IG: @KRISTEL_INC

Kristel Becares
Illustrator

Re: Childhood Stories

My family and I immigrated to the United States mid January, so I was jumping into 2nd grade in the middle of the school year. I remember feeling really nervous being the new kid, but after years of watching American movies and TV, I was excited to be at a real American school. After meeting the teacher and introducing myself to my classmates, I sat down at an empty desk. I waited for class to start, but all of a sudden a radio speaker turned on. A voice had greeted us good morning and to “please rise for the pledge of allegiance”. I had no idea what that was. All the kids stood up from their desk, put their hands on their chest, and everyone including the teacher recited some words that I couldn’t understand. I stayed sitting and just watched everyone else, super confused. I wondered if I should just get up and copy what everyone else was doing, but then the cult-like chanting ended and everyone sat back down. I waited for the teacher, or anyone, to explain what just happened, but class carried on without a mention of it. I wouldn’t understand the purpose of the pledge of allegiance, or even confidently recite them back, until many months later.