Made in America: Introduction and Chapters 1 & 2

I was so excited to find out that we would be using Laurie Olsen's book Made in America for this class! I had heard about it last semester from another student in a TESOL foundations class who was enrolled in practicum at the time, and he said that it was excellent. Two chapters in, I fully agree with him.

Although the introduction seemed a little long, it provided a good foundation for the book, including details of Olsen's theoretical background, the context and methods of her study (very anthropological in nature, ethnographic, focusing on culture, to be more specific), and information about the participants of the study. The main queestions and central issues that Olsen introduces to be discussed throughout the book include how America is understood and what it means to be American, the borders and boundaries present in social relations throughout the school (not only between the immigrants and American students, but within each of those groups individually as well), and the interpretations of experiences and encounters with each other across languages, cultures, and national identities (Olsen 20).

What I really like about this book is that it is an ethnography--real experiences about culture researched and recorded by Laurie Olsen, rather than just a book discussing methods. Being on such close terms with Olsen, the students, and the teachers gives me a very personal connection to the content and makes it more effective.

I think it is a sad reality how the ESL students do not feel that they fit in anywhere in the school. It makes me wonder what we can do as future ESL teachers not only right here, right now in our practicum to help them work with their identities and be able to co-exist with both of them, but also when we teach in the future. I think a big part of what is necessary will be the American students working with the ESL students. Perhaps if there would be a program where an ESL student would be partnered up with a few American students, or the other way around, it would be very effective for them socially in trying to work their way into the school society and not having to try to break ground on their own.