and travel back to Puerto Rico each year to visit family.
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couple with a similar multicultural marriage is Luis and Tracie Avila. Tracie Avila had to adjust to many changing cirmustances in her in-laws’, Fernando and Marta Avila’s, culture. Tracie met Luis at a high school football game in South Florida. “Luis was the first one born of his family in America,” said Tracie. After Tracie and Luis were married in 1991, they remained in Florida and then moved to Johnson City, Tennessee. “They [the Avilas] didn’t treat me any different than their sons,” said Tracie. “I was their daughter.” Luis Avila’s family emigrated from Cuba to Miami in 1960 after Fidel Castro took over. “It was hard for my parents to come here because they were very wealthy in Cuba,” said Luis. Like many others, this was a difficult time for the Avila family. “My dad saw it coming,” said Luis. “He said ‘put money in the bank in Miami’, but
my grandfather was stubborn and they lost it all.” Luis said his parents went to school with Castro, and when he took over, his mother’s childhood home was turned into a hospital. “When they were getting on the plane to come to America,” said Tracie, “they stuffed rings and earrings into toothpaste.” They never returned to Cuba because they felt if you went there, you were supporting Communism and Fidel Castro, said Luis. “They always hoped to live to see a free Cuba,” said Tracie. “But they never did.” After moving to Johnson City, Tracie made frequent visits to South Florida when her inlaws became ill, as their primary caregiver. “My mother-in-law had Alzheimer’s and she could understand English,” said Tracie. “But she would only communicate in Spanish, so when I was caring for them, right away I learned ‘ten cuidado,’ which means careful.” Tracie would go to South Florida for weeks at a time, while her husband was at work. “Thank God she was able to because I was working and my brother was working too,” said Luis. After several trips to Florida, Tracie and Luis decided to bring his parents to Johnson City to live with them. Luis’ parents passed away a month apart, in March and April 2014.
Since then, Tracie has been on and off with her Spanish. “Years ago, I would be able to understand as long as I could catch the verbs,” said Tracie. “But when we were away from the South Florida vibe, I’ve lost a lot of my Spanish.” The language barrier was difficult at times, although his parents did speak English, Tracie said. “When his family would get together, they would talk really fast [in Spanish],” said Tracie. “Especially when the women get together they speak fast and loud and then faster.” During the holidays, they usually alternated between both of their families. “We had Thanksgiving, my side of the family, we had a lot of Polish food along with turkey and dressing,” said Tracie. “But Christmas with Lou’s family, it was celebrated on the 24th and it was strictly Cuban food.” Some of the food included picadillo, shredded pork, arroz frijoles and tostones, and they generally finished the meal off with a Cuban coffee. “Our families are very friendly families,” said Tracie. “And we all became one family.” PAGE DESIGN // JESSICA BROWN
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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
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I EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION FIRSTHAND AND, IN A ROSA PARKS-LIKE SCENARIO, WAS THROWN TO THE BACK OF THE LIST FOR REGISTERING FOR CLASSES ALTHOUGH I WAS PAYING THREE TIMES MORE TO ATTEND COMMUNITY COLLEGE OUT OF MY OWN POCKET.”
— CAROLINA SILICEO
DYLAN CHESSER // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
STUDENTS WITH DEFERRED-ACTION STATUS FACE OBSTACLES IN HIGHER EDUCATION BY DYLAN CHESSER
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woman stands before a crowd of fellow North Carolinians, prepared to deliver a speech on a topic of great importance to her. Carolina Siliceo Perez told how, as a college student, she stood in line to register for classes after the other students, paid out-of-state tuition without having access to financial aid and feared being pulled over every time she drove a car. She experienced these things because she is an illegal immigrant. The scene was “Moral Monday,” an event in Asheville, North Carolina, sponsored by the NAACP to address topics of social reform. Siliceo came to share reasons why she believes the U.S. needs immigration reform. “I experienced discrimination firsthand and, in a Rosa
Parks-like scenario, was thrown to the back of the list for registering for classes although I was paying three times more to attend community college out of my own pocket,” Siliceo said at the event, which took place Aug. 4, 2014. “I remember hardly scraping up enough money for $800 monthly tuition payments.” Siliceo, now 22, was born into a prominent family in Mexico City and moved to the U.S. with her mother when she was 2. Her mother brought her to this country to live what she calls a “riches-to-rags story.” “We were part of this society that I no longer felt a part of, and a society that would’ve expected me to have proper etiquette,” she said.
After her divorce, Siliceo’s mother hoped her family would have a better life in the country where her brothers were already making better lives for themselves. That decision led Siliceo to grow up in America, which meant splitting her time between North Carolina and Florida so that her family could continue to do farm work throughout the year. After working hard in high school, she decided to go to college. After graduating in spring 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in English from Brevard College in Brevard, North Carolina, Siliceo said she has taken time to distance herself from the stress and agitation of putting herself through college. “Every year that passes, it seems farther from my memories,” Siliceo said. “It’s kind of difficult to explain to you
2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean
how I felt because I’m over that. I hurt when I had to hurt. “Right now, I’m doing this really cool ... recovery mode. I’m in this mode where I’m picking up where I left off when I was so busy working and trying to get through school.” One thing that helped her come to terms with the difficulties in obtaining her bachelor’s degree was a federal policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The secretary of Homeland Security announced in 2012 that through DACA, illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. before the age of 16, who posed no threat to the nation and who met other criteria, could apply for deferred-action status. Deferred action is a two-year period in which immigrants can live in the country without being deported. Siliceo applied for DACA in November 2012, but was not afraid of being deported if her application were denied. “It took 11 months for them to process my paperwork,” Siliceo said. “It was a tedious process, and I was not afraid. I have not applied for renewal but I will when that time comes.” Siliceo said DACA offered her the hope she needed to carry on with her undergraduate work. It relieved much of the resentment she felt because of how hard she had to work to pay for tuition. “I got DACA ... my first semester senior year,” Siliceo said. “However, I have a [driver’s] license now, and I don’t have to live in fear anymore, at least not about getting pulled over and deported.” Siliceo said legislators in North Carolina have laid out exactly what DACA can do for college students. In some other states, students with deferred-action status can qualify for federal or state-institutional aid, or pay in-state tuition to attend. Though DACA did not affect her undergraduate work because she was close to earning a bachelor’s degree when she received it, it did provide her with peace of mind while driving a vehicle. North Carolina stopped issuing driver’s licenses to DACA recipients for a short time, pending a judgment from the state attorney general’s office. The attorney general decided that if DACA recipients can provide the required paperwork for a license, they should be issued one. In Tennessee, state Rep. Sheila Butt (R-Columbia) sponsored a House bill in 2013 that also aimed to eliminate the issuing of temporary driver licenses and permits for DACA recipients. Butt decided not to advance the bill. According
to a note from the fiscal review committee, had it passed, the bill would have cost the state $19,500 in lost revenue because an estimated 1,000 people would have been unable to obtain a driver’s license. Seventeen states allow DACA recipients to pay in-state tuition and access to financial aid. In Tennessee, a plan to do so fell one vote short of passing in the House of Representatives on April 23. Siliceo planned to enroll at East Tennessee State University in spring 2015 to earn a graduate degree in liberal arts; however, she decided not to attend when she found out she would get no financial aid. “I would have to pay out-of-state [tuition] out of pocket,” Siliceo said. “I need to look at a program and university that can look beyond my status and more into my merits.” Brian Henley, director of admissions at ETSU, said illegal immigrants must pay out-of-state tuition without having access to federal financial aid. “Deferred-action status does not confer lawful presence for benefits,” Henley said. “We still have to classify those students as non-residents for tuition purposes.” Henley said most of ETSU’s scholarships are for students from Tennessee. “There are some schools that offer scholarships to undocumented students or students who are here in deferred-action status,” Henley said. “For the most part, we don’t offer those. It’s not to say they are completely out of financial aid, merit-based or need-based aid from some private schools, but as far as the federal government is concerned, those students are not eligible for Pell Grant or student loans or the Tennessee state lottery scholarship.” Siliceo had a similar experience when she paid out-of-state tuition to attend Blue Ridge Commnity College in Flat Rock, North Carolina. Siliceo wants to become a motivational speaker, go into education or do something to benefit immigrants. “Trials, difficulties and obstacles really give you an opportunity to build your character, to become a mature person and to appreciate life in ways that other people don’t appreciate,” Siliceo said. “And you taste your dreams, and when you reach that goal, you taste that in a way that people who don’t have to pay for it — people who have it given to them, or people who take that for granted — can’t taste.”
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PHOTOS AND PAGE DESIGN: DYLAN CHESSER // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
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ENGLISH WITHOUT BORDERS
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I BELIEVE THAT WE LEARN BEST BY DOING. THAT WE LEARN BEST BY ACTUALLY CONVERSING FOR A PURPOSE, WRITING FOR A PURPOSE, DOING SOMETHING TO COMMUNICATE.” —DR. ROSALIND GANN
PHOTOS BY WHITNEY PALMETER // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN //
ESL CLASS PREPARES INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FOR GLOBAL SUCCESS BY WHITNEY PALMETER
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very Thursday evening at Cherokee United Methodist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, an exchange takes place as different tongues learn to speak in one common language. Leading this conversation is Dr. Rosalind Gann, an East Tennessee State University professor and English as a Second Language advocate. The main goal of this gathering is to equip people whose first language is not English to speak it comfortably and correctly. Gann has worked with English language learners in many countries. It was there that she realized how the English language is becoming more global. “One thing I’ve learned is just how important English is—worldwide—and the scope of this language,” she said. “It was, originally, a language of conquerors, of oppressors,
and now, it’s been transformed into a vehicle for universal communication.” Gann first taught as a middle school English teacher, where she developed an interest in literacy. This led her to pursue a doctorate in literacy, linguistics and ESL from the University of Cincinnati. Today, she coordinates the teacher ESL program at ETSU, as well as an ESL class at Cherokee United Methodist Church. At the ESL class, Gann talks to each of her students as they arrive, taking the time to get to know them. Here, the teachers are volunteers and the students do not pay tuition. “In a school-based ESL, there are exams and assignments and grades. What we do at Cherokee is quite different,” said Gann. “We welcome our second language learners, and ask them
what they want to do. If they want homework, we assign it; if they want it corrected, we correct it. If they want help in preparing for exams, we’ll put together exams, but we don’t give exams and grades.” On one occasion, the students baked together. After a student asked a question about pretzels one week, Gann brought in dough the next. As they worked and laughed together, attempting to twist their creations, the students learned where the pretzel originated and how to bake it. “In adulthood, people should determine their own goals,” said Gann. “Our attitude is: what you want, we will give you. The only rule I have is no heritage language. We’re only talking English. Not because I want to impose English, but I say, ‘You already know Spanish or Chinese or whatever. That is not why you’re here, you’re here to learn English.’”
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Dr. Theresa McGarry, a professor at ETSU, works with international students who are learning English as a second language. She also coordinates the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate Program at ETSU. “The idea is get them to know their own learning styles so they will know what techniques will help them,” said McGarry. “Also to work on the learning styles that they’re not really strong in to become more well-rounded learners. Selfawareness is a big thing. Understand yourself as a learner; I’m not in charge of your learning, you are. So figure out how you do it, and assess yourself all the time.” In regards to learning, McGarry said that what is most important will vary from student to student. For some it may be integration into the community, for others it’s passing an entrance exam. Gann uses the same idea when approaching her ESL class. She starts the class by asking each student what they want to work on. They are divided accordingly and the rest of the time is spent working on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and other group requests. “I believe that we learn best by doing. That we learn best by actually conversing for a purpose, writing for a purpose, doing something to communicate,” said Gann. “Any of these things that a person considers important is important to me, and I will work with them.” When the class made pretzels together, they came together over a common project. Then, they held conversations about cultural cooking over freshly baked pretzels. Hannah Norris, an ETSU sociology student, spent her summer at an ESL language camp for international students in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She noticed that the high school students she worked with wanted to learn more verbal and listening skills. “I think interactive learning is the way to go,” Norris said. “The students at the camp said that their learning improved so much over those three weeks than from years of learning, just from being submerged in this culture and having to speak English to do everyday life.” Learning a language almost always involves learning a culture. Gann’s class is multi-ethnic, so conversation often revolves around the students’ own cultures and American culture. “We try very hard to create a warm atmosphere, and one that’s respectful of their home cultures,” said Gann. “Language is imbedded in culture. So a lot of what we do is explain cultural practices, and we teach the language in that context.” For Lucy, an ETSU student from China, this is helpful for thoroughly understanding the English language. “The teachers here are so sincere, warm and energetic,” she
said. “Through this class, I’ve learned culture, slang and idioms.” This cultural aspect is important for speaking English in the United States. However, McGarry said that when English is being used in other parts of the world, it doesn’t necessarily need to reflect American culture. “I would never want to assume that all ESL learners want to become American, immigrate, or integrate,” she said. “Most of the English speakers in the world now, numerically, speak it as a second language. They are not all talking to us; they are talking to each other. English is being spoken between people who do not have another common language.” As a result, this will change some of the structure and rules. “English doesn’t belong to us anymore, if it ever did,” said McGarry. “If you want to say it’s the global language, ok, but that means it’s gotten away from us. It belongs to the world. So, that affects your approach in a lot of ways. There are certain aspects of grammar that have been changed, or
simplified. The oddities of English tend to get smoothed over when it gets in the hands of non-native speakers.” There is a theory that considers English as a lingua franca, or a language of exchange between people who don’t necessarily speak it as a first language. “If you believe in that principle, you’re not going to waste your time correcting ridiculous things,” McGarry said. “Focus on the things that they need to communicate among each other.” Gann said that now, learning English means learning an international language. She believes that English should be available to anyone who wants to learn it. “English, to me, is something that should be free like the air and the water,” Gann said. “It’s a gift to all of us. This may well be something that allows us to communicate and to ultimately cooperate together as a human race.”
Dr. Rosalind Gann shows the ESL class at Cherokee Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, how to make a pretzel. For more information, visit http://cherokeechurch.com/#/mission/esl or call 423-434-1015. PAGE DESIGN // HEATH OWENS
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I SEE THE POTENTIAL OF A CHILD AND I WANT THEM TO SEE THAT POTENTIAL. WHEN I SEE ONE OF THE KIDS GRADUATED I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING.” – FERNANDO DE SOUSA-PEREIRA
VERONICA THOMPSON // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
De Sousa helps Cara Waddell, who teaches English as a Second Language at Cherokee Elementary School, when she needs to communicate with parents in Spanish.
Interpreter finds his calling BY VERONICA THOMPSON
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ucked away in the back of Mountain View Elementary School’s library is a man who is passionate about his job and the work he does for Johnson City Schools. Fernando De Sousa-Pereira is the Spanish interpreter for all 11 schools in Johnson City, Tennessee. Anyone who greets De Sousa will immediately be met with a firm handshake and a smile. If a teacher cannot communicate with a child’s parents because of a language barrier, De Sousa is called to the school. He is the link between parents and teachers. De Sousa devotes a lot of time and effort into his job. He works with parents to ensure their child succeeds in school. He wants parents to understand the school system and how it works, which means filling out the load of paperwork
students need at the beginning of each school year. He attends parent-teacher conferences if he needs to translate. “The beginning of the school year is always crazy,” De Sousa said. “I’m working seven in the morning to seven at night, and most conferences are after school hours because most of the parents work.” Born and raised in Venezuela, De Sousa never thought he would be working as a school interpreter. In high school he took English as a foreign language. After graduation he worked for American companies in Venezuela, where he strengthened his English. When De Sousa and his family of four moved to Miami, Florida, in May 2000, he assumed he didn’t have to know English well. He never really liked Miami. DeSousa wanted to
learn how to speak English, so he decided to move again. “We moved to Miami as a leap of faith,” De Sousa said. “And in Miami you don’t really need to know how to speak English. But I soon came to realize that we had to move again. So we moved here to Johnson City, Tennessee, looking for something new and to learn how to speak English.” De Sousa, 52, has lived in Johnson City for 11 years. He said starting out in Johnson City wasn’t easy. He began working as a substitute teacher in October 2003. “My first day was awful,” De Sousa said. “A first-grader was helping me translate to the rest of the class. It was embarrassing, but the other teachers were patient with me. They helped me with my English a lot.” After a few months as a substitute, De Sousa heard the
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school system was looking for a part-time interpreter. He decided to apply for the job. “I got the job in 2004 and part-time became full-time as the population and demand for interpreters grew,” said De Sousa. One teacher De Sousa helps is Cara Waddell, who teaches English as a Second Language at Cherokee Elementary School. She helps students learn to speak English to succeed in their classes, but because she is still learning Spanish she asks DeSousa to speak with parents. “Whenever we have parent-teacher conferences or need to make a phone call, he will make that phone call,” said Waddell. “And he also does parent conferences like the Spanish Night, where he talks to the parents on the rules and regulations of the school system.” On Spanish Night, De Sousa asked the children and parents who don’t have English as their second language to gather in a school auditorium or cafeteria. He took an hour to discuss with parents how to handle their child and what they can do to see their child succeed. De Sousa explains to parents that they are the heads of the household, not the child. He teaches the parents to “cut the cord” with their children. He wants children to show respect to parents and explains how parents are not their slaves. “I tell the parent that they are the parent and they are the ones who have the rules,” De Sousa said. “I tell them the truth like it is. Not all parents want to listen to me. And they let their kids do whatever and not listen.” De Sousa works with pre-kindergarten to high school seniors during the school year. And when the school year is over for the students it’s not over for De Sousa. He works summer school and offers high school students the opportunity to earn the community service hours required by Johnson City Schools. “I have students work with me,” De Sousa said. “I teach them organization and to be respectful. They have fun and I keep them busy. Kids come back and work with me each summer so I must be doing something right.” When De Sousa has leisure time talks with his family in Venezuela on Skype. He hasn’t seen his family in over 14 years. De Sousa
sends care packages to his family because he said the economy is so bad. He said there are more deaths in Venezuela than there have ever been. The Venezuelan Violence Observatory reported that the homicide rate has quadrupled over the past 15 years. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime reports that Venezuela is the only country in South America that has had a consistently increasing homicide rate since 1995. De Sousa said he was lucky to get out of his homeland when he could. He said airline tickets to and from Venezuela are almost nonexistent now. De Sousa feels fortunate to come to the United States and find a job that allows him to be around people who care for him. Three years ago De Sousa almost died. He was later diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, meaning he has clots in his lungs. He said he wouldn’t know what to do without his Johnson City school family. “The school system is like my family,” De Sousa said. “They’re so supportive and awesome. All the schools are awesome. I have VERONICA THOMPSON // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN a second chance and I count my blessing every Fernando De Sousa speaks with a parent about her child’s schoolday.” De Sousa believes the most important thing work. is to do what one loves. He enjoys being in contact with people and making a difference in a child’s life. He tries to attend every school I TELL THE PARENT graduation. “I see the potential of a child,” De Sousa said, THAT THEY ARE THE “and I want them to see that potential. When I PARENT AND THEY see one of the kids graduated I feel like I have accomplished something.” ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE De Sousa is happy to be in Johnson City. THE RULES. I TELL THEM THE Although it was hard for him to adjust to new surroundings, he took one day at a time. TRUTH LIKE IT IS. NOT ALL “I love Johnson City because I feel like I’m PARENTS WANT TO LISTEN finally at home,” De Sousa said. “I care for my neighbors and school system and they care TO ME. AND THEY LET THEIR for me. We found a place we can call our home KIDS DO WHATEVER AND NOT away from home.”
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PAGE DESIGN // JOHNMICHAEL MENA
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ETSU PUBLIC HEALTH INTERNS GAIN PERSPECTIVE BY STUDYING ABROAD BY MELISSA FRANKLIN
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assion and dedication are what two students needed to journey 1,400 miles from home, determined to improve health conditions in another country. Milca Nuñez and Chris Bush traveled to the Dominican Republic in early September to begin their field experience for the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University. As of 2013, the Dominican Republic had a population of 10 million, with 40 percent living below the poverty line,
according to The World Bank. Receiving medical care is a Mikki Johnson-Maczka, an instructor for the field challenge most Dominicans face; there are an estimated two experience program, visited the Dominican Republic physicians per 1,000 persons. during the summer to make sure everything would be up The Dominican Republic also has a higher number of to the college’s standards. First, Maczka checked to see if adolescent pregnancies than any other country in Latin the clinics were close to a hospital for medical emergencies. America, and according to the Centers For Disease Control and Also, Maczka asked about the crime rate in the area and Prevention, the infant mortality rate is 23 per 1,000 births. how students could safely navigate the city. According to This was Bush’s second trip to the Dominican Republic. Maczka, the main objective is for students to get a realThe first time Bush visited the country was on a family world experience in the healthcare field and apply what vacation, but during an excursion to a small they learned in previous courses. The field experience must town his eyes were opened to include projects for the students to the country’s poverty. This was work on during their stay. THE WHOLE the first time Nuñez worked in a During their seven-week stay developing country. in Santo Domingo the interns CONCEPT OF The students are working worked with Alerta Joven, a new ALERTA JOVEN initiative for at-risk youth, brought toward their bachelor’s degrees in public health, and need 400 to the Dominican Republic through IS TO GET THESE hours of field experience before the U.S. Agency for International KIDS OFF THE STREET they graduate. They are the Development and the consulting first students from the College agency Entrena. AND GIVE THEM of Public Health to work in the According to Alerta Joven, 30 AN ALTERNATIVE.” Dominican Republic, and the percent of the country’s population is first to work with Project HOPE. youth. At-risk youth include 10- to — CHRIS BUSH 24-year-olds who do not finish school, Project HOPE is an international healthcare commit crimes or do not have the organization that started in identification documents required 1958 to deliver health education, medicines, to attend school. Most of the youth do not have access to supplies and volunteers to areas of need. education and if they do, 36 percent do not complete basic There are two clinics in the Dominican education requirements. Republic, and the interns worked at one in the “The whole concept of Alerta Joven is to get these kids off APRIL RICHARDSON || ELNUEVO TENNESSEAN capital of Santo Domingo. the street and give them an alternative,” said Bush. “Let them Both Nuñez and Bush speak Spanish, know that they do have a future and it’s in their hands.” Chris Bush and Milca Nuñez shared their knowledge and kindness by which is a requirement to work for Project Nuñez and Bush said that some problems the youth face participating in Project HOPE. HOPE in the Dominican Republic. are eye-opening. “The stories that these kids have, you can’t
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Nuñez and Bush collected supplies for the Project Hope clinic in Monte Plata before their journey.
MELISSA FRANKLIN // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN MELISSA FRANKLIN || ELNUEVO TENNESSEAN
even imagine,” said Bush. The interns discovered that one of the children was bullied in school because her mother drowned in the Caribbean Sea. Nuñez and Bush worked with that student on effective communication, because mental health is a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle. “I told them not to suffer in silence,” said Nuñez. “Talk to someone who they look up to and know they are not alone.” According to Nuñez and Bush, these types of problems are not unusual for the youth of the Dominican Republic. An Alerta Joven counselor, Jeffery, shared his story with the interns. Jeffery grew up in poverty, without parents, and had to turn to the streets for survival. Jeffery walked 10 miles or more to shine and clean shoes in Santo Domingo. Eventually, a local church rescued him and provided him with an education. Jeffery is now working toward his mechanical engineering degree. He hopes that his story will inspire the youth to work toward something better and to overcome poverty. The interns also worked on a project centered on expectant mothers and the scope of care they receive. According to the World Health Organization, developing countries like the Dominican Republic have higher numbers of adolescent pregnancies because access to education and resources are
limited. Maternal deaths are higher among adolescents 16 years and younger. The clinic already has a five-star system where the expectant mothers receive a star for every essential service they receive, such as nutrition counseling and check-ups. This encourages mothers to go to the doctors frequently. Bush and Nuñez made certificates for mothers who receive all five stars. The interns were exposed to many low socio-economic Dominicans during an open medical clinic at a nearby school. According to Nuñez and Bush, the school was filled
with people who needed medical care but could not afford it. “It’s really sad to see, but that’s the reality of it,” said Nuñez. Maczka talked with Nuñez and Bush through Skype to keep up with their progress. Maczka said the trip broadened their understanding of international health and how they can compare and contrast it to the health system in the U.S. “I hope it enlightens them to just how we truly are one,” said Maczka. “But I hope they get . . . a deeper understanding of what it does mean to live in these developing nations and communities.”
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PHOTO COURTESY OF PROYECTO ALERTA JOVEN
Interns work wtih the youth from Alerta Joven. PAGE DESIGN // SARAH LAPOSKY
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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
MONSTERS ON CAMPUS AT ETSU English professor takes students behind the world of the scary
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MANY MONSTERS WERE BORN WITHIN BORDERS OF PHYSICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND POLITICAL IDEAS.”
— DR. ANA GRINBERG LANCE WHITE // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
BY LANCE WHITE
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he human mind often wanders towards the edge of its understanding. The edge of understanding is where imagination begins, and things that are beyond reason can exist. Walking into Dr. Ana Grinberg’s office, one can easily recognize a setup common of any other professor who teaches English courses at East Tennessee State University: shelves crammed with books, chairs for students to sit in during conferences and a desk – clean and computeroccupied – in the corner of the room. Yet the books lining Grinberg’s shelves are not typical of a professor: “Dracula,” “The Vampire in Europe,” “Gods, Heroes, and Monsters” and a myriad of other monster-related novels. Grinberg is teaching a course on monsters at ETSU. The Monster Studies course is not so much be the study
of monsters, but the study of the political and sociological climates of the humans that created them,” Grinberg said. The darkness that rests in a person’s soul can be ousted in a creative fashion to explain and chronicle the times in which that person lived. Grinberg was born in Argentina and her heritage can be traced back to Eastern Europe. She spent a great deal of her life in Mexico having moved there with her parents at the age of 4. She has always been fascinated with monsters. Upon being asked, Grinberg blamed her parents for her interest in the monstrous. Edgar Allan Poe is no less responsible than her parents, though. One of Poe’s short stories in particular was more influential than others.
“The Masque of the Red Death was the first real interest I had in the horror genre. I read it and ... I could not sleep that night. It was awesome!” Grinberg said. Grinberg did not begin her academic career in the pursuit of monsters. After graduating high school at Bachillerato Alexander Bain in Mexico City, she attained her bachelor’s degree in social psychology from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco. She attained her master’s in women’s studies, and is a graduate of an Intensive Latin Program that was held in the summer of 2007 at San Diego State University. In 2013, she acquired a doctorate in comparative literature with a focus in medieval studies from the University of California-San Diego. Grinberg doesn’t just teach, though. She has worked as a
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translator, once wrote for a magazine as a “Dear Abby” figure while she was in Mexico, and has a number of short films listed on IMDB. Grinberg said that she teaches her Monster Studies course in three separate sections. These sections each focus on a different monster that she and a group of like-minded thinkers believe are important to history and social issues in an era. Giants, werewolves and vampires are the monsters that are being studied during her Monster Studies course. Each of these monsters can be linked to a different era and socioeconomic climate. Grinberg’s first thesis was on Bram Stoker’s well-known novel, “Dracula.” Her colleagues at San Diego State University began noticing her as the woman who studies vampires. While this was not necessarily true at the time, Grinberg said, it would become so in the future. She would continue not only studying vampires, but a variety of other monsters as well. Grinberg is also interested in the medieval encounters between the West and the East, and more specifically, religious encounters between those two worlds. She believes that monsters are a representation of political, religious and social tension of the times in which they became popular. “Dracula” is an example of this. In Stoker’s novel, Count Dracula lived on the border between Christendom and the Ottoman Empire in the region of Transylvania in Romania. “Many monsters were born within borders of physical, sociological and political ideas,” Grinberg said. “Monsters like Godzilla had an opportunity to discuss things man could not as it was too sensitive.” Godzilla was a monster that was mutated and awoken by the testing of the atomic bomb. The beast rose from the ocean to wreak havoc on Japan not long after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “Godzilla” came out in 1954, with the nuclear horrors still fresh in the mind of the Japanese public. Another example of this can be pointed out in the Soviet Red Scare during the Cold War. At the time, there were a number of movies pertaining to Mars, which is commonly referred to as a red planet. “Total Recall,” a cult classic from the ‘80s, largely took place on the fourth rock from the sun. Grinberg has collaborated with a number of other monster theorists on an organization known as MEARCSTAPA (on the Web at mearcstapa.org). The name of the organization is actually a reference to the classic monster Grendel, one antagonist in the novel “Beowulf.” “MEARCSTAPA means wanderer on the border, and can be
used to describe a number of monsters, not just Grendel in ‘Beowulf,’” Grinberg said. The mission statement on the website states that those who study monsters believe that creations of horror are a reflection of ourselves, just expressed in a manner that can be accepted by a general audience. Grinberg is certain that Monster Studies is her new favorite class to teach. Though the idea was met with hesitation at first, with enough determination and persistence a person can accomplish many things. Grinberg is many things, but a pushover is certainly not one of those. She believes that this study will help people better understand their ancestors. To really know someone, you must have a grasp of what terrifies them. “Monsters are present in every culture,” Grinberg said. “No matter what area, and no matter what era, we have always come up with things to scare ourselves at night.”
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MONSTERS ARE PRESENT IN EVERY CULTURE. NO MATTER WHAT AREA, AND NO MATTER WHAT ERA, WE HAVE ALWAYS COME UP WITH THINGS TO SCARE — DR. ANA GRINBERG
LANCE WHITE // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death” sparked Ana Grinberg’s interest in horror stories. Above, Grinberg visits Patrick Dougherty’s stickwork castle on the campus of East Tennessee State University.
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FORMER COACH HELPED BRING YOUTH SOCCER TO JOHNSON CITY BY ALEX BAKER Editor’s note: Juan Chiu died on Feb. 21 at the age of 78.
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ometimes men who played soccer for Juan Chiu as kids tell him how he inspired them. Coach Chiu, who once served as soccer coach at Milligan College, also coached youth soccer in Johnson City, Tennessee, for 35 years. “I think that one of my favorite parts of coaching is seeing former players, and they remember playing soccer for me,” said Chiu, who has seen his players become successful in professions such as law, acting and business. “One time they asked me if I want to coach the kids’ teams, but they couldn’t pay me,” Chiu said. “I don’t do that for the money, but for the satisfaction – doing something for the community.” When Chiu was dating his wife, Sylvia, they would run into former players. He would say to her, “This is my boy, this is my other boy.” “She thought, ‘Oh, my,’ and asked, “How many boys do you have?” I said, ‘Hundreds of them,’” Chiu recalled. Chiu came from Guatemala to Providence, Rhode Island in 1969 and moved to Johnson City a few years later. He worked at Kennametal until he retired in 1997. He always worked third shift so he could coach soccer during the day. He teamed up with Johnson City Parks and Recreation to help start a youth soccer league in the Tri-Cities, because he knew how important it was to start playing soccer at a very early age. Chiu said they started the league in 1977 with just four teams. Chiu coached one of the teams in those days. In the beginning he and his partners at Parks and Recreation faced many obstacles. People did not have much interest in the sport. Eugene Gillespie, who worked for the Dr. Pepper soft-drink company, gave the league shirts that he dyed
four different colors to use as jerseys. “We did not have much, but many people teamed up with us to help the league,” said Chiu. The teams didn’t have a regular soccer field. They played on a baseball field with tennis nets wrapped around two-by-fours ALEX BAKER // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN as the goal. The field was near the Johnson After 35 years of coaching, Juan Chiu still attends youth soccer games. City Housing Authority. In the housing “After a few minutes I asked, ‘Do you like to play soccer?’ He project, Chiu came across a 7-year-old boy who was chewing said, ‘Yes, I’d love it.’” tobacco. Chiu asked him: “Do you want to come every “At that time, I didn’t know much WE DID NOT day?” and the boy said “yes.” Chiu then said, “I will about chewing tobacco,” Chiu said. “I take you home and I bring you back every day on HAVE MUCH, said, ‘What are you doing?’ He said one condition. That I don’t want to see you chewing BUT MANY to me, ‘Chewing tobacco.’ I said, ‘Why tobacco.” do you do that?’ [He said,] ‘Because I PEOPLE TEAMED UP The little boy became one of the best kids Chiu like it.’ I said, ‘How can you afford to WITH US TO HELP THE coached. buy it?’ [He said,] ‘Because I like it.’ I “I used to go for him and take him to the games. LEAGUE.” said, ‘How can you afford to buy it?’ When the season was over I didn’t see him any [He said,] ‘My mama gave me money more,” Chiu said. to buy it.’ Seven years old! I said to Seven years later, Chiu saw the boy again. He — JUAN CHIU him, ‘Right! And your daddy? Your hugged his former coach and told his friends, daddy can’t say anything?’ He said, “You know something? He made me quit chewing ‘No, he’s in jail.’ tobacco.”
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2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean 21
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I THINK THAT ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF COACHING IS SEEING FORMER PLAYERS THAT REMEMBER PLAYING SOCCER FOR ME.”
PHOTO COURTESY JUAN CHIU
— JUAN CHIU
Chiu and the Falcons, a team he coached in 1987 “It was a good feeling. I am proud of that,” Chiu remembered. Chui has played soccer since he was just 3 years old, and has been involved in the game just about all of his life. He attributes much of the reason that soccer is less popular than other American sports is that kids don’t start to play at an early age, and the soccer season is a few months long as opposed to all year round, like in Guatemala. “They really have to develop the skills they need at a young age and cannot be taking months at a time off, or they will not be as good,” said Chiu. “We played soccer every day and did not care what the conditions outside were,” said Chiu, who turned semi-pro at 15 in Guatemala. When Chiu retired from coaching youth soccer he said there were around 2,000 kids in the league, but says the numbers have gone down since then because in 2006 the league started charging fees for every participant. Chiu has received many awards for his work with the youth soccer league, and one of the leagues is named after him. Roger Blakely, Johnson City Parks and Recreation director, said the city owes a great deal to Chiu. “Juan is a good friend, and has worked very hard to build a better community,” Blakely said. Because of what Chiu did to help get the
youth soccer league started, he was named to the Johnson City Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame. “Juan has done a great job with all of the work he has done with Parks and Rec, and has inspired a lot of kids while doing it,” said his friend Graham Spurrier, who worked for Parks and Recreation in the athletic department. Chiu was always patient with his players, said Sandy Czuchry of Johnson City, whose son Matt, now an actor, played on one of Chiu’s soccer teams. “He is from Guatemala, so he had the skills of a professional,” she said. “He was good at teaching the kids not just how to pass and shoot the ball, but how to play as a team.” Today Chiu works for the Tennessee Opportunities Program, which helps migrants adapt to the United States and find opportunities for work and education. This program receives grants and contracts from state and federal agencies to provide services across the state. Program staff also provide tutors for students who might be struggling in school, and provide homes and mentors for migrant students who might need them. He also hosts the “Ritmo Latino” show Sunday nights on WETS-FM, the public radio station at East Tennessee State University. He agreed to do the show under a few conditions.
One was he wanted the show to be live, which it was not at the time. “Ritmo Latino” has a Latino music format, and runs for two hours starting at 7 p.m. Chiu is retired from soccer now, but it will always remain a big part of his life. He watches games on the television every day, and listens to games broadcast in Spanish on the radio.
He still keeps in touch with a few of his former players and goes to youth soccer games when he can. Chiu recognizes that today, players have advantages that didn’t exist when he coached. “Now they travel in a bus,” he said. “Now things are easy, more easy.”
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PHOTO COURTESY JUAN CHIU
Chiu practices head shots with a young player in 1978. PAGE DESIGN // ASHLEY MILES
22 El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
Pathway to citizenship
Immigrants prepare for citizenship test with Johnson City class BY JADE DELAHOUSSAYE
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or 10 weeks last summer, six immigrants attended classes in Johnson City, Tennessee, to prepare for the United States citizenship test. Alejandra Malfovon was one of the four who graduated after completing the class. “With the class on Saturdays, it gave me time to study and prepare throughout the week,” said Malfovon. “It also helped that the class was in Johnson City so that I could attend.” Malfovon, who lives in Kingsport, works at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church. The Tri-Cities location was a better alternative for her than traveling to Knoxville, Nashville or Chattanooga, previously the nearest locations where classes are being held. The class taught students about the application for citizenship and prepared them for a citizenship interview and two tests. After paying an initial $50 fee, students received a textbook for the class, a workbook and any additional tutoring in English reading or writing. Knoxville organization Tennessee Immigrant Empowerment Solutions, or TIES, sponsored the classes.
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THE BEST THING ABOUT THE CLASSES IS THAT THEY GIVE PEOPLE CONFIDENCE TO GO THROUGH THE NATURALIZATION PROCESS.” — ALMA VÁZQUEZ
MARY ALICE BASCONI // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
Alejandra Malfovon and her daughters pose with Geri Mulligan after receiving her certificate. TIES co-founder Charles Mulligan previously worked with Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, assisting immigrants with their legal needs. TIES began holding classes in Knoxville and Chattanooga. By expanding class locations, the charity is able to reach more people in more places and help more people become citizens. Alma Vázquez is the main contact person at Catholic Charities for people who are interested in taking the Johnson City class. “This was the first year that we’ve ever done this. It started out small, but we’re hoping that the classes will grow,” Vásquez said. “The best thing about the classes is that they give people confidence to go through the naturalization process.” The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website lists
only one organization in Nashville for citizenship and legal matters in Tennessee. Catholic Charities is listed under other states, but not Tennessee, which can make it a little harder for people to find locations near them. In some states, there are no listings at all. USCIS also holds free meetings about naturalization. However, not every state has meetings, and if someone from Tennessee wants to attend, the closest session may be in a different state, such as Virginia or Kentucky. The United States Census estimated that in Tennessee alone, from the years 2009 to 2012 there was a 4.2 percent increase in foreign-born persons. In 2012, out of the 6.5 million people living in Tennessee, 291,641 people were not born in the United States.
2015 | El Nuevo Tennessean 23
According to United States Census estimates, in Johnson City the population was 65,123 in 2013. More than 8,000 of the people living in Johnson City were naturalized citizens, meaning they came from a different country and went through the citizenship process. Geri Mulligan wishes there were more opportunities to hold more classes for citizenship. “There are online classes available all over the Internet, but not every person has Internet access. Many people who we are trying to help are in certain living situations that limit their opportunities,” she said. Passionate about helping others, the Mulligans try their hardest when it comes to expanding immigration services. The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace honored the Mulligans with the 2014 Peacemaker Award for their work with immigrants. Charles Mulligan has high admiration for Catholic Charities. It is a great organization that helps those in need in different communities, Mulligan said. “And the fact that it’s a Catholic charity that opens its arms to anyone despite their religion is really what these organizations should be about,” he said. “Plus, the class is a reasonable price that covers everything they need, including textbooks.” When it comes to material covered in the class, students are provided a textbook called “Voices of Freedom: English and Civics for U.S. Citizenship.” The text is used in many classes across the country, and is praised for being easy to understand for non-English speakers. The text is also used in many government classes in high schools and middle schools. Peter Torok, a retired doctor and veteran,
was one of the teachers for the class. He worked with a student from India, Vinodchandra Patel, and another from the Philippines, Carolina Carter.
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I WANTED TO GIVE BACK. I FELT IT WAS MY DUTY TO HELP OTHERS.” – PETER TOROK
A first-generation American, Torok said his parents immigrated to the United States from Hungary. Being able to give back was what motivated him to volunteer. He recalled that the classrooms in Memorial Park Community Center were a “secure and safe learning environment” for the students. He learned a lot by teaching civics and U.S. government, and about the different responsibilities of citizenship and voting. “I wanted to give back. I felt it was my duty to help others,” said Torok. The civics portion of the test attracts the attention of many people who want a firsthand look at how difficult the test can be. To become a citizen, immigrants have to go to an interview where they answer questions about their application and personal background. In terms of government, Torok said that they would need to know the candidates for office, the two major political parties and what they stand for. They should also understand the requirements to be able
to vote. Using audio and visual tools and other technology helped Torok teach these subjects. Also, they must take an English and Civics test based on material from the textbook unless they have a waiver or are excused from taking the test. If the applicant doesn’t pass the test, they will be retested on the portion of the test that they failed between 60 and 90 days from the date of the interview. To qualify for citizenship, applicants must be permanent residents of the U.S. for at least five years, or if they are filing as a spouse of a U.S. citizen, they must be a permanent resident for at least three years. For children under the age of 18 who seek citizenship through their parents, the
requirements vary depending on when the child was born, if U.S. citizens adopted them or if the parents are already citizens. After taking the class, participants have the option to go through the full citizenship process. Not everyone decides to set up an interview and test date after the class, Vásquez said. She hopes that Catholic Charities can have more classes in 2015. Torok described his experience working with the students as very rewarding, and praises the program, saying: “It gives a legitimate pathway for immigrants seeking citizenship.” For information about the classes, contact Alma Vázquez at 328-0070, ext. 104.
MARY ALICE BASCONI // EL NUEVO TENNESSEAN
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., second from left, supported those who took the class. PAGE DESIGN // REGAN RUSSELL
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El Nuevo Tennessean | 2015
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