Photos by Manuel Martinez/WBEZ

From WBEZ Chicago 5/30/2024:

“[A] new migrant named Elizabeth…wants to learn English — so she can keep up with her kids.

Her oldest is a first grader on the Northwest Side and her youngest will soon be enrolled in preschool. She wants to learn English because she worries her children will learn at school and soon she won’t understand what they are saying.

That prompted her to register for English classes with the help of Onward Neighborhood House, a community organization in Belmont Cragin. She’s also learning new words at the fast food restaurant where she works.

“We need to be more social and not be so afraid of asking questions [in English],” Elizabeth, an asylum seeker from Ecuador, said in Spanish. She asked not to use her last name. “Most people don’t speak English because they are afraid of mispronouncing it.”

Elizabeth, like Luz, is also relying on community organizations, like Onward Neighborhood House, for help adjusting. Other asylum seekers are learning the rules of the road when driving, and their rights and responsibilities as new residents. They even learn about sensitive topics, such as sexuality and consent.

“Each [migrant] experiences their process differently, depending on the context in which each person has arrived,” said Andres Albarracin, an Onward caseworker who grew up in Colombia. He’s lived in Chicago for nearly two years and understands what it takes to adapt.”

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