3,585 Miles to be an American Girl (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780999397800)

Nury (Castillo) Crawford is originally from Peru, South America. She migrated to Columbus, Indiana at the age of ten along with her family. Her father, mother, sister and newborn baby brother all arrived to live with her uncle and aunt in their home; with nothing, but the luggage they brought with them. The first year, as it is for many children who migrate to America, was very challenging for the entire family. Many times children have to learn to deal with the challenges themselves at school since adults have their own benchmarks to meet. When Nury arrived, no one spoke Spanish at the school nor did she speak any English. ESOL classes were non-existent in 1979 at Mount Healthy Elementary. Her younger sister appeared to encounter a more difficult transition and her brother was three months old. Her father began working the following week. Both her parents enrolled in English courses at the local community college, my mother taking the baby to class with her. By the end of the first year, her parents had enough money to buy a used car and move out of their relatives' home. They eventually moved to Florida. Nury completed her bachelor's degree, master's degree, got married, had her first son and began teaching by the age of 24. Nury currently resides in metro Atlanta and has dedicated her life to the education of children. As the population changes, she has found yet another thread in common with many children and families migrating from Spanish speaking countries. She finds satisfaction helping all children find their strengths and self-confidence. Through the message of love, perseverance, and confidence she is a true believer in having the power of making a change.