DAI NGO / SACRED HEARTS ACADEMY Senior Alice Thieu helps her father, Loi, as he reads the newspaper. Thieu, who is bilingual, frequently helps her parents with translations. Students admit that it is difficult at times to cope with the reversal of parental roles.

Role reversal

The language barrier hits home for
students with immigrant parents

School is tough enough for the average Hawaii student, but for students who have immigrant parents, it is often twice as hard.

Since their parents frequently have difficulty with the English language, these students must serve as translators and interpreters and often assume various other parental responsibilities.

Sacred Hearts Academy Name Ka Leo Faculty adviser Gaylen Isaacs Editor Mary Catherine Lennon Address 3253 Waialae Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816 Head of School Betty White Phone number 734-5058 Nickname Lancers Colors Gold and white Enrollment 1,110

Seniors Alice Thieu and Dai Ngo, members of the National Honor Society, club presidents and avid participants in community service projects, can relate to these challenges.

"My parents aren't fluent in English, and since I was in junior high, I have been responsible for paying the bills," Thieu said. "Often, I translate and explain to my parents what must be done.

"For instance, I am taking care of all the details to get financial assistance for college next year; the process is too difficult for my parents."

At times, students admit that it is a bit overwhelming to cope with the reversal of roles.

"My classmates don't deal with paying bills or explaining their own report cards. In some of my more honest and exhausted moments, I often wish I were a normal teenager with normal responsibilities," Ngo said. "Accepting these responsibilities, however, has become a way of life. That's just the way it is."

College counselor Randall Fong added: "The language barrier immigrant families encounter is not always a bad thing. It forces students to become self-reliant and independent at a young age. The additional responsibilities teach persistence, diligence and the determination to succeed as they learn self-confidence and assume even greater responsibilities than classmates."

Ngo said that her parents' inability to speak or understand English has affected many aspects of her life.

"While other kids get homework help from their parents, I have to think of creative ideas for projects and papers without their input or helpful advice," she said.

Immigrant parents' transition to America and having to start over often takes its toll on children who grow up in Hawaii.

"Before my parents immigrated to America, my dad was a medical doctor," Thieu said. "However, his education and training do not count here. Now, to support our family, both my parents work at the swap meet at Aloha Stadium selling T-shirts on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, the only days that it's open."

ALICE THIEU / SACRED HEARTS ACADEMY Mentor David Choy, husband of economics teacher Lurline Choy, works with senior Dai Ngo as they prepare for the 2004-05 High School Business Plan Competition in May. The program promotes entrepreneurship in Hawaii and provides secondary students with hands-on, professional experience.

A typical day at the swap meet entails "waking up at 4 in the morning, setting up stalls, selling for eight hours and then going home around 5 or 6 at night," Thieu said. "It's an unstable job, but it's the only way that we can afford to pay the bills. Even my studying revolves around this family business.

"However, all the hard work and sacrifices I have made to help my parents with their business have made me realize their courage to uproot their own lives and move to another country to provide a better life for my siblings and me," said Thieu, who has a GPA of 4.19 and dreams of going to Harvard University and majoring in East Asian studies. "I am grateful every day for their sacrifice."

Marked differences in social values, especially those in Asia, also create a rift, as some first-generation immigrant students try to fit in to their new culture while remaining loyal to parents and their ethnic culture.

"I often feel culturally torn," Thieu said. "My parents have tried to enforce many of their own Vietnamese values on me. Teen activities such as going to proms, dating or even hanging out at the mall are not allowed. Yet, I'm thankful for all the opportunities I have; my life is so good."

Ngo agreed. "Simple things like drinking sodas or speaking English at home are discouraged," she said. "Sometimes my mother just calls them 'silly,' but at other times she gets angry that I'm not more 'Vietnamese.' Still, I don't stress about this because that's the way it is at our house."

Immigrating to America
gives student new horizons

The struggles of immigrant students in the United States can only be expressed by those who have had the experience.

XinWei "Mary" Ye, originally from the Shandong province of China, entered an international boarding school in Shenzhen during junior high because her parents felt she would get a better education there.

At 14, Ye entered a foreign exchange program, which allowed her to travel for a month to America.

"Before my trip to America, I wasn't a very good student," Ye said. "I did not care much for studying because my parents, who were very busy with their seafood company, never pressured me to do outstanding work; but after seeing my host family in Los Angeles diligently working to fulfill their dreams, I realized that I had to work harder."

Upon returning to Shenzhen, Ye's attitude changed. "My trip to America was a turning point in my life," Ye said. "I began to study hard and get involved in many extracurricular activities such as the Olympic physics and math teams."

Granted a year's visa to study in the United States at 15, Ye applied to the National Open Door program, which placed her as a freshman in an American high school in Illinois. She traveled by herself.

"I asked to be placed somewhere cold and snowy, but as the only Asian student in the entire school, I felt lonely and lost. I cried when I thought about my family back home, but my goal of getting a good education to get into an American college kept me from going back to China."

After six months, exhausted from the challenges of Illinois, the cold and small town life, Ye was sponsored by a family friend to come to Hawaii, where she completed her freshman year at Kapolei High School.

Transferring to Sacred Hearts Academy as a sophomore was another difficult transition.

"I like this school because it is well organized and welcoming. It is really tough because the workload is heavy and everyone seems so smart. However, the other girls inspire me to do well in my school work," Ye said.

Working diligently, Ye has taken on challenging classes as a junior, including Advanced Placement U.S. History. She has a cumulative GPA of 3.93.

"I take the hardest classes the school offers because I want admittance into an excellent American college," said Ye, who dreams of going to an Ivy League college to become an engineer or a stockbroker.

Now, barely 17 years old, Ye has dreamed big and has met head-on every challenge as she traveled alone to a foreign country to fulfill her dreams.

"How can you make
a difference in
people’s lives?"

Sabrina Hays
Senior
"I love people and therefore plan to become a nurse. My dream is to one day work with people in a Third World country. I can ease pain and suffering, and I help them live healthier and happier lives."

Leah Fukuyama
Senior
"Although just spending an hour and a half every Wednesday may seem insignificant, being a Big Sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters makes a positive impact on a little girl's life."

Nicole Flores
Sophomore
"As a future teacher, I am going to be a good role model to my students. I want to help them be better people, not just good in school."

Madison Brooke
Junior
"In the turmoil of today's world, we often think that there is no way to make a difference. In truth, by listening and being aware of what occurs around us, we can know what is wrong to fix. Awareness and action are what will make a difference to the world."

Samantha Niver
Freshman
"I can make a difference in the world by working hard in school to become a doctor. I will offer my services to people less fortunate because all people deserve proper health care regardless of their financial status."