Editor's Note: Susan Klaw coordinates the Even Start program at Boston Excels Family School in East Boston. She also teaches ESOL there to immigrant parents from Central and South America. As part of her teaching, Susan compiled a collection of student writings into a booklet called Stories to Tell Our Children. When she read the coll for student writing in a back issue of Field Notes, she sent these stories along for publication. Susan notes:

"The Stories to Tell Our Children writings we are doing this year are those pieces of writing that students go over and compile to save and share. When we finished the booklet of student writings, parents brought their children in to class.... They read these stories together and talked about them. My goal is to encourage writing about meaningful experiences and the sharing of stories, among other things."

My First Day in Boston
By Ericka Sanchez

When I came here I didn't like it. It was cold and very different from my country. The apartment was small here and in my country there was a big house. Here I was lonely in the apartment because my uncle went to work and in my country, I always stayed home with my mother.

I was sad a lot of the time because I missed my family, but mostly my mother. I was sixteen years old. The first day here I was happy because I had a party to welcome me here. I often remember my first day because I like to remember only good news, but I don't like to remember bad news. And my first day here I felt very happy and excited too. But afterwards I felt sad and I cried a lot. I wanted to go back to my country.

But right now I like it here. I don't want to go back to my country. I just want to go to visit my parents.

My First Day in the United States
By Luz Restrepo

When I came to the United States I felt very happy because my husband stayed here eleven months before. So my daughters and I had not seen him. My older daughter was very happy to see her father, but my little daughter didn't talk to her father.

We talked every night. After two weeks, I thought a lot about my family and my country and the weather and people.

Sometimes my kids ask me if we could go to Columbia to see their grandmother and grandfather. I tell them I don't know.

My First Day in Boston
By Arnulfo Campos

When I came to the United States, in my first day I felt free because the war in my country did not give an opportunity for students to continue to progress. But I missed my friends, my girlfriend, my school, my soccer team.

When I was a child, my mother had a party on Christmas night. I missed everything that we did together. I cried a lot because I remembered my mother and missed my country. The weather here was very different too and that was difficult for me.

Now I think differently and I like everything in this country. I want to go back to my country, but just to visit my friends.

When I Discovered my Favorite Place to Live
By Cristiane Moreira

My first day in the United States was a very special day. There were six months that my children and I were far away from my husband. We arrived at 5:30 pm on January 25, 2002. Our family, my Mom, my stepfather, my sister-in-law and my husband were waiting for us. At my house we had a big party. We stayed talking, playing with the children and sometimes crying from happiness. I spend a long time together.

I felt and I feel very good here. I loved this country right away. It seemed that I was born and grew up here. My sons liked it too. In fact, nobody wanted to go back to Brazil, only for vacation. When I gave my first step in this country, I really felt very safe.

I Felt Very Bad
By Alma Barragán

I came the first day, I went to the store in the morning. I needed to b uy a cheese in the store. The guy didn't understand me. I said, "queso blanco" and more, but he said "follow me" and then he showed me one thing and another. After that, I thought about the mark in Mexico on cheeze whiz and then he said, "Oh, is this it?" and he was smiling. I was very shy. That day I felt very bad because I didn't have any sisters or brothers here. I called my mother and I cried and my mother cried too. We couldn't speak on the phone. Then my husband said, "I love you my sweetheart" and then I felt better.

A Confusing Day
By Carmen Martinez

When I first came to the United States, I was very confused because my husband stayed here, but he lived with his friends. The apartment was very small. On my first day My son and I cried. Everything was different. I slept on the sofa with my son and my husband slept on the floor.

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My First Day in the United States
By Rosa Martinez

My First Day in the United States, I was very sad because I missed my country and my family. And Elvia was five years old and she said, "Mama, I don't like this house." She cried for about one month when night came. I felt so bad and confused because everything was different from Mexico.

But now we are happy in the United States. For now, we don't plan to go back to Mexico.

My First Day in the United States
By Noemi Umana

My first day in the United States was weird because I was very sad because I left my child of two years, and my mother and my brothers and sister. But I was happy because I say my husband again.

My First Day
By Jania Pimenta

My first day in the United States I felt very happy and anxious because my son Vinicius came here seven months before me. I missed Viny a lot.

My brother and Viny came to the airport to pick me up. Viny ran and held me. He cried and I did too. After the airport, we went to my brother's house and had a big party for everybody.

The next day I went to Vinicius's school to meet his teacher and the principal of the school. Viny presented me. He said: "This is my mother." I said, "Nice to meet you. Thank you for helping my son. God Bless everybody."

My First Day in the United States
By Iraci Nascimento

My first day here I felt bad because the trees were dead, but I felt happy too because my family was together again. My husband told me that the trees didn't have leaves because it was winter time. I said to my husband, "I want to return to Brazil." My husband said, "Don't worry my love. It is your first day here. Little by little you will like it here."

But when I heard the people talking English, I felt very bad because I couldn't understand anything. I cried because I remembered my Dad and my Mom crying when I said goodbye. My kids said, "I like it here. I want to stay here." My husband was happy because my kids and I came one month later.

Now I like it here. I am very happy because my family loves it here.

My First Day in the United States
By Sonia Miranda

When I came here, I was so enchanted with this country. Everything was beautiful and organized. I felt very happy to be here. One of the reasons I was happy because I could have my family together, my husband, my son and I. I was in Brazil for seven years and my husband was here. This was very hard for me.

The first thing I did when I came here was I went for a trip. I went to the Aquarium and my son was very excited to see all the different fish they had.