Other Words for Home

One of my most passionate beliefs is that we (humanity) should always err on the side of inclusion. Let people in. Invite the girl who looks lonely to sit with you at lunch. Include the guy who smells a little funny to join your group. Invite the awkward kid to your birthday party. Ask the wallflower to dance (a policy that earned me some interesting admirers in high school, but I knew it came with the territory)! This belief has often lead me to be a single-issue voter in elections. That particular issue is immigration. Let everyone in! Allow others to find refuge here! Our lives will only be enhanced by their cultures, their languages, their talents, their religions and their backgrounds! That is probably one reason I love books about refugees coming to the United States and finding a 'new home' here.

I loved reading about Jude's experience moving from Syria to Ohio. She was honest and introspective and brave. I also loved those who did include her in genuine ways and it inspired me to look for opportunities to be more inclusive with those who may be feeling like Jude and her mom. One of Jude's safe havens in her American high school is her ESL class where there are three other students all from different countries: Grace from Korea, Ben from China and Omar from Somalia. I love how they connect so well despite how different they all are.

Some days
I still feel lost in the halls of school.
I know where I am going
but I can't shake the feeling that I won't,
that I don't,
belong in whatever classroom I end up in.

But whenever I walk
into Mrs. Ravenwood's
I feel safe.
I feel at
home. 

Ben is teaching us all
new American slang
words that he has learned. 

Boogie, he says.
Means fancy. Rich. 

Boogie? Omar says,
he pretends to dance
and then laughs.
Omar has a laugh
Like Issa's.
It makes you want to
join in. 

No, Ben says,
even though now
he is laughing too.
Boo-Gee. 

We all repeat after Ben,
the new word tasting like America
on our lips.