Despite the pandemic and travel restrictions from many countries, Au Pair in America has been bringing new girls into the US weekly. In New Canaan we welcomed FIVE new arrivals at our most recent cluster meeting!
Category Archives: Cultural Exchange and Adjustment
New Canaan Au Pairs Volunteer!
Despite the pandemic, Au Pair in America au pairs in New Canaan found ways to help those less fortunate among us and give back to the community that has welcomed them so warmly.
In September, Staying Put in New Canaan asked for help decorating face masks to be included in food baskets being delivered as part of it’s Celebration of Generations virtual luncheon. Au pairs in New Canaan volunteered to decorate 60 of the white cotton masks. An international group from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Peru, New Zealand, Germany, Colombia, Latvia, South Africa and Poland participated.
During the month of November, the group participated in an individual Turkey Trot 5K and raised $310 which was donated to the CT Food Bank. We celebrated doing good for others while promoting healthy habits.
To add cheer to the holidays for New Canaan’s elderly residents, au pairs decorated dozens of hand made cards that were distributed along with poinsettias and cookies to Staying Put in New Canaan clients. During virtual meetings in December, the girls shared holiday traditions and recipes from their home countries, promoting the cultural exchange which is the heart of the au pair program.
July 4th
Independence Day, or July 4th, commemorates the day the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. It is a day of celebration, relaxation and hopefully safe times with family and friends. Often, this day is focused on BBQs and fireworks. To learn more about the historical context, read on.
Abraham Lincoln: https://www.nps.gov/liho/learn/historyculture/declaration.htm
Now, my countrymen, if you have been taught doctrines conflicting with the great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence; if you have listened to suggestions which would take away from its grandeur, and mutilate the fair symmetry of its proportions; if you have been inclined to believe that all men are not created equal in those inalienable rights enumerated by our chart of liberty, let me entreat you to come back. Return to the fountain whose waters spring close by the blood of the Revolution. Think nothing of me – take no thought for the political fate of any man whomsoever – but come back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence. You may do anything with me you choose, if you will but heed these sacred principles. You may not only defeat me for the Senate, but you may take me and put me to death. While pretending no indifference to earthly honors, I do claim to be actuated in this contest by something higher than an anxiety for office. I charge you to drop every paltry and insignificant thought for any man’s success. It is nothing; I am nothing; Judge Douglas is nothing. But do not destroy that immortal emblem of Humanity – the Declaration of American Independence.
Frederick Douglass –Frederick Douglass was a fiery orator and his speeches were often published in various abolitionist (anti-slavery) newspapers. His well-known speech presented in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852, is often studied in literature classes today. Douglass moved to Rochester in 1847, when he became the publisher of The North Star, an abolitionist weekly. There were approximately 500 attendees who heard him speak, each paying twelve and a half cents.
The links below include transcripts of the speech, a live version read by James Earl Jones and a virtual free class on it being offered over the next few days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0baE_CtU08
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/
https://stbarts.org/event/1829422-2020-07-01-frederick-douglass-fourth-of-july-oration/
President Harry S. Truman , July 4 1951:
The principles of the Declaration of Independence are the right principles. They are sound enough to guide us through this crisis as they have guided us through other crises of the past. Freedom can overcome tyranny in the 20th century as surely as it overcame the tyrants of the 18th century. There is a text inscribed on the Liberty Bell, the bell that rang out a hundred and seventy-five years ago to announce the signing of the Declaration of Independence. When the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly ordered that bell for the statehouse in Philadelphia, they directed that it should bear certain words, “well-shaped in large letters.” You remember what those words were: “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” We should write these words again today. We should write them in everything we do in this country—”well-shaped in large letters”—by every deed and act, so that the whole world can read them.
Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus” (1883) – Written to raise funds for the base of the Statue of Liberty, this famous poem is engraved on it for all to see. The lines “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” speak volumes to the nation of immigrants. Emma Lazarus was an American author of poetry, prose, and translations, as well as an activist for Jewish causes. She wrote the sonnet “The New Colossus” in 1883. Its lines appear inscribed on a bronze plaque, installed in 1903, on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. https://poets.org/poem/new-colossus?gclid=CjwKCAjwi_b3BRAGEiwAemPNU5p8KNMlkalKwZA7Dl3rY8BZMLinfQVoU6N1Tv_6_mV62I7P7IAaVhoCIbYQAvD_BwE
Claude McKay, “America” (1921) – A love sonnet written by a leader of the Harlem Rennaissance, “America” portrays the poet’s adoration for the country while, at the same time, confronting the troubles he has seen in his community. https://shenandoahliterary.org/blog/2014/03/america-by-claude-mckay-1921/
With freedom comes responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt
Au Pairs Share Culture Through Food
Dozens of New Canaan au pairs with Au Pair in America gathered to learn about, cook, and share Brazilian food one recent Sunday. Feijoada, the long-cooking pork and black bean stew which is the national dish of Brazil, was the main course, with rice, salad, pao de queijo (cheese bread) and brigadeiro (fudge balls) rounding out the menu.
Au Pair in America Explorer for January
Johanna K from Germany in Marianne Grandin’s New Canaan, CT cluster
Johanna’s community counselor Marianne Grandin nominated Johanna for the Au Pair in America Explorer recognition. Marianne let us know that “Johanna is making the most of her au pair year. She is taking a weekend class in Washington DC with several other au pairs. She has traveled to Boston, Upstate NY, Maine, New Hampshire, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, and Toronto (so far!). Johanna did a very interesting Global Awareness presentation in the classroom of one of her host children, sharing her holiday traditions. She attends cluster meetings regularly.”
Here’s the Facebook post from the school, about her Global Awareness presentation:
“What a very special way to start our day learning about the German tradition of St. Nicholas We learned about St. Nicholas’s kindness and giving of gifts to other that may be in need. Each of us drew pictures of our wishes for the new year and then got our boots! Johanna taught us about leaving clean boots by the door with cookies and carrots for St. Nicholas and his white horse! We added our wishes to the boots and we put them all together so they can be easily found tonight. We’re hoping that St. Nicholas will come by to take our wishes and leave us a surprise!! HUGE THANKS to JOHANNA for sharing and teaching us so much today. Our classroom was happily filled with wonderful talks of kindness, St. Nicholas and Germany for the rest of the day! We’re so excited to come to school tomorrow to see our boots!! THANK YOU JOHANNA!!
What is an Au Pair in America Explorer?
These are au pairs who embrace all aspects of the au pair program (volunteering, attending monthly cluster activities, attending webinars, discovering new places) and for those going above and beyond, sharing their culture through Global Awareness. For complete details: https://www.aupairinamerica.com/pdf/apia-explorer.pdf
Au Pairs Celebrate International Exchange Day
Au Pair in America celebrated International Exchange Day in Waveny Park with food, children’s games, face painting, and a community service project which collected over 100 pairs of shoes for donation to Person-To-Person in Darien! International Exchange Day, which is on August 5 each year, is a nationwide celebration of the benefit of international exchange. Participants come together to share cultural diversity and customs, to give back to their communities, and to have some fun. IED is also an opportunity to raise awareness of international exchange programs and spread the word about the power and breadth of cultural exchange. Thank you to all of the host families that donated shoes! Your generosity is appreciated 🙂
Thai Cooking Class
Our cluster was very fortunate recently to have a demonstration in Thai cooking from a Bangkok native! We sampled spring rolls, made our own summer rolls with rice paper wrappers and a selection of ingredients, and then watched the making of Pad See Ew– stir fried noodles with chicken and Chinese broccoli.
The Meaning of Presidents’ Day
So What is Presidents’ Day Anyway?
Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.
To see a listing of all U.S. presidents go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents. Click on each president to find out who they were and what they achieved during their presidency. Most American school children have to learn their presidents. This is a great site to go through with them and test their knowledge!
Why We Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Next Monday is a federal holiday in the USA– Martin Luther King Jr. day. Why do we clebrate him?
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s. He led non-violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. He hoped that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact a person’s civil rights. He is considered one of the great orators of modern times, and his speeches still inspire many to this day.
King was born in the segregated south, but at age 15 spent a summer working in tobacco fields here in CT. He wrote to his mother “I never thought a person of my race could eat anywhere, but we…ate in one of the finest restaurants.” He also wrote of attending church with white people. Later he wrote “After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation. I could never adjust to the separate waiting rooms, separate eating places, separate restrooms, partly because the separate was always unequal, and partly because the very idea of separation did something to my sense of dignity and self-respect.”
Here is a link with information about the history of this holiday including a biography of Dr. King, a quiz for kids and a junior crossword. Maybe you can do something special with your host kids to acknowledge the day!
https://www.ducksters.com/biography/martin_luther_king_jr.php
To read the full I Have a dream Speech go to:
The Fourth of July
Known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades, family gatherings and barbecues.
This weekend you can count on enjoying traditional favorites such as hamburgers and hot dogs, chicken, ribs, potato salad, chips and watermelon.
A few facts about this Holiday!
· Fourth of July is the federal holiday marking the Colonies’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776,
· The Fourth of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.
· The oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States is the 4th of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island; it began in 1785.
· The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence.
· Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who wanted the bald eagle.
· The “Star Spangled Banner” was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 and not decreed the official national anthem of the United States until 1931.
· In 1776, there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation. (Today there are over 311 million.)
· There are more than 30 towns nationwide that have the word “Liberty” in their names.
· Approximately 150 million hot dogs are consumed on this day. It’s the biggest hot dog holiday of the year.
Have fun with the children too, visit the link below for fun coloring pages, craft ideas, puzzles and games to celebrate the 4th of July holiday