Another type of Pilgrim
Did you ever read Molly's Pilgrim as a child? It's a beautiful story of a Russian Jewish child trying to fit into her new American classroom. When the teacher asks the children to create a "pilgrim" or "indian" for a Thanksgiving diorama, she and her Mother create their own idea of a "pilgrim".
How Many Days to America? is another favorite book which reminds us that people still seek refuge in America.
The immigrant community is not very visible in our part of Vermont, however many Cambodians have settled in the Burlington area. Two stunning, gruesome, and difficult books that I've read about this community are First They Killed My Father and Lucky Child by Loung Ung who escaped the Killing Fields and came to Vermont.
Like Molly's Pilgrim for the girls, these books were important for me to read as it showed me how important it is to understand the cultures of refugees if we are to help them and truly see them.
I remember Molly's Pilgrim...I think my sister was reading it and I snagged it from her! ;)
Interesting book selections! Our neighborhood is suprisingly rich with people from all over the world (college town!), and we have MANY neighbors from all over the world. It is great...
Thanks for the book rec's...
It always surprises me when I remember that I am a first-generation American on my mom's side, because she was born in China. And then I have other ancestors who came here in the 1600s. What an amazing country we live in!
During the time that we lived in Sacramento, a large community was set up for arriving Hmong refugees there. We also had a lot of Ukrainian and Russian immigrants, and of course Hispanic laborers. Then in New York there were large Haitian and Ecuadorean communities in our town. Now we're in Idaho, which is pretty homogeneously white, except for the huge Shoshone Bannock reservation that surrounds us. Another kind of refugee in our history.
I miss the college town that I used to live in for the same reason that Denise mentioned...it was fun to meet people from all over the world. I'm interested in reading these books.
Thanks for sharing those books! A great new angle on this time of year!
And I LOVE that skirt you made below!!!!!
Well where have I been. Ive never even heard of Molly Pilgrim! I need to get on the stick and read some Thanksgiving books to my kids.
We have Molly's Pilgrim waiting patiently in our Thanksgiving book pile - and now I'm more eager than ever to share it with the kids. Thanks for the suggestions!
I will have to look for Molly Pilgrim at the library today (if it stops snowing/slushing outside).
Happy Thanksgiving!
Although I've never left a comment, I've been enjoying your blog. My 8-year-old daughter just read "Molly's Pilgrim" in school and we spent two evenings making pilgrims and 'Indians' from clothes pins. The story made quite an impression on my daughter. It's nice to see others have had the same experience.