World’s Best Dad
I come home from school
exhausted after a long day and go
straight to take a nap at 5.Dad
comes home and my day gets a little
brighter. “Sophia, we should go get
something to eat, anywhere you
want” he says with a smile. We went
to a restaurant and I had an
awesome day. Later , he brings me
to the target. My dad, Avelino
Carolino, is a strong, independant,
kind person. Born in Portugal, he
came to America at the age of 11. He
has gone through a lot in his long
and happy life. I recently sat down
and talked with him about coming
to america.
us at a resurant
Tell me about you childhood in avelino with his soccer
team
Portugal .
It was very relaxing, a small
village in Chaves Portugal where
we lived off the land. There were a
lot of animals like cows, horses,
dogs and sheep. We got 90% of our
food there, and we harvested our
own food.
What did the village look like?
It was an old house made out
of stone .It was beautiful. I really
miss it. It looked so calming,
mountains, lakes and rivers.
Villages were made of rock.3-8
people lived in one house. The
village had about 1,000 people. The
center of town was where all the
stores were.
What was the How was
hardest part school
for you to different in
adjust to in America?
America?
Schools
There was were more
a whole organized and it
different was easier.
Avelino sking with What did you enjoy most about
friends the new culture ?
I enjoyed the different toys that
my mom and dad could buy. My
favorite game was pac man and
the brands,Levi jeans and Nike
sneakers.
What did you most dislike about
coming to america ?
I disliked kids making fun of me
because I didn't speak English.
Kids thought I was a weirdo
because I didn't speak the
language; I dressed differently,
and I looked different. I was a
stranger to them.
Did you find others who spoke
portuguese?
Yes, there was a group of us in
Milford, about ten of them,
boys and girls, and we would
gradually turn to English.
Was it difficult to make friends
in school?
Yes, because we didn't speak
the language so it was difficult