My fingers crept along, slowly following the pattern–wrapping the yarn, twisting, poking, prodding. My sister’s fingers flew. “You are still there?” she would say, teasingly, every few minutes. By the time I had finished the first row, she was at the fifth, by the time I was at the fifth, she was at the fifteenth. How embarrassing. What was I doing letting my younger sister tell me what to do, act like she is better than me?! And yet, here she was. Carefully guiding me, experimenting, correcting, laughing with me, at me. Who was I to pretend that I wasn’t having fun or that she wasn’t doing a perfect job? Zoe kindly–like always–helping me with my sock on a ferry. There is usually a bizarre discomfort that older siblings have when their younger sibling–or any younger person–starts teaching them something. I feel this discomfort sometimes and try my best to fight it. My sister, Zoe, and I have a wonderful relationship. We homeschooled together for 6 years and my parents mostly decided to pull me out of school so that we could spend more time together, resulting in a close relationship between us. However, children grow up these days with a strong distinction between ages. When we start school, we are separated by age into grades, almost never crossing in between. We are led to believe that older kids learn more complicated stuff, so they must clearly be more advanced, and therefore do not need the help of younger kids. In the homeschooling world, ages interlap often. My close friend group for most of my homeschooling time was made up of kids both four years older and younger than me. We were a group of varying ages, personalities, and experiences. The differences in our ages didn’t separate us, instead it enriched our friendships. Now that I am in school, I can feel myself slipping back into the mindset that I should not hang out with kids that are a different age than me and it impacts my opportunities for friendships at school and at home. When I push myself to break the barrier of age, the different stages that the kids I meet are in and the interests that come with them push me to think harder and be more compassionate, resulting in my greater happiness. When I think of Zoe as an equal, someone who I can learn from and grow with, I find myself growing in ways that I wouldn’t normally. Our personalities and interests overlap and twist together, like knitting, making something special. I finished my sock a couple of weeks ago. It is a little crooked in some places, has holes in others, and is in no way compared to Zoe’s pairs of socks, but it carries the air of a new skill. It has reminded me that I am not stuck to people only my age, but am able to learn from everyone. My finished sock! This summer, reach out to someone younger than you and let yourself learn from them. Whether it be your younger sibling or someone else that you know, try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Happy learning!
Young Bloggers
The Refugee Children Crisis
By Sabrina Guo, 12 Until reading the recent news headlines, you may have had the impression that the refugee crisis that occurred from 2015 to 2016 was over. However, as we are quickly learning, the refugee crisis is ongoing, and not just in the United States. There has been a sharp rise in the number of people going to Europe to claim asylum, and governments within the European Union (EU) have been trying to stop any movement of undocumented migrants with their countries. The EU has done many things to stop asylum seekers, such as closing legal routes, which leads refugees to take more dangerous routes with a higher level of dependence on people smugglers. This leads states to try to crack down on refugees even harder, and the cycle is exacerbated. Also, many refugees are stuck in refugee camps, while others struggle to start a new life in places they’ve already settled in. Even though many different countries have tried to stem the flow of refugees to their countries, there are still more and more people who are trying to flee persecution in their home countries by seeking asylum in European countries and the United States. Which leads me to my next point! Did you know that there are more than 65 million people in the world who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries? And that nearly half of all refugees are children? Almost half! So when we read about refugees, we’re often reading about kids our age or the age of our siblings, cousins, and friends. This got me thinking: what are some things that a refugee child might experience when trying to migrate to our country? Sometimes, on the news, it can sound like it’s a simple, fast process to immigrate to the United States. But as I read up on the issue, I found out that it’s far from easy or quick. For example, I read this article on the International Rescue Committee website (link below) that described—in easy to understand graphics—what one family had to go through to come to the U.S. from Syria. This family lived in a conflict zone, and after the father in the family was hit in the stomach by a stray bullet, the family registered their request to leave Syria with the UN. And then they waited for three years before they heard anything back. Three years! Can you imagine waiting to hear back about whether you could leave for three years? I think about the kids in that family. The article says the parents were very scared for their children’s lives in Syria. But on a more minor level—can you imagine living your life in limbo for that long? For example, these children must not have known they would stay in the same country as the friends they were making at school. After waiting for three years, the family finally heard back from the UN, and from there, it took about eight months of interviews and processing before they were vetted and could leave Syria for America. The whole process took nearly four years! The length and difficulty of the process really struck me. And then when once a refugee family or child gets to the U.S., there’s still the process of assimilation to go through, not to mention the pain of leaving other family members, friends, and an entire way of life behind in their home country. Once in their new country, refugees often face discrimination at school or in public. For example, many people across the globe think that Syrian people are terrorists, which is not true. Syrians are against ISIS, and they do not support them. ISIS is a criminal organization, and Syrian citizens are the ones that are truly paying the price. Many refugee children need psychological support because of having suffered through terrible circumstances in their home countries, including being separated from their parents and family because of conflict, having to travel hundreds and thousands of miles in unfamiliar surroundings without the protection of their guardians. Without any support, they are in danger of being abused, treated poorly, or physically harmed. These are just some of the ways that refugee children may experience trauma. Luckily, some schools in the US have already started some programs that will help create more friendly interactions between children with different backgrounds, and help them learn about each other’s cultures. There are also many other organizations, psychologists, and artists who are working with refugee children to help them make sense of their experiences and circumstances. Certain organizations, like Another Kind of Girl Collective, hold workshops for the children in refugee camps, helping them to express themselves and their experiences through art. Other organizations, like War Child, provide education and psychological care for children in conflict zones around the world. And there also plenty of organizations and opportunities to help with the current refugee crisis in the United States. I’m including a list of links below for any readers who would like to become involved and help kids our age. If I could say anything to the children coming over to the US, I may not fully understand your struggles, but I am trying to comprehend the many hardships you may face each day. I welcome you to America, and I hope that you will enjoy settling in here. I hope you find an America that is warm and supportive of you, and I hope you will like your new home with us. The process of coming to America (with easy to understand graphics): https://www.rescue.org/article/coming-america-reality-resettlement The vetting process to come to the US: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/29/us/refugee-vetting-process.html A UNICEF study showed that half of all refugees are children: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/sep/07/nearly-half-of-all-refugees-are-children-unicef-report-migrants-united-nations Types of trauma refugee children can undergo: https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/refugee-trauma The number of refugees there in the world: https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/forced-to-flee-how-many-refugees-in-the-world Common myths about refugees: https://www.rescue.org/article/seven-common-myths-about-refugee-resettlement-united-states https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jun/05/five-myths-about-the-refugee-crisis https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-refugee-experience/201701/5-myths-about-refugees Ways you can help with the current refugee crisis in the US: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/06/18/heres-list-organizations-are-mobilizing-help-separated-immigrant-child/?utm_source=All+Volunteers&utm_campaign=0a7bde8aa8-Annual_Report_2016_General_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cf7b4c1f47-0a7bde8aa8-197492957 https://www.theyoungcenter.org/volunteer-at-the-young-center/?utm_source=All+Volunteers&utm_campaign=0a7bde8aa8-Annual_Report_2016_General_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cf7b4c1f47-0a7bde8aa8-197492957 A list of organizations that work directly with refugees: Mercy Corps:
10 Fun Things To Do This Summer
School is out and the sun is blazing hot each day. You are looking forward to some fun days since summer has finally arrived! However, there may be some days that you are feeling bored at home with nothing to do. Here are 10 fun things you can do this summer to help you get rid of this problem: Hike: This is a great way to get exercise while observing the beauty of nature! Go to the park: Parks are also a great way to get exercise. You can even invite your friends to play with you–it’s a good way to stay in touch during the long break. Go camping/glamping: Staying outdoors and living completely off the grid is another great way to have some fun this summer. If camping isn’t your thing, try glamping, which could include staying in a cabin or RV truck (these places let you enjoy nature while still having access to amenities like air conditioning, a comfortable bed, and a clean, bug-free bathroom). Volunteer: Whether at a library, the animal shelter, or a nursing home, volunteering is a great way to spend your time. It helps other people and makes you feel good inside. Look online today to find a local place that offers volunteering opportunities for kids! Visit a Museum: Museums are great places to spend your time, if not admiring famous art pieces then doing hands-on activities. You can learn so many new things while having fun. Read: Make a list of books that you want to read over the summer. You can even do a book club with your friends or participate in a summer reading challenge at a local library. Have a sleepover with your family/friends: Order some pizza, bring out the sleeping bags and watch a movie. This is a great way to have fun and bond with your family or friends! Start a big project: Choose a big project to work on by yourself, as a family, or with friends. Some examples are: building a large Lego sculpture, making a big puzzle, or even writing a book. Summer is the perfect stretch of time for you to take on a big project and be happy with the results. Learn something new: Whether it is a new language, a new skill or hobby, learning something new will make you feel proud of yourself. This can be a big accomplishment that is perfect to begin this summer. Create a summer scrapbook: Near the end of summer break, collect things that represent what you have done throughout the summer and put them together in a scrapbook. Add captions and you will have something to remember the summer by! All of these activities for the summer are great ways to spend your time instead of lying on the couch all day watching TV or playing video games. It is important to stay active and be productive for at least some days in the summer. Have a great fun-filled summer and comment down below what you are planning to do this summer. The more ideas we can share with each other the more fun we all can have!
