Students in the Clemente Course in the Humanities recorded the oral histories of friends or relatives as part of their literature class at East High in Salt Lake City, taught by Professor Sean Desilets and honors student Emma Metos from Westminster College's Honors Program.
Focused on the theme of "migration" in literature, these students created some of their own poetry based on these interviews. The poems speak of the separation and loneliness many immigrants feel, as well as the hope for greater opportunity in America.
Land I Am From
No Mount Everest to be found here,
But opportunity that can take you
Higher, higher than Everest
Land of opportunity, you’d be a
Fool not to take it.
Not like the land we came from
Living in bamboo and thatch
While trying to make it worth while
With what we had.
Indu Dulal, from an interview with her friend from Nepal, Krishna Dhakal
Coming to America for a Better Life
no dirt, no mud, just clean
and fresh air.
no need to worry about your
next meal
land of freedom and opportunity
success from all directions
young and free, ready to move
forward and
get on with life
I will not forget the land I
came from, it is a
part that makes me
who I am.
Krishna Dhakal, from an interview with her friend Indu Dulal
Llantos en la soledad/Cries of Loneliness
For many years, I was separated from them without seeing them.
Prisoner of my own destiny.
Doomed to endure the punishment and the cruelty of life.
Enclosed in the cell of solitude.
I demand of life: Why me? Why me?
I knew in my heart, I am innocent of all this.
Already I can't stand this punishment.
The only evil I did was love and fight for those I love.
They, innocent who paid this cruel punishment, that is my destiny.
Suffering and fighting alone against life.
Without understanding why we are condemned to this punishment, this destiny.
But always, having a hope that one day we can find freedom.
Durante muchas años, estuve separada de ellos sin poder verlos.
Prisionera de mi propio destino.
Condenada a soportar, el castigo y la crueldad de la vida.
Encerrada en la celda de la soledad.
Reclamandole a la vida: porqué yo? Porqué yo?
Sabia en mi corazón, soy inocente de todo esto.
Ya no soporto más esta condena.
El único mal que hice, fue querer y luchar por las que mas amo.
Ellos, inocentes que pagaron este cruel
Castigo que me dio el destino.
Sufriendo y luchando solos contra la vida.
Sin comprender el porqué de este maldito
Castigo que el destino nos condeno.
Pero siempre, teniendo la esperanza
Que un día nos podamos encontrar en libertad.
Nelly Rivera, from an interview with her mother
Her Story
When you are fifteen, you have your set of friends
My sister was shy
I was always outgoing
When you are new and older, it is hard to make those friends.
She was grown
And I was younger—too young to miss England
Her home, my house
We took a test
I passed
She didn’t
Five years.
Five years was all it took.
It was different for her
For me, it was all the same.
Aria Critchley, from an interview with her mother
Change is—
Change is—
Goals and plans and deadlines
and once you figure it out
(how it helps you)
change is . . .
Change is—
Traumatic and stressful and control
and once you figure it out
(once you think ahead)
change is . . .
Change is—
From Italy to the Midwest to California
and once you get there
(where you’re going to go)
change is. . .
Change is—
Security and big and real
and once you really think
(and know where you’re going)
Change is an opportunity.
Jadee Hill, from an interview with her grandmother