Immigrant Heritage Month: Nancy

Nancy emigrated from the Dominican Republic with her family when she was 13 years old. Nancy and her family lived comfortably in the Dominican Republic, but they came to the United States to be together and take advantage of the career opportunities offered to her father.

Nancy was placed in an English Language Learner (ELL) class with other immigrant children, excluded from English-speaking peers. She quickly learned English and found friends and community through volleyball.

As one of few recent immigrants at her school, Nancy faced severe bullying. Her classmates would tell her to go back to her country and teased her daily. She was afraid to speak up because she assumed that was just “the ways things are” in her new country, and that no one would listen to her or care. One day after school, she was beaten so badly by a group of her classmates that she was hospitalized. She has lasting neurological effects from the incident.

Although Nancy had a challenging start in the United States, she learned from her experience and is determined to make sure other children don’t become bullies, or victims of bullies, themselves. Studying alongside immigrants from many different countries made it important for her to make sure her children respect people from all different backgrounds. She emphasizes to her children the importance of treating people with kindness and empathy.

As a member of MAC’s Parents Concerned About Autism in Lawrence group, Nancy also connects with other immigrant and Latinx families in her community and helps them know their special education rights and advocate for their children. She is proud to be part of a group that makes immigrants feel welcome.

Sharing some parts of Dominican culture with her children has been difficult due to their disabilities. Nancy’s children have food sensitivities that make the flavors and spices in Dominican food difficult to enjoy, but she has found other ways to celebrate Dominican culture. Nancy’s children love listening to Dominican music and looking at pictures she shares of the beautiful beaches and festive parties from “back home”.

Nancy hopes to visit the Dominican Republic with her children one day and show them in person the “happiness” that she says defines Dominican culture for her and makes it so beautiful.