CHAPTER 2: Becoming American in Time?: The Educational Implications of Binary Discourse on Immigration

Rachel and I taught an entry level English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class at the Milltown Adult Education Center (MAEC) in a small city in northern New England. Our class, which fluctuated between 6 and 12 students, was largely made up of Somali refugee women who had recently resettled in Milltown. After teaching the class for a couple of months, I sat down one day to talk with Sue, the center’s coordinator. She asked how the class was going and who was attending. I explained that there was a core group of regulars and that others came and went. Some students were there waiting at 8 a.m.; others came in at various times throughout the class. Sue nodded knowingly and suggested I tell students that class starts at eight, meets every day, and that they are expected to be there on time and to attend regularly. “If you can’t do that, you can’t come to the class anymore” she instructed me to tell them. I paused at the thought of excluding women from class based on their use of time. One woman in particular came to mind.