Immigrants' stories could inspire us

Your piece about immigrants and Christmas ["Far away from loved ones for the holidays," Opinion, Dec. 21] touched me personally (I came from Cuba years ago as an exile) and professionally.

For 28 years, I taught English as a second language in public schools and met many immigrant families through their children. While doing ethnographic studies for my doctoral dissertation, I interviewed a newcomer family from Costa Rica during the Christmas season.

The husband, wife and two small children lived in a single room. They slept in a two-tiered bunk bed, cooked from an electric two-burner portable stove, took turns eating at a small table with two chairs, and watched a TV that sat atop an old refrigerator.

The couple wished for a Christmas back home with family, food, singing and all those happy moments we all cherish during these times. The husband wanted to paint a Christmas tree on the one closet door, but knew the landlord would never allow it. The following evening, I brought them a tiny, desktop tree with little snowmen attached to it and they were delighted. We started singing Spanish carols, the children joined in, and the tiny cluttered bedroom glowed with warmth, love and sentiment.

I kept in touch with that family for years; eventually, they moved to North Carolina in search of better employment and economic opportunities. Just when I thought we'd never connect again, last Christmas the husband called to wish me a happy holiday and informed me that my little Christmas tree holds a place of honor next to the larger one in their new home. It symbolizes their hardships as they struggled to improve their lives, and serves as a reminder that everything is possible in America if you do your very best.

Alina Newman

Wantaugh