Theme for English B by Salam Girmay

Mr. Terry said,

Go home and write
a page tonight
And let that page come out of you--
Then, it will be true.

I wounder if it’s that easy?
I am seventeen, the immigrant student, born in Ethiopia.
I went to church everyday there, then I would be so peaceful and happy, then here
I am going to church two days per week on the corner of 43rd Minnehaha Ave
I wake up at 05:00am and back at 12:00am from church
sit down in front of my computer, and write this page:

It’s not easy to know or describe how immigrant students feel
at seventeen, my age. But I  guess I’m what
I feel and see and hear, Ethiopia and Minnesota, I miss you:
see you, hear me -- we two -- you, me, talk on this page.
Well, I like to pray, be  thankful, respect, share, and love.
I like the coffee ceremony with neighbors,
or dance and sing Abeba Yosh for Ethiopian new year.
I like to volunteer in my community and play in snow.
I guess being immigrant doesn’t make me not like
the same things other students like who are other races or white.
Being me, it will not be American
But it will be
a part of you, teacher
you are American and my teacher
You are partly of my educator and home, I am a partly your child.
I am partly the next educator.