Chapter 6: Puerto Rico

Yajaira is a nine-year old girl who migrated from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to Providence, Rhode Island three years ago. Her fourth-grade social studies class is exploring family histories through group inquiry. It’s Tuesday morning and children are working in small groups, thinking about issues they would like to address and structuring their work plan. Ms. Carver, the teacher, is walking around the room, gently approaching the groups to listen, answer questions, and offer suggestions. She hears Yajaira sharing with her peers that the first time she flew on a plane was to move to Rhode Island in the summer after finishing first grade. “I was excited to be in a plane, but a little scared at the beginning,” Yajaira confessed. Ms. Carver mentioned that family migrations are very important dimensions of family histories and that it seemed very appropriate for their project. She suggested including in the research the challenges that Yajaira’s family might have faced to receive permission to enter the U.S. Although Yajaira didn’t remember any family conversations regarding “permission to enter the U.S.,” she agreed.