THE PRINCETON NURSERY SCHOOL:
 A PORTRAIT OF LATINO CHILDREN IN THE PRINCETON COMMUNITY













By:
Tina González
Camilla Norman
Veronica Villaseñor





A Collaborative Final Project
Professor M.A. Centeno
Sociology 338
May 13, 1997


This paper represents our own work in accordance with University
regulations.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION	3
BACKGROUND	5
THE TEACHERS	7
PURPOSE	7
METHODOLOGY	7
PROFILE OF THE TEACHERS	8
Parental participation in the education of their children:	9
English-language acquisition:	12
Parental use of Spanish:	13
Predictions of the success of the Latino children:	15
Social and academic achievements of Latino students:	17
THE FAMILES	20
PURPOSE	20
METHODOLOGY	20
PROFILE OF THE FAMILIES	21
The Fernández Family	23
The Argüelles Family	33
The Morales Family	39
CONCLUSION	43
 INTRODUCTION

Established in 1929, the Princeton Nursery School (PNS), has served as a
central fixture in the Princeton community.  Originally founded by white
society women, its function was to serve as the daycare center for the
children of their primarily black domestic help.  Its leadership, mission,
and student composition have changed over the past 68 years, especially as
a result of increasing Latin American immigration to the Princeton area.
Our aim was to examine the function of PNS within the Princeton community.
We explored its role as a socializing agent for its Latino students and
its impact on the lives of their families.  We were interested in
examining the Latino population at this vital age of development in order
to gain a better understanding of the numerous factors which influenced
their maturation.  We hoped to gain insight into to what extent PNS serves
to shape the students’ future who are the next Latino generation.  
	This research project investigates the various facets of PNS.
Initially, we establish the historical and geographical context of PNS.
We interviewed Jean Riley, the Executive Director of PNS, the teachers,
and three families whose children have attended or do attend the school.
It is their stories that paint the portrait of the young Latinos within
this institution and the community.
Due to the nature of our project, we had to establish a link with PNS that
would give us the legitimacy we needed to obtain interviews.  Therefore,
we established connections with Jean Riley and acquainted ourselves with
staff and Board members.  This enabled us to not only meet families and
interview them, but most importantly we were trusted by our subjects.  
Our interviews were conducted in accordance with informed consent
regulations.  We maintained the confidentiality of our subjects with the
use of pseudonyms, with the exception of Jean Riley, who supported our
research project and gave us permission to use her real name. 
 BACKGROUND

In 1929, Margaret Matthews saw the need in Princeton for a nursery school
for children whose mothers could not go out to work unless the children
were provided for.  She called together a group of Princeton women who
organized themselves into a board of managers and began the Princeton
Nursery School.
--The Princeton Nursery School Brochure

	A little yellow school house with an bright red door is the canvas
for the portrait we paint of Latino children in the Princeton community.
Standing at 78 Leigh Avenue in the heart of Princeton Township, PNS is the
oldest nursery school in the area, now thriving in its 68th year of
operation.  Although many nursery schools have been established recently
in neighboring towns, PNS is the only school in the community which is
within walking distance to local families.
	Fifty preschoolers attend PNS, the majority of whose families live
in the surrounding John-Witherspoon neighborhood, a predominantly
lower-middle class area.  According to Gabe Leppendorf, President of the
Board, the waiting list to enter PNS is lengthy, as countless families
wish to enroll their children.  The student body ranges in age from two
and a half to six, its multiethnic composition perhaps its most striking
feature.  Sixty percent of the preschoolers are African-American,
twenty-five percent are Latino, five percent are Asian, and two percent
are White.  
Seventy-five percent of PNS families are unable to pay the full tuition
fee, which is modeled on a sliding scale format.  PNS is able to provide
this financial flexibility due to sponsorships from the State Division of
Youth and Family Services, Jean D. Riley Scholarship Fund, United Way, and
several other private funding sources.  In addition to the financial
flexibility PNS provides, its operating hours are another advantage.
Monday through Friday, between the hours of 7:30am through 5pm, working
parents are able to leave their children with PNS staff. 
During this expansive day at PNS, students are engaged in a full-day’s
curriculum which focuses on reading, science, math, Spanish and French
classes, English as a Second Language programs, music, computer skills,
and community field trips.  In addition to curricular programs, PNS staff
also attends to the basic needs of providing breakfast, lunch, and snacks
throughout the day, as well as ensuring that each student has his or her
nap.  
As an institution, PNS does more than socialize its students.  It also
serves as a socializing agent to the parents of the children enrolled.
During meetings, PNS staff and teachers provide the parents with
recommendations on how to better care for their children.  For instance,
the staff reminds the parents to take their children for routine check-ups
at the doctor or dentist.  They are also given information regarding
available services in the area.  However, much of this information is
provided to the parents in English, which for Latino parents can be
problematic.
Now that we placed PNS in the context of the Princeton community, we can
next examine the influence this institution has on the Latino community,
namely the children. 
 THE TEACHERS
Purpose

	In order to create an accurate portrait of the future of the
Latino community, our group interviewed four teachers from PNS to see what
role models existed for Latino children.  Not only did we find out who the
teachers were, but we explored their perception of their Latino students
and the changing community.  The teachers were each asked a series of
questions regarding:  parental participation in their child's education,
the children's English-language acquisition, the teachers ability to
predict the children's future success, the social and academic achievement
of Latino students, and the changing structure of the institution of PNS
to adapt to the changing demographics of the Princeton community.
Methodology

	Four teachers from the Princeton Nursery School were interviewed
for fifteen or twenty minutes.  The teachers were asked questions,
informally, during the children's naptime at PNS.  The questions were not
asked in order and depending on the responses of the teacher, certain
questions were expanded upon.  
	The interviews opened with questions about their educational
backgrounds.  The purpose of this was to make the teachers feel
comfortable about being interviewed and tape-recorded.
	All the interviews were tape-recorded and it is questionable if
this affected the way the teachers responded.  In every interview, all
four teachers seemed uncomfortable and nervous.  They resisted saying
negative things about the students or the institution of PNS.  In a future
study, it would be interesting to see how the teachers' answers change
once they became better acquainted with the interviewer.
Profile of the Teachers

	For the purposes of this paper, we made all attempts to protect
the confidentiality of the teachers that participated in this study.
Therefore, the teacher's backgrounds could not be revealed in conjunction
with their names.  
	The five teachers at PNS are Esther, Isabelle, Bianca, Teresa, and
Victoria.  The teachers have been employed at the Nursery School ranging
from 9 months to 11 years.  The teachers are all women and they vary
ethnically:  two are Latino, (both immigrated from Guatemala,) one is
Haitian, one is white, and one is African American.  Their bilingual
skills vary, two of the teachers speak fluent Spanish; two of the other
teachers understand some words in Spanish, but their verbal skills are
limited; and one teacher speaks French fluently.
 Parental participation in the education of their children:

	Parents can participates in their child's education in a variety
of ways.  They can participate by attending school meetings, helping out
with school activities, giving feed-back and criticisms of the curriculum,
meeting the teachers, and taking time out to visit the school and observe
their child.
	It is difficult to assess the extent to which parents participate
at PNS solely by asking the parents because they are not always a reliable
source.  As with most social science studies,  concerns over the Hawthorn
effect are important to recognize.  For example, parents may over-estimate
their participation in school functions because they are concerned with
what the interviewer might think of them.  Due to this, they may try to
portray themselves in the best possible light.  Therefore it is important
to try and get an objective viewpoint in order to create an accurate
picture of the reality of the situation. 
	This study attempted to assess parental participation by asking
the opinions of PNS's teachers.  This provides insight not only into the
reality of the situation, but it also reveals the teacher's perceptions of
the parents.  Interestingly, this study finds that the teacher's
perceptions differ greatly from one another. 
	All the teacher's agree that there is not a significant amount of
participation from the parents.  However, when the teachers were asked why
they thought there was a lack of parental participation, their responses
vary.  Two of the teachers believe that the parents do not have the time
to participate due to employment responsibilities.  In contrast, another
teacher claims that the parents do not participate simply because they do
not want to.  The final argument made regarding parental participation is
that some of the parents are apprehensive to participate because they are
not proficient in the English language.
	Esther told me that she thought it is hard for many of the parents
to come in because of their work schedules.  She seemed sincere in telling
me that she thought many of the parents wanted to come in and enjoyed
doing so.  However, she said that it is problematic because many of them
have two jobs.
	Teresa agreed with Esther.  She felt that the parents were very
interested in their child's education but they did not always have the
time.  She said,	
	…Well, the Spanish people they are very interested… they like to
collaborate.  But sometimes they don't have time.  And another time when…
if they are able… they can't read English sometimes… another things is
they like to work and they work hard… they work on the weekends sometimes.
So, when they can do, they do.  So with them I think you find
collaboration.

Teresa truly believed that the parents wanted to participate, but they
could not always do so.  An interesting point that Teresa made was that
she mentioned the fact that not all of the parents can read English.  The
ability of the parent to communicate in English makes a difference as to
whether or not the parent comes in. 
	This is one thing that Bianca was less sensitive to.  I had the
impression that she did not seem to understand why parents may not
participate in their child's education.  Bianca stated that the reason
parents do not participate is usually because they forget.  She said,
	...They just say they forget, but they are reminded, they probably
just don't want to come.  We put notices in their mailboxes so they are
aware of what is going on in school.

My perception was that Bianca failed to use her sociological imagination
and instead attributed the parent's lack of participation to individual
attributes.  What she failed to address was the reasons why the situation
is how it is.  She ignores issues such as the language abilities of the
parents, or the parents' work schedule.  However, when later pressed for
an answer as to why she thought the parents may not come, she admitted
that it may not be because of a lack of interest, but because they may not
be able to make it.  She said this with very little sympathy for the
social and economic situation of the parents.
	Isabelle had a different notion of why parents did not
participated.  She was deeply saddened by the lack of parental
participation.  Her account is quite interesting.
	…From the time that I have been here, I don't see the parents
involved in this.  I really don't.  It is so sad when they have meetings…
there are fifty kids in the school, and five or six parents come to the
meetings.  I don't think they are really involved. No.
	One thing is a lot of the parents work.  The other thing,
especially those parents that don't speak English they are afraid to come
to the meetings because they think 'Oh, oh I am not going to be able to
speak,'  
	I have talked to mothers that they ask me a lot of times 'Are you
going to be here?'  And I say, 'I am not going to be here I got to go
home….'  And they say 'Oh well I am not coming.'  And I say 'why,' and
they say 'because I don't speak any English.'  
	And I feel bad and it is so sad to find out there is people, and
they don't speak any English and they're scared to go places because they
don't speak any English.  A lot of parents tell me 'well, I don't speak
any English, what I gonna come for?  I am not going to be able to say
anything.'  You know that's what they tell me a lot of times.

Isabelle felt very strongly about this issue.  She was distraught to know
that the parents were having difficulties participating in their child's
education because of their lack of English knowledge.  What I find
curious, however, is that PNS is a school designed to cater to the needs
of the community.  If what Isabelle said is true, then the program fails
to provide the services necessary to fully integrate the students and
their families into the community.  The lack of translators not only keeps
the parents from participating, but it sends out a message that the
community is not willing to learn Spanish.
English-language acquisition:

	The teachers all agree that the acquisition of English by
Spanish-speaking children is a process that varies from child to child.
All the teachers believe that children that do not speak any English have
a general understanding from the beginning.  That is, the children are
able to quickly acquire the language and become proficient within a year
of their entrance into school.  The teachers see the benefits of learning
English at an early age.  Esther told me that she thought the extra year
or two at the Princeton Nursery School helps the students make a smoother
transition into elementary school.
	Most of the teachers did not provide much insight into what helped
the children acquire their English skills.  However, Teresa did have an
opinion on the subject.  She believed that children with older siblings
who spoke English made a smoother transition into PNS.  She said in
Hispanic families that have multiple children, the older children learn
English and begin to use it at home and younger children have an easier
time with the language because they have heard it.  She does warn,
however, that the children that have the hardest time acquiring English
skills are the older children.  She makes sure to note too that language
acquisition skills cannot be generalized because children learn at
different rates.
	…But it depends too because everybody is different.  Some kids
catch on and some kids take more time.  And also, when the kids get here
sometimes two and a half or three, they develop different… some are easy
to walk… some have problems to speak.  And, especially they get confuse
because at home their parents speak Spanish and here English.  So, to me
it is like they are in another world.  So it takes time.  It's better for
them… in the Hispanic… learn early.

The teacher's concur that the learning of English at PNS clearly has
benefits for the children later in life.  However, another concern arises
from this.  That is, are these children learning English at the expense of
losing their native tongues?
Parental use of Spanish:

	While the Latino children at the Princeton Nursery School learn
English, it is interesting to see whether or not they maintain their
native language at home.  To understand this, this study asked the
teachers whether or not they recommended to the parents to use English or
Spanish at home.  Most of the teachers said that it did not matter what
language the families spoke at home.  Teresa reasoned that many of the
families do not speak any English and they have no choice as to what they
speak at home.  
	Esther noted that sometimes Latino parents do speak English, but
not fluently, and therefore communication is hindered.  For instance she
said, 
	…A lot of times [the parents] speak English but if you send a note
home they don't necessarily understand everything you say.  You know the
entire sentences one after another, they only understand bits and pieces
of it.

Once again, language plays an important part in the child's education.
This also interrupts teacher-parent relations because there are
misunderstandings of important news and events that need to be reported to
the parents.
	Esther, Isabelle, and Teresa agree that it is good for the parents
to speak both languages at home.  However, all the teachers had different
reasons as to why they thought this.
	Teresa said that she thinks it's a good idea for parents to
practice English at home because it helps the child learn English faster.
She believed that "it's very good for the kids, they have older brothers
and sisters.  Because when they play together they can catch words they
hear what they are talking about."  She also felt that speaking Spanish at
home was inevitable since most of the parents did not speak English, but
since the families had to communicate anyway they could do so in any
language.
	Isabelle had a different idea on the subject.  She thought that it
was important to speak Spanish at home. She wants her own two children to
speak Spanish at home because she feels that in school the children will
learn English.   She gives the same advice to the parents at PNS.  For
example, in the interview she said, "when the parents tell me the kids are
speaking Spanish, I say 'fine, don't worry about that because they gonna
learn English in school.'"  
	Isabelle made a distinction between language spoken at home and
language spoken at school.  She felt that it was important to speak both
languages not just to learn English faster, but for the children to
maintain their native language.
	Bianca was the only teacher that said she asked parents to speak
English.  She said "if they can speak more English at home it will help us
out when they come here."  While interviewing her I felt that her motives
where not in the best interest of the child, but in her own interest to
ease the workload at the Princeton Nursery School.
Predictions of the success of the Latino children: 

	The way the teacher's perceive their students behavior can have a
tremendous effect on how that child performs.  Numerous sociological
studies have shown that a "self-fulfilling prophecy" principle can
significantly affect the way in which a child is taught in school.  That
is, if a teacher is told that certain students in the class are in some
way academically superior, then the teacher may give these children
special attention.  Thus, these students perform better, not only in high
marks but socially as well, regardless of whether or not they are indeed
academically superior. 
	This study attempted to understand the teacher's perceptions of
the students at the Princeton Nursery School by asking them if they could
determine what factors, if any, could predict the success of a student.
The findings varied because each teacher had a different idea about what
contributed to a child's success.
	Most of the teacher's agreed that they could not tell right away
whether or not a student would be successful.  In the interviews, the
teachers often gave accounts of students that were detached and
disinterested when they had started their education at PNS, but later
changed their behavior once they became more familiar and comfortable with
being at school and away from home.
	Esther mentioned that she did, however, have some students that "
aren't as intellectual and they might never change that way, they are just
not interested."  When I asked her whether she thought there were any
factors that contributed to that she said
	…Sometimes I think that if… the parents work with the child, and
they work with the teacher … and the teacher says… they need help with
their work at home…. If they work with them at home…, and they get a
little flash cards or something… or a brother or sister helps, then they
will be interested.  And the other factor, some of them need to work in a
smaller group.  Some of them.. you know we have three teachers for twenty
five children, its not always… they can't wait their turn, they need that
constant gratification… they need to maybe work in smaller groups.  Most
of the children enjoy school.

Esther thought that obtaining help from family members was important to
the success of a child.  This is similar to what Teresa said about
learning English and the importance of the role the family plays in the
education of the child.
	Bianca also thought that it was important for parents to work with
their children at home and that this additional support made an impact on
the success of the child.  She often asked parents to reinforce at home
lessons that the teachers taught the children in school.  
	Isabelle, however, did not think that a teacher could predict the
success of a child because there were too many factors that influence that
child's behavior.  She thought that the parents, teachers, community, and
schools played equally large roles in the success of a child.  She made it
clear that she could not tell who was going to be "good" because it would
be too presumptuous of the child.
	Teresa though teachers could not predict the success of a child
because the child is constantly changing.  She explained that children who
were not familiar with being outside of the family had a hard time with
adapting at first but "after a few weeks they start to enjoy
everything…and they change… they become happy the first day… some kids
they cry… it depends… its all different."
 	From the interviews, it is not clear as to whether or not the
teacher's perceptions are affecting the success of the children.  What is
certain is that most of the teachers firmly believe that parental guidance
at home makes a significant impact on the success of the child.
Social and academic achievements of Latino students: 

	In order to gain more insight into the teachers' perceptions of
Latino students, they were asked how they viewed the social and academic
successes of these students.  For example, we asked them if they perceived
the students to be academically superior, mediocre, or average.
Similarly, we asked if there were any special problems that Latino
students had socially and if they interacted differently with other
students.
	All of the teachers agreed that the Latino children did not have
any significant social or academic differences from other children at the
school.  Many emphasized that the children were too young to be aware of
racial or class differences.  Esther informed me that,
	…No, they don't learn [racial differences] until they get older.
Even if something is said at home…they just play with whoever.  To them…
the only thing that is with the ones who are, quote, not the good
listeners, and might get in trouble... but they usually play with them
too.  Unless they are the hitting type… they don't want to be around that
kind of stuff….  They really [just] want someone to play with and that's
the most important thing to them.

Isabelle, Bianca, and Teresa all agreed with Esther's comment that in
social interactions the children do not discriminate.  However, Isabelle
mentioned that the Latino children are indeed aware of language
differences.  She observed,
	…But, they know who speaks Spanish.  And, sometimes two of them
get together and they know they speak… and they try talkin' Spanish.  But,
you know, they play with anybody, they don't stay together.

Although the children are aware of language differences, they do not link
these differences to racial or ethnic identity.  It appears that these
students have a sense of otherness, but they are not alienated.  It also
seems that socially these children are doing well.  Initial adjustments to
PNS are marred by some set-backs due to language acquisition, but it
appears that the children are very happy and well-adjusted.
	Teresa pointed out that academic differences between Latino
students and other students are not the result of inadequacies.  She notes
that some students are smarter than other students, but this is not
because they are Latino or non- Latino.  Teresa believes that academic
differences are due to fundamental differences between human beings. 
	…Well, it's the same thing.  When they are here it's like they are
in another world because they do not hear before English…They develop
different.  Some are smarter than others, it's the same with language in
how they develop.

While this study attempted to understand the teachers' perceptions of the
students at PNS, it also learned about the children.  The children at PNS
have not yet learned concepts of race and class.  These children are at an
extremely impressionable age;  it is unfortunate that in a few years, many
of them will most likely be socialized to an extent that they will lose
their untainted perception of others, and, consequently, their ability to
interact freely with their peers.
 THE FAMILES
Purpose
	In our efforts to explore PNS as a socializing agent for Latinos
in the Princeton community, we consider the familial perspective on this
issue of utmost importance.  While it is meaningful to explore PNS through
the eyes of the Director, Jean Riley and also from the perspective of the
five teachers interviewed, it is of equal significance to gain direct
insight into the Latino families themselves.  
	We aimed to truly become acquainted with the families we spoke
with, allowing for an understanding of their own backgrounds which bear a
significant impact on their participation and interaction with PNS. 
Methodology

We asked Jean Riley for the names of a few Latino families who would not
mind being interviewed for our study.  She suggested the Fernández, the
Argüelles family, and the Morales family, all of whom were either current
PNS parents or who were very active at one time.  Due to the fact that the
families were not randomly chosen, we encountered a bit of a
methodological problem.  It is quite possible that Jean selected these
families due to their high visibility and active participation within PNS.
It would be interesting to see if the outcomes of our interviews could
have differed had we selected the families directly.
We set off to make contact with each of the families, all of whom were
very willing to devote an hour or more to speak with us.  We asked our
subjects to choose the location of the interview in order for them to be
as comfortable as possible.  Our questions revolved around the issues of
immigration experiences, familial background, current living/employment
situation, views on PNS, participation in PNS activities, views on
education in general, and hopes and goals from the future, with respect to
both the children and their parents.  Our method of questioning was
organized yet relatively relaxed, as we wished make the families feel as
comfortable as possible during our interviews.  We were both present at
each interview, relaying questions and comments, recording our findings on
a tape recorder.
As with the teachers, the factor of being tape recorded needs to be
considered.  We believe that the majority of our questions were answered
as directly as possible When asked specifically about their immigration
journey, however, each respondant appeared to become very uncomfortable,
giving terse and non-informative responses.  One can only deduce that for
them, such stories are better left in the past: too traumatic to be
recounted to strangers as ourselves.
Profile of the Families

	All families interviewed were Guatemalan.  The Fernández family
consists of two sons, José, age 18, Davíd, age 11, and daughter, Verónica,
age 7.  Manuel, the father works as a janitor at a local school and is a
volunteer fire fighter.  He is not proficient in English, although he
expressed that he understands most English and can speak in broken
phrases.  Rosa, the mother, works in the Princeton area cleaning houses.
Our interview with her was conducted entirely in English with no problem.
All children were born in the United States as the parents have been here
for over two decades.
	The Argüelles family also consists of three children: Jorge, age
9, Viviana, age 7, and Jesus, age 5. Iréne, the mother, also cleans
houses, while her husband works in landscaping.  They have only been in
America for five years and expressed they were uncomfortable speaking
English.  As a result the interview was conducted in Spanish.
	The Morales family consists of four children, Rubén, age 11,
Julissa, age 10, Alejandro, age 8, and Mónica, age 6.  The father is a
chef at a local restaurant while Guadalupe found employment in domestic
service, much like Rosa and Iréne.    Our interview was conducted entirely
in English despite the fact that they immigrated a mere six years ago.
 The Fernández Family

	We were a few minutes early for our first interview so we tried to
scope out a table in the coffee shop away from the other customers so that
we could conduct our interview with as much privacy as possible.  The
place was crowded and as soon as we spotted a table in the corner we saw a
timid, middle-aged woman walk through the door, her eyes scanning the
crowd for people she did not know.  After introductions were made and the
nervous giggles had subsided, we sat down and began to question this woman
about her children's experience at PNS and the impact this institution had
on her family.
	Rosa Fernández is from Guatemala City.  She arrived in the United
States about twenty years ago looking for a better economic opportunity
for herself and has determined to make a life for herself and her family
in the States.  She endured an expensive and exhausting trip with her
future sister-in law who was coming to New Jersey to be with her brother,
Rosa's husband-to- be.  They chose this area because of a network that had
sprung up; a network that has grown exponentially since their arrival two
decades ago.  Now, only one of her sisters is left in Guatemala, with
forty-nine family members living in Princeton and the surrounding
townships creating a comfortable community for Rosa's family to flourish
in.  
	Soon after she arrived in New Jersey, she married Manuel and had
her first son, José.  They moved to Hamilton township from Trenton in the
hopes that they would be able to provide a stable life and safe area for
their child and future children to grow up in.  Once José was two years
old, Rosa was working for a woman cleaning her house.  Experiencing
difficulty finding a baby-sitter for her son to spend the day with while
she worked, she took her employer's advice and signed him up for PNS.
Initially, the nursery school provided an important advantage of being
open until 5:30 p.m. when Rosa, having finished work could go pick José
up.  Rosa was also concerned about how José would react to be left with
strangers and how comfortable she would feel leaving her son.  Nursery
school was not a real option in Guatemala, as it was often family members
who took care of the children, or the mother did not work.  But in this
area, it is difficult to make ends meet without having both parents
bringing home income.
	Rosa: I found [PNS] was really nice.  They have good teachers, and
[Jean] was wonderful.  I remember José crying and grabbing onto my leg and
Jean would come and pull him to rock him in the rocking chair.  She made a
really good impression with me.  I could leave to work and know that José
would be fine.  
	Rosa immigrated in her late teens.  She was only able to finish
her second year of high school before she left and wished that she had had
the opportunity to continue her studies.  Once she had moved here, the
overriding need to get a job and support herself took the place of her
education, but the importance of education for her children was never far
from her mind.
	Rosa:	Right now, with José, he's applying to colleges.  So I
really hope that he gets in somewhere.  So far, we really don't have any
answers yet.  And I make it clear to [my children] that I'm not cleaning
houses here for them to do the same.  I want them to do more than what I'm
doing.  So they know that I expect that from them... [Education] is the
only thing I can offer them.  I don't have any money to give them.  The
best thing I can give them is their education.
We interviewed José, Manuel, and Verónica at the local Fire Station where
the father works as a volunteer fire fighter.  José, an eighteen-year old
with all the usual optimism found in those on the cusp of adulthood.  He
was intimidated at being the subject of our attention, but soon loosened
up as we got past a few basic questions.  He was very proud.  Proud of his
accomplishments as he looks forward to graduating from high school, the
first in his family to achieve that degree of education.  Proud of his
family, primos and tíos included, who have finally managed to come
together in the Princeton area after twenty years of continual
immigration.  Proud of his parents and their determination to sacrifice
their dreams for their children's future.  He realizes and appreciates
what they have done so that he could be in a position where a college
degree was a real possibility.
	José: My parents believe that education is very important because
they never got to finish high school and get a degree or anything, so they
want us to be the leaders in the family and just succeed and just excel as
much as we can just graduate high school and college and just have a
better education.  That way the next generation can look up at us and just
follow our footsteps and we can be the leaders among them.
	As these words come out of his mouth, a satisfied smile slowly
transforms his father's face.  Rosa's husband works at a local high school
as a janitor.  He came over when he was sixteen years old to be with his
mother.  Looking for a new life away from his war-torn country, Manuel was
willing to work hard at anything presented to him so that one day he could
fulfill his goal to live the American dream.  A large and strong man, he
has few words to say, but each sentence is carefully thought through
before he speaks.
	Rosa has no real plans to go back to Guatemala.  She flirts with
the idea of going back once she retires, but believes that the
opportunities for her children are in the United States.  
	Rosa:	I make my life here.  I can offer a better vision to the
children here than there.
	She has taken her children back to Guatemala a couple of times and
makes a concerted effort to maintain Guatemalan culture, but finds it
difficult at times as her children become more and more Americanized.  It
is in her youngest, Verónica, who is seven, that she finds the most
resistant to her ethnic background.
	Rosa:	If I'm playing Spanish music on the car radio and we go to
pick up one of her friends, she'll ask me to turn it off.  And I ask her
why.  And she says because [her friends] don't speak Spanish and they ask
[her] what it means, and [she] doesn't know what it means, so... I respect
that, but I'm not really sure what she really feels about her
[background].
	Rosa feels that her decision to send her eldest son to PNS was a
good one and ended up sending her other son and daughter to the nursery
school as well.  Most of the children's' primos also attended the nursery
school if they were at the right age when they arrived to this country.
	Rosa: They were able to play.  [The teachers] taught them.  They
started learning about colors and numbers, and being involved with all
kinds of children.  And the teachers were very understanding.  They were
never complaining about teachers or anything.
	One difficulty that her children faced in the nursery school was
the language barrier.  Up until the time that they went to nursery school,
Spanish was the only language they knew as Rosa doesn't feel comfortable
enough with her English to make that the language at home.  
	José: They grew us up in Spanish, and, like, Spanish was our
actually first language.
	Rosa:	After the first few weeks [José] stopped speaking at all.
So Jean came to me and told me that he might have a speech disability, but
I found out that he was confused between Spanish and English.  It took him
probably a month to get used to it, and from there he was fine.
	Her feelings about Bilingual education are fairly strong.  When
her eldest first started elementary school, her son was placed in the ESL
program because of his Spanish last name.  She was unhappy about her son
being pulled from the English-speaking classroom and, finally, was able to
convince the school that that is where her son belonged.  When her other
two children started elementary school she felt better prepared to avoid a
similar confrontation.
	Rosa:	With the other children I was more prepared and I knew a
little more about it so I chose to keep [my children] in English.  It
doesn't mean that I don't want them to speak any Spanish.  I do want them
to speak really good Spanish, but I don't want them to feel confused.
	Coming from an ethnically homogenous country to the States, Rosa
was confronted with various races and ethnicities.  Reminiscing about her
childhood she remembers what she and her friends used to do when they saw
a black person in Guatemala.
	Rosa:	We were kids and we used to make a wish when we saw one
(laughing), and when I came here it was like... making wishes all over.  
	Her children, of course, grew up in a town that is predominantly
Anglo, but has a significant minority population.
	José: Being at the nursery school let me have more of an open mind
nowadays.  I mean going back, I realize now that I was with all different
cultured people...There was all kinds of - there was white, a lot of
Latinos, and blacks and everything...You learned to be with other friends,
like other racial - other ethnic backgrounds...Nowadays I know what's
going on around the world.  So it's helped me be a lot better leader on my
part so I know what's going on around.
Although both Rosa and Manuel work, they got involved in the nursery
school and were members of the board for several years helping out when
their children attended.  They were responsible for trying to get the
payments from parents and general maintenance of the building and
backyard.  Something that they both found to be frustrating was the lack
of involvement found in other families, whose children attended PNS.  Rosa
believes that there's more to the school than just dropping your child off
and leaving.
	Rosa:	Sometimes [the other parents] work hard, but we used to
[help] on weekends, Saturday and Sunday.  Through the years with the kids
in school I feel like you have to make time.  I mean, no matter what.  If
only once a month, I think if you can make some time it really makes a
difference.
	Manuel: [S]o long as the parents can be involved in all of the
activities that there are in the schools, so they can see the progress of
their children and have report of their children's progress every month or
whatever.  Many don't come around because they work a lot but they need to
be more involved with the teachers and the school so that their kids can
receive the best education possible.
José tends to agree with his mother's opinion as he remembers his mother's
commitment to their education.
	José: [S]he would talk to the teachers, and she would know what
they were doing, and she would come home and even push it more at
home...all my memories wouldn't just end at school, come home, and she
would keep telling me about it, and it would stick in my head rather than
like another parent would just not be involved at all and you would go to
school and then come back...home [and] would sit in front of the TV and
not do anything, so all the memories would just flush out, and you
wouldn't know anything.  So, yeah, it made a difference for her to be
involved.  Definitely.
She feels as if helping out shows her children that getting involved is
the right thing to do.  
	Rosa:	My husband and I , sometimes he goes to one school and I
go to the other one.  Especially now with the oldest one, he's involved in
a lot of sports, so sometimes when I can't make it, [Manuel] can make it.
But I feel like it's very important getting involved.  At first I wasn't
very confident coming because I didn't speak English.  But no matter where
we come and see it, I feel like people avoided me.  I don't know why but
it felt that way, but it never stopped me and I don't think it will.
	It seems like nothing will stop any member of this resilient
family.  Although the parents have remained in service positions working
long hours, they have been able to maintain close relationships with their
children.  Perhaps it was more the work of the parents than the teachers
than enabled this family to have come so far, but PNS provided them with a
place in which the children could learn English, interact with various
racial and ethnic groups at a young age, and acquire the desire to set
high goals and be prepared to work hard to achieve them.
	As José fantasizes about a future college career, he muses about
which area he would like to study.
	José: [A]s far as majoring goes, I have a couple things in mind.
Either Elementary Education and I would minor in Spanish, and I would
probably want to teach around the middle school area.  That way I can also
coach wrestling when I have the chance or maybe criminal justice or I
don't know.  I know they're two separate things, but those are the things
I have in mind right now, but I'm not hundred per cent sure what I want to
do yet.
Point is, José, is that you believe that you have all the choices in the
world. 
Upon the completion of the Fernández family interviews I realized how my
initial expectations were radically different from my final conclusions.
I walked into that coffee shop expecting to find a woman overworked,
tired, and unenthusiastic about her children's nursery school experiences.
Instead, Rosa impressed me with her unwavering stand on the importance of
education in her children's lives.  
	At the fire station, the manner in which the father and children
interacted with one another showed me that attention and love are not
lacking within this family.  They appreciate the positive effects of
having a close family with parents who are willing to work diligently to
provide their children with an auspicious future.  The rule of this family
is: if you are willing to work hard, anything is possible.  
	What I wonder about after encountering this exceptional family is
how much of the children's success can be attributed to PNS or, is it the
parents' high level of involvement in the children's academic and
extracurricular lives that account for their high aspirations.  
 The Argüelles Family

It was twilight as we made our way down a secluded suburban street in
downtown Princeton only a few blocks away from PNS.  I marveled at the
tidy houses all lined in a row, each with its own sense of uniqueness and
charm.  We finally arrived at number eleven, Iréne Argüelles home.  The
house was charcoal gray with white trim, its wooden steps worn and
creaking with our steps.  I decidedly knocked on the door, pleased by the
friendly smile which answered only moments later.  Iréne was a petite
woman, with jet black hair softly framing her rounded face.  With a warm
greeting she extended her hand and invited us inside.
	We entered into a cavernous living room, the sounds of Spanish
television humming in the background and the smells of onion and garlic
dancing in the air.  Leading us to her dining room, she offered us a seat
and sat down with a sigh, seemingly ready to begin our interview.  I
nimbly set-up our tape recorder and began what ensued to be a very
intriguing conversation…
	What struck me most about our interview with Iréne Argüelles was
her openness and honesty.  She seemed willing to answer truthfully in her
native tongue of Spanish.  She told us she was from an immigrant from just
outside of Guatemala City, Guatemala, having made the journey five years
ago with her husband, via an exhausting bus trip through Central America
and Mexico.  The trip proved to be very difficult for her and her family,
as she had to temporarily leave her four year-old son, Jorge, and her two
year-old daughter, Viviana, with her mother in Guatemala.  Iréne was very
frank about her reasons for leaving her patria:
…The problem is the situation in one’s country which drives him out.  Over
there poverty abounds, and if you speak out you’re killed. Violence and
war are so commonplace that one isn’t sure if this is good or bad or what.
It really makes you scared.  We came over here because my husband’s
brother was murdered.  And then they started looking for us as well.  And
I said to myself, ‘I’m getting out of here.’  And I came here and I
entrusted my mother, who lives in another place far away, with my
children.  And we [my husband and I] came over here.  To tell you the
truth I was scared.

Iréne and her husband sought refuge and more job opportunities across the
U.S. border, eventually settling in Princeton five years ago.  The
Argüelles family chose Princeton because of the family network which
already existed here, her brothers living nearby in the same community.
Shortly after settling and becoming more accustomed to the area, Jorge and
Iréne found work respectively in landscaping and housekeeping.  
Four years passed, a new member blessed the Argüelles family, Jesús, and
Jorge and Viviana were able to join the rest of their family.  She
candidly revealed that the transition was difficult for the entire family:
… you must know that when one leaves their children this has a profound
result.  It has cost me a lot.  Not so much with my daughter but with my
son - I have a lot of problems with my son.  Right now he’s receiving
psychological treatment... We’ve had some pretty big issues to deal with,
with him.  Because I think that when one leaves their child it has a great
impact on him.  He experienced a very ugly sentiment. He says to me,
"Mamá, I’m never going to forgive you.  I kept looking for you and
couldn’t find you."  I feel something so awful right here [gestures  to
heart] .  And I try to explain to him, "Look, son, we came over here
because of our situation in our country," and I try to explain it to him
and he has a fit.  And that’s so hard.  Because the child was traumatized
for having had some other person take care of him for so long.

Iréne has always been aware the importance of her children’s education,
explaining that one of the reasons why she is so impressed with her choice
to immigrate was the educational opportunity which exists in the United
States.  Guatemalan schools simply did not offer her children as intense
of an education.  She explained,
…Here there is much progress.  The schools are very advanced.  And I
wanted my children to learn how to speak another language, because then
when they return to my country they will have great opportunities, just by
knowing a second language.

 	Iréne attributed much of her smooth transition to the support of
her employer, Ivy, an engineer in the Princeton area.  Ivy told Iréne
about the best Princeton area schools for her children, PNS at the top of
her list.  Jorge and Viviana both attend area elementary schools while
Jesús currently attends PNS.  Iréne seemed very impressed with "that
little school," as she called it, noting that she was amazed with the
speed at which he was able to learn to speak English and become acclimated
to American culture:
…I’m sure that they enforce reading in other schools, too, but, I see that
they push the kids more at PNS.  Because when I moved my son to that
school he didn’t know how to count.  ‘One, two, three,’ and now he counts
very well, he knows how to in English.   Here in my home it’s Spanish but
at school they speak only English.  He’s got a good hold on the language.
He knows his colors very well…and I see that they have taught him a lot.

She seemed truly amazed at the speed at which Jesús was able to become
acculturated.  With a giggle, she recounted her frustrations with Jesús as
he has become even more acclimated to American culture than she ever could
have imagined:
…Well, I always try and cook my Guatemalan food: beans, meat, things like
that.  My youngest son doesn’t like that food.  He wants McDonald’s,
hamburgers, Chinese food- he’s become accustomed to things like that.  I
say, ‘C’mon Jesús, come and eat,’ and he says, 'Ay, no, Mami!  I don’t
want it!'  But if I make him a little hamburger with fries, he’ll eat it.
He was born here and he’s adapted to this type of food- he likes it.

Iréne noticed a marked difference between the education and acculturation
of her two older children and Jesús, admitting, "…for my two children who
came here from Guatemala it’s been very difficult for them to learn these
things and fully adapt… They’re a little bit less educated.  I can
[really] see the difference in the little one."
In addition to the quality education and exposure to mainstream culture
that her son receives at PNS, Iréne was also impressed with the
flexibility the school has regarding his tuition.  Due to the sliding
tuition scale which exists for parents, Iréne was able to pay a nominal
fee and pay the remainder of the tuition in chores she performs around the
school, such as cleaning and helping the staff with any necessary tasks.
She felt her relationship with PNS was very important, as she was able to
have a part in her son’s education despite her hectic work schedule.  She
viewed PNS as an essential fixture in the Princeton community,
illustrating that,
…For me the school is… it’s very important.  Very important because they
understand how parents have to work, that we parents can leave our kids
with them.  That while they’re there, they’re learning - learning good
things.

	Iréne’s present commitment to her children’s education is a small
step in her long-term plan for their future.  When asked what her hopes
were for her children in the future she responded quickly and directly:
…Well, I pray to God that they’ll continue to have to opportunity to
remain and succeed here.  I would like them to finish High School and then
perhaps return to my country.  Yes, I would like to return. But I would
like them to study in High School and have a strong hold on English for
when they go to a university in my country.  I know that they’ll have more
opportunities as far as work, different lifestyles and classes of living.

Iréne seemed very pleased with her life in Princeton thus far, although
she admitted that it has been difficult to be a Latino family within a
predominantly white neighborhood. An air of seriousness came over her when
I asked her if she had ever encountered racism within the community.
After a few moments of intense thought she commented,
…There are people who do look at you with evil eyes.  Because, you know,
they are not too pleased with Latino people at times.  There are lovely
people as well, as there are people of all kinds, but there are people who
don’t look too fondly upon us [Latinos.]  But I don’t place too much
importance on this.  Because I think that each person is important.  Just
because someone is Latino doesn’t make them less important.  Sometimes
people think that because someone is [an immigrant] here that they don’t
know anything about culture, education,  that they don’t know a thing
about anything.  That they can’t speak the language [English].

This negative reception didn’t seem to rob her of her optimism, however.
She seemed to constantly remind herself of the reasons why she emigrated
from Guatemala.  Although she finds life in Princeton challenging at times
and despite the fact that her homeland seems much too violent to merit any
hope of her returning at any time soon, Iréne was confident that she had
made the right decision to persevere in the United States:
…We’re hoping…that it’ll be better with time.  Because who really wants to
be away from their homeland?  If you’re there at the wrong time they’ll
take all you have and kill you.  And here in this country you can be here,
calmly, with your house, with your things, with your mail, and no one’s
going to do anything to you.  There’s a respect.  The people in this
community respect each other.  If you leave something outside of your door
your neighbor will watch it for you.  That doesn’t happen in my country.
Here the people have so much compassion for each other.  It’s a true
democracy. 

Perhaps one day her dreams will be realized. 	
I left my interview with Iréne Argüelles feeling pensive and emotional.  I
was truly amazed at her dedication to her children and husband, her
unlimited emotion and sensitivity, and her undying optimism for the
future.  What I was most affected by was her commitment to her children’s
education, something which took me by storm.  I had not expected to have
been so moved by this interview, as I saw the same love and pride in her
eyes as she discussed her children’s education and future.  She was
committed to pursuing excellence for her children.
	PNS seemed to be instrumental as a path toward her youngest son’s
future.  Iréne spoke proudly of Jorge’s experiences at the Nursery school,
describing the benefits and advantages he had gained from attending.
Although she could not directly participate in school activities during
the day, she made the time to contribute to her son’s education in
whatever way she could.  This was a remarkable woman, who, at the helm of
her family, has beat the odds many new immigrants face in a new community.

 The Morales Family

	We sat anxiously in Guadalupe Morales’ living room early one a
Sunday morning in March.  The sitting room was medium-sized, containing a
full-length brown sofa and a matching love-seat.  There was not a trace of
dust in this immaculate area, each picture frame, statuette, and vase in
its perfect place.  Guadalupe entered the room, nimbly carrying a shiny
wooden tray whose contents clinked and clanked noisily as she passes us.
Handing us each a cup of coffee in a yellow ceramic mug, she sat lightly
on the sofa opposite us and readied herself for our interview.  She was a
medium-framed  woman, with long, raven-black hair which fell over her
shoulders.  Wearing a gray sweat suit accented by pink house slippers,
Guadalupe rubbed her hands together and nervously smiled at her
interviewers, asking us if we cared for any cream or sugar.  Thanking our
host and shaking our heads, we turned to one another, a sign that it was
time to begin.  The tape recorder was turned on and placed on the wooden
coffee table next to Guadalupe…
	Guadalupe Morales immigrated to America in the Winter of 1990 from
Guatemala City, Guatemala.  Accompanied by her husband, Filiberto and her
three children, Rubén, Julíssa , and Alejandro, she came to Princeton to
join her stepfather and brothers in search of refuge from the oppressive
political situation she and her family encountered in Guatemala.
Filiberto was a professor at the local university, and after encountering
a great deal of problems with the politically unpredictable government,
felt that it would be safer for he and his family to escape.  The
conditions of their escape and immigration to the United States are such
that they have never returned to Guatemala, and more strikingly, can never
return again.
	The Morales family was attracted to Princeton because of its quiet
and clean suburban setting.  They were eventually able to settle into a
local condominium complex outside of downtown Princeton.  Filiberto was
able to find work quickly as an cook at a local restaurant, while
Guadalupe found employment cleaning houses for Princeton-area families.
No sooner had they settled in when Mónica, their youngest daughter was
born.
	Guadalupe’s demeanor was calm and very professional as she
answered our questions.  After becoming more acquainted with her family
and their background, I began to ask her about her feelings regarding
education.  She paused for a moment before responding, seeming to choose
her words very carefully:
…Education has to be the first thing of the life.  If they don’t have an
education, I think they [kids in general] are nothing.  You know, I try to
make the kids learn reading…it’s very difficult, but yes, education is
very important…  I don’t know for other people, but for me it’s very
important.

 When asked specifically about PNS, Guadalupe seemed to comment with pride
and appreciation, as her two youngest children both interacted with the
Nursery school:
…Mónica is in the Nursery school.  That little school is very important,
not just because they take care of Mónica during the day - I leave her
there and she stays the full day.  It’s important because she is learning
the language in there.  When she went there she didn’t speak English, but
now she is learning.  I also think it’s very good for her to play with
other kids in there… I think the teachers are very good… Especially… Jean.
She’s a very good and nice woman.  She’s a strict lady.  When Rubén went
there, Mónica was little, and almost everyday I asked Jean, ‘Please, can
she come?’ and finally she got tired of me and said, ‘Okay!  She can
come’… The Nursery school is very good people.

Guadalupe holds PNS in very high regard, extolling its praises to all of
her relatives and friends.  What seems to have struck her most about PNS
is the profound effect it has had on her children’s language ability.
Guadalupe remarked that Alejandro, who completed his nursery schooling at
PNS, has a definite advantage over his two older siblings who completed
their nursery school in Guatemala:
…There’s a big difference in Alejandro, Rubén, and Julíssa.  It goes back
to the language.  That is the difference between…[them]…because Alejandro
was speaking English when he went to the Kindergarten at Johnson Park. [a
local elementary school]… I think [ESL] is a good program… but [the
teachers in the ESL program] take too much time from [the children], from
the regular classes… And several times the teachers would call my house
and say, ‘We don’t know what to do with Alejandro, because we keep talking
to him in Spanish, and he never talks back in Spanish.’  [I was], like,
‘Okay, put him out, he don’t want to stay there!

Guadalupe was clearly very opinionated regarding this topic and seemed
very sincere in her comments.
	Although Guadalupe is very committed to her children’s
extra-curricular lives, whether it is being a team mom for Rubén and
Alejandro’s soccer team on the weekends or taking Julíssa and Mónica to
dance classes, she seemed very frustrated that she simply was unable to
give more of her time during the week to PNS.  When asked if she was aware
that parental participation was minimal at the Nursery school, with a
furrowed brow  Guadalupe answered,
…[During the week] I don’t have much time because I have four kids.  In
the afternoon I have to come home to cook, or do something…The thing is,
is that most of the people don’t have too much time to go.  You come home,
and you need to take a rest… I don’t know.  Some of the people are a
little bit afraid to go, and don’t understand what [the teachers] are
talking about.
Our interview with Guadalupe Morales was relatively short.  After a little
under an hour we thanked her for her time and hospitality, neatly leaving
our empty ceramic mugs on the shiny wooden tray. 
What impressed me most about my interview with Guadalupe was her sense of
pride.  It was clear to me that this woman took pride in her family, in
herself, in her home, in her ideals and in those life aspects which
mattered to her most.  She unabashedly made her goals for the future very
clear to me, confidence and integrity obvious in her every statement. 
PNS was seemed to be a very important fixture within her children’s lives.
The educational resources there allowed Alejandro more of an edge as was
able to have more of a handle on the English language than his older
brother and sister.  Guadalupe indicated that Mónica seems to be
flourishing in PNS, loving the experiences she has there on a daily basis.
I gathered that Guadalupe viewed PNS and her children’s elementary
education as the first step toward their future.  She was set on the idea
of her children going to college in the future, declaring, "They have to.
They have to go.  They have to go to college."  With her sense of
commitment and dedication, there is no doubt in my mind that she will go
forth and make it so. 
 CONCLUSION

After painting this portrait we revealed how PNS serves as a  socializing
agent for its Latino students and its impact on the lives of their
families.  We examined the Latino population at this vital age of
development in order to gain a better understanding of the numerous
factors which influence their maturation.  We hoped to gain insight into
to what extent PNS shapes the students’ future who are the next Latino
generation.  
We studied the function of PNS within the Princeton community.
Historically, PNS was created to provide a place where working parents
could leave their children in a safe and educational environment.  Today,
this reason is still valid as employers continue to suggest PNS to their
workers.  This network creates an environment that supports the economic
structure in Princeton as both employer and employee are benefited from
the services found at PNS.
Having an educated population is beneficial to any community.  In
Princeton, PNS serves as an initial step in what hopefully will become a
long educational career and the start of fulfilling the "American dream".
By bringing Latino students into such an environment, the children are
taught more than numbers and colors.  They learn at an early age how to
interact socially within a racially and ethnically diverse group.  The
importance of education is also instilled in the children as going to
school becomes a routine early on.  Most importantly though, families,
through their connection with PNS are given some sort of confidence that
their children are given the opportunity to become successful within the
larger community.
The most important component of PNS that is offered to the Latino children
,in particular, is the opportunity for them to learn English.  As all of
the families we interviewed spoke only Spanish at home, the children’s
assimilation into society is facilitated as they learn English in a
supportive environment. 
This research project found that there were numerous factors that
influenced the children’s maturation.  For example, learning English early
allowed for a smooth transition to elementary school and the extent to
which parents participated in PNS and with their children at home
contributed to the success of the students.  We determined that it was
unclear if the teachers’ perceptions of the students influenced the
children’s self-image bringing into question if it is merely PNS that
enables these children to be successful.
Although the families we interviewed may be exceptional, their stories
showed us that their hopes and aspirations are an integral part in the
children’s fortuitous  development.  We conclude that the future of the
children is dependent upon a symbiotic relationship existing between PNS
and the families, in which both are concerned and involved in the
children’s progress.  As seen in the family narratives a lot of optimism
exists in the Latino community. The future of this community appears
bright as long as the confidence found in the children is nurtured in the
classroom and at home.
In the narratives we saw how the children in families who had attended PNS
were more secure in their surroundings than their older siblings who did
not have the opportunity to experience PNS.  This may be due to the
children’s strong grasp of the English language and their coming into
contact with peers at an early age.  It would be interesting in a future
study to examine families in which the children did not go to nursery
school in order to fully understand the impact of PNS on the future of the
Latino community.