
by City Heights Life | March 5, 2015
Some abandoned their homes when the men with guns showed up. Some never even had homes of their own; they grew up in tents scattered throughout barren refugee camps. Many left what little they had behind to seek an education and a better future in the United States.
All are now students at Crawford High School’s New Arrival Center, which gives new immigrants a one-year crash course in English language and lessons on American culture before they are placed in standard math, science and history classes with other students their age. And their stories were highlighted during a month-long, autobiographical art show, “Hello, My Name Is,” through March 2 at Bread & Cie, a popular bakery on University Avenue in Hillcrest.
Some abandoned their homes when the men with guns showed up. Some never even had homes of their own; they grew up in tents scattered throughout barren refugee camps. Many left what little they had behind to seek an education and a better future in the United States.
All are now students at Crawford High School’s New Arrival Center, which gives new immigrants a one-year crash course in English language and lessons on American culture before they are placed in standard math, science and history classes with other students their age. And their stories were highlighted during a month-long, autobiographical art show, “Hello, My Name Is,” through March 2 at Bread & Cie, a popular bakery on University Avenue in Hillcrest.
The students come from some of the most impoverished and troubled parts of the world: Ethiopia, Yemen, Vietnam, Somalia, China, Sudan, Vietnam, Guatemala, Burma and others.
“We wanted to tell the story of their arrival and travel and how they came to be here,” said Lynn Susholtz, the North Park-based artist who led the collaboration with students and teachers at Crawford High. “It’s not well known in most of San Diego that we have so many new immigrants from all over the world. Part of the purpose is to raise the visibility.”
“We wanted to tell the story of their arrival and travel and how they came to be here,” said Lynn Susholtz, the North Park-based artist who led the collaboration with students and teachers at Crawford High. “It’s not well known in most of San Diego that we have so many new immigrants from all over the world. Part of the purpose is to raise the visibility.”