my microcosm america

had to do a citizenship project in american heritage. here is the end result. {wish i had a picture, but it's against the rules.}

going twice a week to sunset view elementary's after-school program, i volunteered in kindergarten and first grade. the student-run program was already equipped; they didn’t need volunteers in the small classes. most days i spent simply sitting with the students. other days i passed out crayons or perhaps read a story. but what i learned was far more valuable than playing an authoritative role in the program. the classrooms where i spent just 2 hours a week, a mere 15 hours for the semester, encapsulated what it means to be an american. it seems the roof over sunset view elementary is indeed big enough for every child to feel comfortable.

each student received a piece of paper that said "I AM SPECIAL," with instructions to draw a self-portrait. as i passed out handfuls of crayons, i gathered an assortment of colors to better fulfill the creativity needs of the kids. in my naiveté, i was careful to include a peach in each bundle. i didn't even look up until a certain request repeated several times in my ears: "i need a brown!" not only was i extremely callow and unaware, but there was also only one brown crayon in the entire classroom. miss smith, the teacher, and i laughed as i mentioned it. the class population of hispanics, nearly 75%, would have to share one brown crayon to properly draw a picture of them. it was an eye-opener to me. i realized that simply because i grew up using a peach-colored crayon to draw myself, doesn't constitute peach as the color of skin for everyone in america, nor everyone in a tiny classroom in provo, utah. blonde-haired, blue-eyed elleny, who was determined to draw herself in a belly-button-revealing shirt, thought nothing of sitting next to emmy, who insisted on a brown crayon, not a black or orange one.

later, samantha called me over for help. she asked me to help her write, "when I grow up i want to go to BYU." this simple sentence embodies american ideology that all children can do precisely whatever they set their mind to. even though the after school program only accepts students who need extra academic help, samantha has just as much chance as the next applicant to get into the school of her dreams.

after all the kids were gone one day, a group of teachers and I were talking. they all came to a consensus that salbador and drake were a most unexpected pair of best friends. i smiled and wondered why that is. it may be unexpected because salbador is hispanic and drake is white, or perhaps it’s because salbador is sweet and sensitive, while drake is strong and assertive. but i don’t think their friendship is unlikely at all; it makes perfect sense. because each time the tears well up in Salbador's eyes because he cannot draw the tic-tac-toe game, drake patiently shows him how and says, "see! it's easy." to them, they have no differences, only friendship.

the week before thanksgiving break, asking the kindergarteners their favorite thanksgiving food, i shouldn’t have been surprised to hear "quesadillas!" as ana's. it was the ultimate manifestation of hector st. jean de crevecouer's 'new race of men'---where individuals of all nations are melted together to create a unique product. my experience volunteering with TOPS was representative of america as a whole. american ideology, combined with the variety of races, cultures, and skin colors provides a roof wide enough to cover all these children. my experience allowed me to observe a microcosm that embodied American ideals, culture, and people.