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august 2020
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was recently in the headlines again as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the deportation of individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children. With August being back-to-school month, our children’s education and well-being is on our minds even more than usual, and this new ruling on DACA gives us much more to think about. The DACA program provides hope for so many immigrants but also consists of strict guidelines that cause many to question the program. When it was established by the Obama administration in 2012, the ultimate purpose of the program was to help those immigrants brought to the U.S. without any ability to control their arrival here. That denotation mainly falls to children still under their parents’ care — children who have grown up like any other young citizen of the United States. Applicants in the DACA program must be able to show that they arrived in this country prior to their 16th birthday and are younger than 31 years old at the time of their application. They also must have been in or graduated from high school or received their GED in the U.S. Finally, they need to have lived in the country for at least five years and must have not committed any serious crimes during that time. When you step back and look at these requirements, the morality guage does seem to tip quite a bit; there are many natural-born citizens of our country who come nowhere close to meeting these requirements, and yet their status remains unthreatened. Although it might be easier to feel bitter about the rules surrounding the DACA application, the reality is that this program creates an astounding opportunity that gives hope to so many people. It gives kids who are now young adults (or even middle- For Now, DACA Is Here to Stay Let’sTakeAdvantage oftheIncredible OpportunityItOffers
aged adults) the ability to not worry about being removed from the home they’ve always known. It relieves the stress of simply being pulled over for a speeding ticket because it provides protective documentation and gives a previously unknown peace of mind — and in my opinion, that makes this program an incredible one. Many applicants of DACA have been told for their entire lives that they’re unwanted or illegal, even though they’ve grown up here, gone to school here, and contributed to their communities here. They’ve been instilled with the same passion for their country that every child is instilled with from the moment they first put their hand over their heart during the Pledge of Allegiance in school. These children- turned-adults are called “dreamers” for a reason: they have big plans for their lives in the United States, just like most of us do. Even though the recent Supreme Court ruling protects DACA for now, it also puts us into uncharted territory. Without Congress passing legislation that can’t be altered from administration to administration, we can’t know how long DACA is here to stay. But if we look at how far things have come, we can remain hopeful that this reform will continue making positive strides. DACA empowers multitudes of people to feel safe while living and working in this country. It helps them realize they have a voice and a name — that they are not “an illegal.” It makes protective status possible. DACA presents an incredible journey for people,
and now that we can, we’re ready to start putting in new applications. DACA can be a game-changer, so don’t wait to play. We certainly won’t.
–Hillary Walsh
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You Can’t Delay Education
Food for Thought The Incredible Story of Zen Buddhist Chef Jeong Kwan
3 Free Resources for Schooling at Home
August is usually back-to-school month, but in light of health concerns surrounding COVID-19, it’s hard to know what to expect for the upcoming school year. As a safety precaution, many districts across the country have decided to extend school closures, and there’s no telling when students will go back again. But just because schools are closed doesn’t mean education should stop. Here are three great FREE resources for keeping up on your kids’ education at home. EVERFI If you’re looking for some great general education courses for elementary, middle, and high school students, Everfi is a resource that has something useful for everyone. Their variety of online curriculum strives to create real-life scenarios in an educational context that keep students engaged and allows them to learn at their own pace. They even offer courses you wouldn’t find in a normal school setting — like financial education for the future. Visit Get.Everfi.com/k12-remote- learning to see if your child’s school qualifies for free lessons. ABCYA All different types of education are important, but if your child has primarily used school as a resource for learning English as a second language, then they just can’t wait until it’s back in session. That’s why free websites like ABCya.com are such great resources. The site may be mainly built for kids from pre-K to sixth grade, but it can be a fun and useful site for anyone trying to learn. They offer an array of games to practice spelling, phonics, pronunciation, writing, and other educational lesson topics as well. GED.COM High school isn’t always the right fit for everyone, but the knowledge and recognition that comes with completing it is necessary and is also a requirement for applying at DACA. Luckily, earning a GED, or high school equivalency certification, is a great alternative for those who are unable to attend or graduate high school. If you or your child are eager to start preparation toward getting a GED, then the official GED website is a great resource for free study guides, practice tests, and any other information you may need about the process. Education is too important to stay at a standstill, and with free resources like these, there’s no reason you shouldn’t encourage your child to make the most of these formative learning years.
One of the world’s greatest chefs can’t be found in a restaurant. Instead, she serves fellow nuns and occasional visitors in a Zen Buddhist monastery in Korea. To fully describe the incredible success of Jeong Kwan, you must first consider a factor that Western cuisine has ignored for millennia. While most people would assume Korean food is all about its famed barbecue, another pillar of the culture goes largely unacknowledged: Korean temple cuisine, which originated in the country’s Buddhist monasteries. A philosophy of Zen Buddhism is to not crave food and satisfy yourself only enough to be prepared for meditation, so you might think that flavor would be of little consequence in a monastery’s kitchen. However, you’d be wrong. The West’s perception of Korean temple cuisine was challenged shortly after Eric Ripert visited Kwan’s monastery and experienced her cooking during a trip to Korea. Ripert invited Kwan to New York City to prepare food in a private room at Le Bernardin, where she sent global shockwaves through the entire fine cuisine community. New York Times writer Jeff Gordinier described her plates as “so elegant, they could’ve slipped into a tasting menu at Benu or Blanca” and her flavors as “assertive,” all while being vegan. More and more critics realized that Kwan’s combination of foraging, fermenting, dehydrating, and cooking by season was not a modern practice. In fact, Zen Buddhist monks like Kwan mastered cooking in this tradition hundreds of years ago. “With food, we can share and communicate our emotions. It’s that mindset of sharing that is really what you’re eating,” Kwan says at the start of her titular episode of Netflix’s documentary series “Chef’s Table.” She continues, “There is no difference between cooking and pursuing Buddha’s way.” Whether for enlightenment or simply connecting with friends and family, sharing home-cooked meals can be an emotionally restorative experience as much as it is nourishing. This month, indulge in something special and homemade or try your hand at Korean temple cuisine by Googling some of Jeong Kwan’s recipes.
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Meet Itzel Bailon Her Experience is Your Experience
years old. “On one hand, I was excited because we were able to start living a better life,” she says. “But on the other hand, I was terrified. Starting at a new school where you don’t know how to speak the language of your peers is really hard. It feels like you’re always being looked at.” But it didn’t take long for Itzel to work toward the life she wanted for herself. Now, she’s helping others through similar situations. “I love what I do because I get to help people who are going through some of the same things I went through,” Itzel says. “I know how they feel, and why they’re confused or scared, so I know how to help.” When it comes to DACA, Itzel’s sentiments match our own. “DACA was an incredible program for me, and I know it can be for others too,” she says. “I get so much joy from helping people through the process, and seeing the change they experience when they qualify and no longer feel like they have to hide. They finally get to live the life they’ve dreamed of, and that’s an incredible thing to be a part of.” Itzel now has three kids of her own: a young daughter and two twin boys. Her life is filled with nonstop activity and love, and that’s the life she strives to help create for others. We’re honored to have Itzel’s incredible experience and passion on our team.
Itzel Bailon came to New Frontier with more than six years of experience working in immigration law. She started as a paralegal and case manager when the pandemic temporarily closed our office doors, and for the average person, that can be a challenging situation — but Itzel is no stranger to challenge. “I’m both an immigrant and a recipient of DACA,” Itzel reveals. “I come from a family of six kids where our single mother tried to raise us in Chihuahua, Mexico. The violence in the area was getting so horrible that my mother decided it was no longer safe to continue living there.” Itzel was brought to live in Arizona when she was just 8
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The Story of Zen Buddhist Chef Jeong Kwan
3 Free Educational Resources to Try at Home Itzel Bailon Knows What You’re Going Through The Best Activities for Helping Kids Cope With Stress
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Help Your Kids Handle Stressful Situations With These Sensory-Rich Activities
can help your little one connect their body to their immediate surroundings and the larger world around them.
You can see it happening, almost in slow motion: Your child goes from playing and laughing to frowning in less than a second. They start to cry, and suddenly, a meltdown is underway. Is this just the way raising young kids is? Does a lack of sleep, change in routine, or intense hunger always have to lead to a meltdown? While it’s human to feel emotions and express them, you can use certain strategies to help your child navigate major emotions and calm down. The key is helping them tap into their central nervous system with activities that engage their senses.
Here are some sensory-rich activities that can help kids feel calmer in stressful times:
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Make a pile of pillows and jump into it.
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Put on some fun music and dance.
• Bounce your little one on your lap or an exercise ball.
• Take them for a spin around the house in a box or laundry basket; kids can even race each other. • Create a slide by propping a mattress or exercise mat against the couch. These are activities you can use right where you are to help your child find their calm again, even in a meltdown. According to early childhood development expert Alyssa Blask Campbell, sensory input stays in the system for about two hours, meaning even just five minutes of these types of activities can give you and your child hours of calm throughout the day.
Just like adults, younger kids sometimes need support to regulate their emotions, especially in situations that are stressful for them. That’s where activities that engage the five senses can be really beneficial. Sensory activities that utilize the five senses
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