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Civic Participation & Citizenship Collection

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Isolation in a Small Town
Martie Majoros, Project LIFT, Hillsboro, NH

Program/Area Description
Hillsboro, New Hampshire is a small rural community with a population of about 4,500. There is one large employer in the town and residents often travel at least thirty minutes to neighboring towns to seek employment and services. The high school drop out rate and the number of teen pregnancies are both much higher than the state average. Perhaps because of these figures, the town boasts a committed group of citizens - many of whom have been long time residents who are working to revitalize the downtown area to improve the schools and to foster economic growth. The library plays an active role in these efforts and offers a variety of programming that serves all segments of the community. Eight years ago the library initiated Project LIFT, an adult literacy program. Today, the program continues to provide individual and small group instruction for eligible adults through the use of trained community volunteers

Recently there has been an increase in the number of "outsiders" moving to Hillsboro. Families from larger cities, as well as refugees and immigrants, are relocating to this small rural town. As in many rural communities, newcomers have moved to Hillsboro to escape what are often viewed as negative aspects of the city. Their reasons for moving are varied, but a common thread seems to be the pursuit of a calmer lifestyle in a town where they are able to experience a sense of community. How will these changes in population affect the town as it struggles to develop into a community that includes everyone? And what are the challenges that are associated with that challenge?

Sourcebook Use
For Luis, a young Hispanic man who moved from New York City to Hillsboro two years ago, the challenges of prejudice and isolation he faces are real and ones that he encounters frequently in his everyday life. As a student in Project LIFT, Luis has spent the last year preparing for the GED. Prompted by his question, "Why is the New Hampshire primary such a big deal?" I introduced several activities and readings from the Civic Participation and Community Action Sourcebook.* Throughout the next few months, these selections, combined with Luis' comments and questions, guided our discussions as we talked about the New Hampshire primary and researched how and where to vote. Luis identified those issues that were important to him - guns, violence, drugs, and pollution - and decided how to choose a candidate who represented his values. In the process, I began to see Luis involved in a journey in which he discovered more about himself, his community, and his definitions of community.

The final month was spent comparing the two communities that Luis refers to as home -- New York City and Hillsboro. It was then that Luis expressed his feelings of isolation and powerlessness and began to talk about stereotypes and prejudice. He wrote about one instance in which he felt he had been 'singled out' because he is a young Hispanic male. He talked about being "out of touch" with the community and his perceived inability to change that.

Adapting the "Identifying Power" exercise from the Sourcebook, I asked Luis to think about those areas of his life where he felt he had power and the areas he did not feel he had power. I suggested that activity because I thought it might be the first step in bridging the gap between feeling isolated from the community to feeling a part of it. In our conversations, Luis talked openly about those aspects of his life that he felt diminished his ability to be considered a member of the community. These included the way he would be perceived for his lack of education, his ethnic background, and his income level. It seemed as though Luis had internalized a sense that he needed to measure up to some white, middle class "norm," or he would have nothing to offer the community. I hoped that through this exercise, Luis would begin to define himself more through his own perceived strengths and skills, rather than letting the community define him.

Teaching Reflections
At times, the overall process felt like a journey of discovery for both Luis and myself. For although the discussion began with Luis' question about the New Hampshire primary, it led quickly to issues that were personally important to him: from guns and crime, to why he moved to New Hampshire, to dealing with prejudice and isolation in a small New England town, to those characteristics of himself that give him power, to what he can do to feel more connected to the community. The discussions, and activities we pursued seemed to offer Luis a chance to think about where he lives, as well as ideas for action that will help him feel more connected to the community in the future. It seems that he is laying the groundwork for the next step.

Additional Strategies
Often individuals feel disconnected from their community because they see it as a closed system to which they have nothing to offer or which does not welcome their contributions. Identifying community resources, increasing one's knowledge of their community and acknowledging our personal strengths are ways to encourage community participation. Literacy programs in rural areas can foster participation by providing safe opportunities for students to interact and get to know one another. Potluck dinners, volunteer opportunities within the program or community and reading discussion groups are just a few activities that can serve as the first step to increased comfort and involvement in the community.

Luis also faced the barrier of encountering prejudice in his community. We explored this some through the use of Sourcebook and, if the timing were right, could have branched into activities to raise awareness and combat stereotypes in the community.

Lessons Learned
While discussing community participation in a one-on-one situation in a rural setting may present barriers, it also contains advantages. In an individualized setting, it may be easier to get to know the student and to discover those issues that are most important to them. There is also the freedom to discuss concerns as they arise. This may be frustrating because the tutor may feel like they are jumping from one thing to the next. But thinking of the process as a journey may help. Where you think you are going when you start out may not be the same place that you end up. But chances are it will be the right place for the student.

LUIS' STORY
I remember one evening when I went to Cumberland Farms. I went in there to look for a different kind of soda, because around town, they all have the same kind of Pepsi and Coca Cola. I was looking for something different. I was searching and searching in the soda section and I couldn't find anything. The man that works there was following me around. He was looking me up and down. He was getting closer and closer. He approached to me and asked, "Do you need any help?"

I reacted quickly and said, "Sir, do you think I'm going to steal something?" I lost it, and I felt hurt inside. I was mad that day.

It is terrible when somebody treats you like a thief, right away, without even knowing you. It is because a lot of people are prejudiced. The reason I wrote this story is for people not to judge me. You don't know if a heart is good or bad.

--Luis Rodriguez

Ways in to Thinking about Our Connections to the Community
1. What does community mean to you?

2. What do you need to know about the community you live in?

* Civic Participation and Community Action Sourcebook Activities Used Throughout Unit:
Ways in to Thinking about Community, p. 21
Talking about Power, p. 24
Who Votes?, p. 55
Myths and Facts about Gun Control, p. 63
Prejudice in a Small Town, p. 89

Editor's note: Whose Point of View?, on p. 125, offers another set of activities that could be used to help Luis consider his experience from multiple perspectives and to think about how it might shape his sense of "community."

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