Celebrating My Cultural Roots

This journal was created with twenty-two, fifth grade ESL students from ten different countries. Each student wrote about their culture and their experience with coming to the United States and in doing so have acted as ambassadors for both countries. Celebrating My Cultural Roots was created to help bridge some of the gaps with ethnic understanding. This body of work is by multi-ethic fifth grade students from the Irwin Jacobs Elementary School in New Bedford, Massachusetts. These young folks created stories about their lives in America, including their dreams of who they are becoming as they grow. These young people worked together and supported each other to complete their stories, thereby fostering pride of culture and self-esteem. At the completion of their efforts in this journal, they found themselves empowered as writers and producers of stories, reflecting their local to global communities. Please, share this work with a friend or family member who needs help finding their way.