Where I’m From

Dorease

I am from Soul Train, from Sulfur 8 and Afro Sheen cosmetics

I am from bacon sizzling, hair straightening, gospel playing

I am from the Aloe Vera and the olive oil

I am from family walks after dinner and singing around the piano, from Jaqueline and Kenneth and The Walkers

I am from the West Indian culture, love & respect and love yourself first before demanding it from others

From “A hard head makes a soft behind,” and “Your eyes may shine, your teeth may grit, but none of this treat you gonna get”

I am from a Christian home

I am from Jamaica by way of New Jersey and plantains & curry goat

From my grandma Doris waking me up for Saturday chores, the smell of Pine Sol and Ajax Cleaner

I am from a line of strong Queens.

Dorease was an adult education student at Project Hope in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2011, her writing was published on https://nelrc.org/managingstress/poetry.html.

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No Place Like Home

Basilio Torres

Home
Relaxing, loving Peaceful, comfortable, careful
No place like home
Safety

Basilio Torres is an ESOL student in the Adult Learning Center at NYC College of Technology (CUNY) in Brooklyn, NY. He continues to practice and study English at home to improve his fluency and skills. He likes to listen to many kinds of music in his free time.

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House + Joy = Home

Carmen Chu

BEFORE YOU READ:
The title is an equation. Read it out loud. What is an equation? Write an equation for what equals home for you.

Strong, Steady, and Happy
Home is a comfortable and happy place for our family. We moved to the United States in 2008. We built a cozy home with our three children. They are reliable and energetic. They gave us energy to help shape our sweet home. Our home is a strong and steady structure, filled with joy.

My husband and I worried about making a new life in the United States, but we wanted a better future for our three children. They worked hard at school. They showed their warm hearts to their teachers and classmates. Our children encouraged us to do our best. They taught us the importance of dedication to our work.

Celebrations in Our Home
Our house is messy, but it’s cozy and full of life. We have celebrated our children’s birthdays and graduations here. We often have welcoming parties to celebrate special moments with relatives and friends. One of the most special celebrations in our home was our second daughter’s wedding. We can’t believe she got married and we have a son-in-law. I cried tears of happiness at this remarkable time. Each occasion has given us a wonderful time and things to talk about for years to come.

Our children are growing up and getting good jobs. We don’t earn much with our low wages. Fortunately, the children help us with the mortgage. They also paid for some home improvements, which make daily life more convenient.

Unexpectedly, they also achieved their dream of adopting a cat as our new family member in 2020. Our lovely cat JoJo is our first pet. He is a hilarious and playful boy. He has provided us with pleasant stories to share with our family and friends.

Our home is our secret garden. In it, we planted our joyfulness seeds. We always get an ample harvest.

AFTER YOU READ:
Note the extended metaphor in the last paragraph. What does it mean? What are some of the “joyfulness seeds” Carmen and her family “planted”?

Carmen Chu is a lifelong learner of the Alameda Reads Adult Literacy Program in Alameda, California. Since she retired from her job as a library aide in 2025, she has more time to attend adult literacy programs and library events. She loves readings, and she has had three articles published in The Change Agent.

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Home Is Where I Feel Most

Sonia Mazariego

When I Win the Lotto
My ideal home (when I win the Lotto, ha ha!) would have many bedrooms and bathrooms. Each of my children could have their own bedroom. I would also love a big, fenced-in yard for my children and their dogs to run around. There would also be many trees and space to grill. My daughter-in-law likes to eat organic food, so I want a small garden for her.

One ritual that we share at home is when everyone cooks together and then finds a place to sit down to eat. Many of our special moments happen at the dining table. Sometimes, some of us have to stand because there is not enough space at the table, but that is okay because we are still close to each other. In my ideal home, we will have a big kitchen and a very large dining table so we can all sit down together.

I love having nature around us, so my dream home would have many windows where we could see birds of different colors. This home would make me feel so happy because my whole family could live there. And since I bought it with my Lotto winnings, we wouldn’t have to worry about paying for it. We could focus on building a better life.

What Really Makes Home Special
It’s fun to think about my ideal home, but the most important feature of my home is my family. What makes me feel at home is being surrounded by my family. I work hard to provide for them and to build a happy life. My children are everything to me. I love all my siblings, my mother, and my mother-in-law.

We are a large family, and the best feeling is when we spend time together. Sometimes our schedules make it hard to bring everyone together, but it is very special when we do. That is the best feeling, and it makes me so happy to be home. What makes my home special is not that it has many rooms or windows or a
fenced-in yard or a big dining table. What makes my home feel special are the good memories and the love of my family.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. This story has a big transition. Describe what she starts out writing about and then what she transitions to.
2. Imagine you won the lottery, what would you change about your living situation? Discuss.
3. Look online for images of neighborhoods, houses or apartments, rooms, or furnishings. Pick three images and write captions for them. Explain why you would want this for your home. Put the information in a slideshow and share it with your class.

Sonia Mazariego is a student at Literacy Volunteers at Family Centers in Stamford, Connecticut. She is originally from El Salvador. She has three wonderful children and an amazing, supportive husband. Family is her greatest support system; she calls them her “A Team.” Now that her children have graduated from college, she is focused on building a better future for herself. She joined Literacy Volunteers at Family Centers to improve her English skills, speak and write with greater confidence, and build new friendships with fellow students and tutors.

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