From Bangkok To Bloomfield

Stepping off the flight, servicing Bangkok to Detroit, and into Detroit Metro Airport was one
small step for most passengers, but one giant leap for Freshman Suchat Jankaew, who was
entering a country completely foreign to him and whose language he could not speak. Jankaew
moved with his mom, Suprane Pholthorn, from Bangkok, Thailand to Michigan after living for the
first 15 years of his life in Thailand's capital and knowing no other language than Thai.
Jankaew and his mom were optimistic about moving to America despite knowing they would
be held back by the language barrier. Not only does Thai have a completely different alphabet
from English, it uses symbols instead of letters. Jankaew faces this language barrier everyday in
addition to adjusting to American life.
Here there are many things new to me, I am not used to it. I am not always comfortable with
it, said Jankaew, through BHHS Thai-American student Junior Pathiphon Mahimha. Mahimha,
as well as Jankaews family friend, Bungon Jamjumohs, both speak Thai and English fluently
and served as translators for interviews with Jankaew and his mom. The important thing is
learning English to communicate. Jankaew is enrolled in basic classes as well as English
Second Language class (ESL).
With the help of ESL teacher Joanna Tecsa, Suchat has begun learning English. My
students need to learn English, that is the most Important thing, said Tecsa. No other teacher
will have time to explain things to students like Suchat. No matter how willing they are, they
can't just pull him away and try to teach him in the middle of a general education class. That is
what I do here. When Suchat came here we first worked on days if the week, months of the
year, numerals, and things like how to write the date. Those things seem so unimportant for an
American student, but they make such a difference for a foreign student.
Both Suchats mom and Tecsa believe the best way for him to learn English is to make friends.
Suchat needs to talk with people, and get comfortable with the language. He can speak Thai
and a little English, but other people can not speak any Thai so he has to use what ever English
he can, said Pholthorn. I want to send Suchat to an American college, so we are planning to
stay here a long time. Jankaew and his mom are taking an English class, hosted by Oakland
University, together this summer. But for now Suchat has his ESL community to rely on.
These students that come here from all around the world are lost among people who speak a
different language. They are aware of the fact that they have an accent, that they make
mistakes so they prefer to not interact with English speakers, because they are afraid. They are
lost at sea, and the ESL classroom is their lighthouse. Thats where they come and even if they
dont understand what other people say they realize that they are surrounded by people that are
in the same situation as them, said Tecsa.
Coming to America for school was Suchats first transatlantic journey, but the idea of going to
a foreign country did not scare him. I was not nervous to come to America, but I did not know
what to expect, said Jankaew. The schools here are different, in Thailand I had eight classes a
day and started later. There were also not as many clubs and sports to do. In Thailand after
school I would go to the temples and watch the Buddhist monks.
The change in cultural environments for foreign students can throw them off, so the ESL
curriculum not only focuses on language education. I also teach my students about American

traditions, customs, holidays and I teach them how to live in this community. There are so many
different cultural things and they come here and don't know about anything, said Tecsa.
For Suchat, one of those unknown things about Michigan was its weather. Coming from a
place where the average temperature, according to USA Today, is 84 degrees Jankaew was not
used to Michigans freezing temperatures. The most surprising thing here is the weather, said
Jankaew. I had never seen snow before, Thailand is always hot.
Thailand is known for its exotic environment and festive traditions, but not for its political
tensions and most recently its declaration of martial law. I wanted to move here so Suchat
could get a better education and because I was tired of the government in Thailand. Said
Pholthorn. There was no violence in the area we lived, but people would protest and I became
very tired of it all.
Jankaew has seemingly adopted America as his own home and has plans to serve in the
Military. I would like to be a doctor in the Military after college, said Jankaew. My [stepfather]
is a doctor and he travels across Asia assisting people in need. Jankaews father and brother
both still live in Thailand. His brother is attending a University there. Jankaew and his mother
have not seen him since they moved but they still keep in contact. I email my brother often, and
my mom talks with him twice a week, said Jankaew. I am planning to visit Thailand in the
summer, but I want to live in America because Thailand is very chaotic right now.