Jack talks to Asha about moving to a new school in a new country

Jack and Toni

Dear Jack,

My name is Asha and I have recently moved to Oregon from back east.  I was born in India, but have lived in the United States since I was 5.  I’m 12 now and starting a new school.  When I went to my new middle school, it was big and there were so many students.  I want to make friends, but I look different than most of them and I’m not sure how I’ll be treated.  Where I lived before there were many different nationalities and ethnicities. It was no big deal, but here it seems different.  What should I do?

Asha

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Dear Asha,

Moving can be a very difficult thing to deal with, but adding a new school and concerns about racial differences can make it seem worse than it has to be.  Try to be open to questions the other students might ask and tell them about your nationality and ethnicity.  Tell them your nationality refers to the country you were born in and are, likely, still a citizen.  Your ethnicity refers to your particular group of people who share common ancestry, traditions, language or dialect.  It’s important to not ignore or deny your peoples existence, histories and achievements. 

You might be able to use this opportunity to teach your peers about your culture.  This can help all of you to support and respect the worth of other people who may be different than you, but are as good as you.  They are your equal.  When you think of someone in this way, you pay more attention to the ways you are alike and don’t worry too much about the ways you are different.  The more we show respect to others, the more they will respect you in return.  

You can always call my mom, Toni if you would like to talk. Her phone number is: (541)734-5437 x107.

 I hope this helps you.

Jack