Story: Respect

One day in April, a new student named MinLing arrived at La Esperanza School at just 11 years old. His heart raced at such a young age, feeling scared and timid as he had to face a new culture and new classmates. He only understood the basics of the language. When his teacher introduced him to the group, she said, «Children, I present a new classmate who comes from very far away with his family, from a continent called Asia.» Everyone looked at him attentively—some in admiration of his bravery, others with a desire to get to know him. However, there were those who exchanged looks and laughed. One of them imprudently said, «Teacher, I would like to ask Minmin if it’s true that all little Chinese people eat dogs.» The teacher looked at the child calmly and went to the board, drew a globe, and pointed to the continents, saying, «Look, on our planet, we have five continents: ours, America, and also Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. MinLing comes from the Asian continent, specifically from South Korea.» She showed them where China and South Korea were on the map, clarifying that he is not Chinese but Korean. She immediately asked the boy, «Are you Mexican?» The boy responded promptly, «No, I’m Colombian. So, you don’t like being called from another country?» The boy again said to his teacher, «No, I am from Colombia.» The teacher then said, «Well, just as you like to be called Colombian, he likes to be called Korean. That’s why it’s important to listen first, and if he doesn’t say where he’s from, you can ask him. Besides, it doesn’t matter where we are from; we are all citizens of the world, and people deserve respect.» She also told them that his name is Minling, not Minmin. If he forgets, they can ask again, or he can spell it on the board. She asked Jair, «Do you like being called Jaja?» The boy sighed and said, «No, my name is Jair, and I like my name.» The teacher explained that Minling also likes his name and asked, «What makes you different from him?» Jair looked sadly at the floor. The teacher told Jair that in Colombia, people eat snakes, mojojoy, frog legs, guinea pigs, big-bottomed ants, possums, and many other foods depending on the region and culture. She asked, «Why judge the gastronomy of each region?» Jair looked at the teacher with tears and said, «Sorry, teacher.» She responded, «No, my child, you don’t need to apologize to me, but to Minling. I invite you to be a host and learn about the cultural richness of his homeland. Likewise, teach him the riches of this country, and both can learn. Remember, rewarding bonds are formed when we respect differences, look at each other with humanity, regardless of race, status, profession, social class, religion, or gender.» The teacher looked at the group and said, «Children, this is not just for Jair; it’s a lesson for everyone.» And please, Jair, tomorrow, I need you to present to your classmates about the value of respect.

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT:

The boys and girls must research the following topic.

What is respect?

What are the types of respect?

How is the value of respect demonstrated?

What feeling do you have when you are disrespected?

Have you ever disrespected someone? Who was it, and how did you disrespect them?

What is your commitment in life?