New Jersey's Eight Grade Students

The Star Ledger wrote a front page article about New Jersey's eight grade students have the mastery and command of writing and prose in the English language.

It was a bit surprise for me. New Jersey has a very diverse residents that English would be diluted and somehow be put in the background by most first and second generation immigrant residents. It was a fallacy. Despite their ethnic background, the second generation would be assimilated to the American culture.

I give credit to their parents, who are less educated and barely speak the English language, but pursue the American dream and the teachers, who sees the potential of each students.

Diversity works!

Ellis Island

On April 17, 1907, 11,747 immigrants passed through the Great Hall. It was the busiest day in the life of Ellis Island. Almost 1.3 million immigrants arrived in that year, a hundred yeas ago.

Landed on a foreign land and could barely speak English, they went on to build and shape this nation.