Addendum to 1/17/07
I asked Alesia to write an essay on what she would tell her little brother about America, things she wished someone had told her. Her essay was really interesting, I thought. I reproduced it below exactly as she wrote it. I should warn you – she had only seen a black person [in person] once or twice in her entire life before she came here. She is not prejudiced.
“It would be good to tell Igor about school, people, and
animals. The things that no-one told me about are that I would make a lot of
friends, that there are going to be black people.
I think Igor should know that he has to bathe every day –
doesn’t matter if it is in the morning or night. Igor will have everything that
he wants, and we will love him a whole bunch, no matter what.
He should know that language probably is not going to be easy.
Igor might be surprised when he will see black people. I
was. He will have to get used to American black people. The people are really
nice to each other.
Animals don’t run by themselves outside, as they do in
Russia. We also don’t put animals outside and leave them there. [She means dogs
and cats.]
We don’t talk loud in the house. Children have to obey their
mothers. Kids don’t run in the house. They don’t play with their food when they
are eating. Good manners always have to be known. The bed has to be made up in
the morning. The room should always at least be clean.
There is more to know about American rules, mothers, animals, schools, and a lot more. When Igor comes to America he will learn everything there is to know.”
