St. Patrick School students celebrate 'Immigrant Day'
By Joe Winter
Catholic Herald correspondent
HUDSON -- On Immigrant Day at St. Patrick School in Hudson, fourth grade students and parents role-played to demonstrate how tough it was for "huddled masses" to gain entry to the United States.
The annual project highlights immigration in the 1890s and organizers said the recent national debate over illegal immigrants made it especially topical this year.
Held on March 31, Immigrant Day fits naturally into the curriculum, according to teacher Terri Bekkum, as the students study the history of Wisconsin.
Bekkum and other teachers incorporate the experience of all major ethnic groups in the state, but especially those of individual students -- some of whom patterned their responses based on their family history.
"Some (immigrants) had heard that the streets, or at least the sidewalks, would be paved with gold," Bekkum said. "They then saw that they were just made of dirt, like back home. They were shocked."
Parents played inspectors and asked immigrants about their physical and mental health -- which could land them in infirmaries or detention centers -- and were encouraged to emphasize the language barrier for the sake of realism. Other queries were about legal issues and intelligence. For instance, were immigrants smart enough to be productive United States citizens?
"It's good that the students could see how frightening it was (for immigrants)," Bekkum said. "There was the possibility they could be detained, or might not be allowed to enter."
If a student playing a role was "detained," he or she was sent to a familiar place for troublemakers -- the principal's office. A century ago, two out of 10 were denied entry into the United States and these would-be immigrants had to return to their own countries.
When one family member was denied entry, the chances for the rest of the family may have been reduced. For example, if an immigrant child was deaf, his lack of speech was determined to mean lack of intelligence and he wouldn't make the cut. The mother then had to decide whether to go on with the rest of her family or return to her home country with her son.
"We hope what they take away from this is the human drama," Bekkum said, "and the beauty of all the different cultures."
The project also included study of the contributions made by immigrants and research into where immigrants settled in the United States.
Students study not only the history of the state and country, but also their own family history, because they'd be asked about it as they role-play.
"They might be asked where they are from, or where they are going, or about their relatives or their age," Bekkum said. "If there is hesitancy in their answers, there may be problems."
The ease of gaining entry to the United States was never consistent. At times, Eastern Europeans were considered undesirable.
"It was hard work for (the immigrants), but for so many of them it became a better life," Bekkum said.
More than 24 parents helped with the dramatization and Principal Mary Piasecki also took part. She was given the role as the Statue of Liberty.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006