I was an ESL teacher at ACCESS during my summer term 2008. During the 12 weeks at ACCESS, I had many opportunities to connect with the Chinese immigrants that were to be my students. As the instructor of the first level of adult ESL classes, I was the students’ first point of contact in learning structured English. With my bilingual background (I am from Singapore), I was able to communicate with them in Mandarin, introduce them to new English vocabulary, and help students to construct simple sentences in both languages. I had 17 students, one of whom returned to China midway through the semester. Over the course of the 12 weeks, some of them gradually trusted me so much as to be willing to share with me personal stories of their hardships, struggles, and desire for a better life not only for themselves but for their descendants. Not every system is perfect, so while seeing more clearly the corruption in their system, and the preferential treatment for the rich, I understand why they wanted to come to the US so badly. As a theological student, my system of clearly demarcated lines has often been challenged by them. They led me to question my responsibility as a Christian.

I had once asked my church pastor for her opinion. She pointed out that the US started as an immigrant country, and that many Americans are utilizing the services of undocumented workers without acknowledging it. It is a flaw in the US system, and it is only right that I render any form of aid to people who are exploited by the system. I believe it is not only the exploitation inherent in the US system, but that these students come from a system that denied them equal opportunities for progress. I once shared my concern with another Chinese student (from China) who is now studying in my school of theology. He pointed out that the Chinese in urban cities have more equal opportunities; whereas those in rural or suburb areas are usually neglected and more easily exploited.

As I read Isaiah 1:12-17, Amos 5:21-24, and Matt 25:34-46, I recognize the important roles that ACCESS is playing for the Chinese immigrants. Though I may not be as visionary as Martin Luther King, Jr.—to challenge the system, or to rally others to street demonstrations—at least I can inspire hope among the Chinese immigrants who come to ACCESS. I can teach them elementary English so that they can navigate through the system and culture better. I can show concern for their well-being by buying them some snacks once in a while. I can decode some of the cultural symbols here so that they are less fearful of the unknown. It is in this setting that most of them feel safe and comfortable.

During the last day of class, some of them burst into tears. One of them said, “I feel like I’m a part of a big family here.” Another acknowledged that and said, “Other students are just like my own brothers and sisters.” Another remarked, “This is the place where I can forget my woes for a while and indulge myself in laughter and joy.” One of them added, “I look forward to coming here every day.” I thank God for the wonderful time that I had with them, and for the memories that I might have brought into their life. I think it is the least I can do for them, and as Jesus said “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do to one of least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:45, NRSV)

Some may beg to differ by questioning that the least of these refers only to Christians. My reading of the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 convinced me that the word neighbor refers to anyone whom God has placed within my capacity to render good deeds. In the environment here, I identify these Chinese immigrants who have little education to benefit from the system to be my neighbors, and the least of these. ACCESS is instrumental in helping these immigrants bridge the cultural gap. By integrating Christian values into the curriculum without explicit evangelism, we are bearing testimony for Christ. These Chinese immigrants could benefit from the service rendered by ACCESS, and yet have the space to explore their own identity. I believe God has laid upon the founders of ACCESS the vision and mission for the Chinese immigrants. For the Chinese churches that identified their mission beyond evangelism, and who recognized the mandate of doing justice for these Chinese immigrants, I would suggest that ACCESS is the place where they could turn to.

—Arthur Koh

This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 6:58 pm and is filed under Testimonies.