My student

Most of my students are phenomenal individuals. To begin with, who would want to leave their country? Well, okay. But it is hard. Few of my students have connections here before they come. All of them are leaving family behind and won't see them again for years or ever. They don't fly home for Christmas. Or Ramadan. And they don't often cross the border just for kicks if they are illegal.

Last week Josefina couldn't come to class one night because she took her daughter to the hospital. Tonight I asked her how her daughter was doing. Her daughter is 18 months old and had a rash all over her torso. She got some medicine, and she's doing a bit better. Oh, but she's 43 pounds. I just have to stop after typing that. Josefina lives with her parents, who feed her children constantly. They themselves eat constantly as well. Her son is 8 and wears size 16. Oh I'm so sad.

It happens often that people who grow up without enough food to eat, later can't stop eating when there is money to buy enough. Foster children commonly horde food. There are other factors. Most immigrants gain weight when they move to America, no matter how wealthy they were in their former country. American food simply isn't as healthy as the offerings elsewhere and no one expects it. Then there's depression. Depression is an expected cycle in culture shock. And so many of us handle depression by eating.

I talked to Josefina about getting her parents to stop feeding her children. But she has to live with them. Her husband has been arrested and will be deported soon. He abused her, and this woman had the guts to call 911 even though her parents told her not to. She herself could have been deported. Instead, there is a woman who accompanied Josefina to court and will help her to apply for a visa since she has been abused.

Josefina comes to class without fail. Tonight she told me that when she came to class her first night, her face was still puffy from the abuse, but she decided not to care because she wants to learn English so badly. Her son needs her help with his homework, and she's doing her darnedest.

There's just no way I would have this kind of determination in life. Well, there was that time when I sat beside my daughter's box in the hospital, shoving my breast in her face till she stopped breathing. But, aside from that, I can't fathom what Josefina lives with.

I've also been pondering lately the effects of moving. Josh and I are crabby, but don't tell him I said so. Moving is unsettling. And, oh, that period of time where we were wondering if our house really was going to be closing and whether we really were going to be moving? Ah! Illegal immigrants are in a new country. Generally (but not always), they are unskilled laborers who don't speak the language. They are unwelcome. And they never know when they might be deported. Or, someone in their home might be deported. Perhaps the breadwinner. It's stressful. It causes depression. It's a condition ripe for abuse within families. And here's Josefina saying, "Damn it. I don't care if my husband beats me or what I have to put up with to avoid it, I'm going to learn English so that I can help my children."

God bless Josefina.