Perspective

     With four fifth graders at Noble Academy I'm reading a book about a young Cambodian girl, who,  with her uncle and aunt, fled the Khmer Rouge take over of her county, to America.  The family has settled in Oregon and Sundera is now a high school student.  She's caught between friends at school with American ways and the severe aunt who feels it's her duty to hold Sundera to Cambodian values. The aunt doesn't like much of what she finds in America.  However, one day in discussion with her husband the topic of "2nd wives"  in Cambodia comes up. "That" she says "is one thing I like about America, a man can only have one wife."
    We stopped reading for a moment to discuss the idea of a "second  wife".  The girls were aghast at the idea. I turned to the boys for  their opinion and "C", who always has an opinion about everything, quickly spoke.  "It would be great to have more than one wife if they can cook."  He's the same student who was only interested in what the food was in a girls basket at a basket social.  Ah, yes, age ten...perspective will soon change.
   The struggles Sundera faces is much like the earlier Hmong refugees faced. Those struggles have already become remote for these students.  They're dimly aware that their grandparents had some difficulty adjusting to life in America but they are totally American in their self-identity.

Keo Kalia Yang's book about her father The Song Poet is a beautiful and touching story of  one man's journey from the mountains of Laos to Minnesota.