From the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):

Know Your Rights -- Immigrant Rights

The ACLU was founded in 1920 and has a long (and sometimes controversial) history of defending the civil liberties of individuals and organizations. In 1919 and 1920, then Attorney General Mitchell Palmer ordered the roundup and deportation of thousands of so-called "radicals". People were unlawfully arrested in violation of their constitutional rights to due process, and they were frequently treated with brutality and detained under abysmal conditions.

A group of concerned people decided to take a stand, and that marks the birth of the ACLU. Since then, the organization has grown to over 1.1 million members; hundreds of staff lawyers; thousands of volunteer attorneys; and offices all over the country as well as in Puerto Rico.

In the face of today's turmoil and targeting of immigrants, the ACLU continues its fight against government abuse and in defense of freedom of speech and religion, due process, the right to privacy, etc.

If you're an immigrant, please take a look at the main site of the ACLU. They offer constructive advice should you be subjected to various problematic situations: for example, if you're questioned about your immigration status; if you're stopped by the police or ICE; if the police or ICE show up at your home; if you need a lawyer; if you're detained at the border, etc. Of course, this information is important to all of us as we try to mold a society built on justice and empathy.

Other Helpful Sites: 

* ACLU / Massachusetts

* ACLU / MA Legal Assistance

* Know your rights in the face of other types of discrimination (voting rights, sex discrimination, disability rights, LGBTQ rights, etc.)

* The Immigrant Defense Hotline : Free legal advice to immigrants facing threats, e.g. raids or mass deportations. Call 617-988-0606

Happenings at St. Mark's:

Update from Our Director, Mike Oliver

It has been a tough couple of months for the English program. The chaos in Washington has caused many of our students to leave the program. We are doing what we can to hold on to those that remain.

Should this full scale assault on immigrants continue, recruiting students will become challenging.

The federal grant from USCIS that we have with MIRA to offer a 9-week English and Citizenship program for intermediate speakers was briefly frozen. Thankfully, we are now recruiting for the following English for Citizenship classes:

**Somerville Library, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10AM-12:30PM  beginning on March 18th;

**Codman Square Library in Dorchester, Mondays and Fridays 12:30PM - 3:00 PM, beginning on March 24th;

**North Quincy Library, Tuesdays 6:00PM-8:30PM and Saturdays 9:30AM-12:00PM , beginning March 29th.

For more information , contact Mike at mike@stmarksesol.org

On an up note, Laurette Louis, a level 3 student, was accepted into Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center’s Customer Service Program. We're very happy about that! We also continue to make contact with organizations like Mass Hire, Immigrant Family Services Institute, the Asian American Civic Association, and Quincy Asian Resource Institute. These connections can help our students find employment.

Our volunteer-led Spring citizenship classes began on March 1st . Fifty six committed folks are giving their time to help immigrants achieve their dreams. Many of the classes are in libraries. Current offerings are at the Roslindale, Medford, Copley, Codman Square, Grove Hall, Somerville and Brighton locations. In addition, two classes are online and another is at the Arlington Center for Adult Education. 

MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS

Contributed by Marion Williams-Bennett  (who is also one of our valued volunteers)

This Month's Volunteer Profiles: Aging Well by Giving Back

Research shows that staying connected, having a sense of purpose, and fostering belonging contribute to well-being as people age. At St. Mark’s Community Education Program, senior volunteers are experiencing this firsthand—not only finding joy in giving back but

also enriching the lives of those they serve. Through organizations like Boston’s Age Strong Commission and AmeriCorp Senior

Volunteers program, these dedicated individuals have joined St. Mark’s ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, supporting English learners across the city. Each volunteer has their own reasons for getting involved, but they all share a deep

sense of community and fulfillment through their work.

Pat McGuire, a new volunteer, enjoys helping students feel more comfortable speaking English through everyday conversations. “We talk about family, the weather, food—anything that gets them talking,” she says. “If you want a satisfying volunteer job, this is an excellent place. Everyone wants the best for everyone else, and there’s

wonderful energy.”

Deirdre Murphy, who joined St. Mark’s through the Age Strong Commission in 2023, volunteers twice a week in ESOL classes. “In my role, I work closely with students who need extra support—whether it’s reading, grammar, speaking aloud, or simply building

confidence,” she says. She also assists in St. Mark’s citizenship preparation sessions, helping green card holders study for their naturalization exam. “In these classes, the lead teacher and I

share responsibilities, ensuring that students are as prepared as possible for their upcoming interviews.”

Laverne Burton, who began volunteering last year, helps facilitate small group discussions, allowing students to practice English in a supportive environment. “I enjoy making a difference that will last a lifetime for the students,” says Laverne. “They are very positive and work very hard toward mastering the English language. It’s

a great way to meet and help people from different parts of the world.”

For Bill Valentine, volunteering with St. Mark’s ESOL program is a full-circle moment. “I started my career as an ESOL teacher with the Peace Corps years ago,” says Bill. “St. Mark’s program offered me the opportunity to return to teaching adults English. I also get to work alongside other committed volunteers as we help newly arrived

immigrants learn the language.”

Through their dedication, these senior volunteers are making a meaningful impact—not only in their students’ lives but in their own.

“What truly excites me about this program is the transformational moment—that instant when a student who has been struggling suddenly understands,” says Deirdre. “Witnessing that lightbulb moment brings me so much joy. This experience has deepened my appreciation for the incredible resilience of those who come to the U.S., often making difficult sacrifices in pursuit of democracy, opportunity, and a better future for their families.”

EXPLORING ENGLISH: CAPITONYMS

All languages have rules and oddities. English is no exception. Last month, we looked at homophones -- a category of words where clusters of words have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings -- e.g. sent, scent, and cent or they're, their, and there.

This month we'll be looking at capitonyms, an interesting category of words that most of us have likely never thought about. The following pair of words is an example of capitonyms. What do you notice?

turkey

Turkey

As we can see, the two words are pronounced the same and have the same spelling. But the meanings are different based on whether or not the word is capitalized.

Now take a look at the words august and August, another set of capitonyms. The pattern is a bit different from turkey/Turkey.

Like turkey/Turkey, august and August are spelled the same and have different meanings based on whether or not they're capitalized. But unlike turkey/Turkey, which have the same pronunciation, august and August are not pronounced the same. For the adjective "august", which means respected, distinguished, the stress is on the second syllable. For the month August (which happens to be a noun), the stress is on the first syllable. Listen here for the pronunciations (note that for each word, the site will first offer the pronunciation in British English, and then offer the pronunciation in American English).

Here's a review of what we've now learned about capitonyms:

Spelling: Same (except that one word in the pair is capitalized and the other word isn't)

Meaning: Different, based on whether the word is or isn't capitalized

Pronunciation: In some cases, the same; in some cases, different

Check out the fun little story below. It has 7 pairs of capitonyms. Underline the pairs and determine whether the pronunciation for each pair is the same or different (answers are towards the end of the newsletter). Enjoy!!

In August, an august Polish man named Frank was in Bologna, Italy, eating a bologna sandwich. He had traveled to Italy from China. While in China, he purchased a lot of gorgeous antique china and several expensive silver spoons. To be frank, he didn't like to polish silver, but his wife didn't mind doing it. In May, Frank and his wife may travel to a beautiful hamlet in France, where they plan to see a performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet and drink red wine.

Please explore the links below if you'd like to read more about us, make a tax-free donation, or consider volunteering:

If you have any upcoming events, programs, or information you'd like to share, please get in touch with Robin: robin@stmarksesol.org

Answers to the Capitonym Pairs:

1) August/august (not pronounced the same)

2) Polish/polish (not pronounced the same)

3) Frank/frank (same pronunciation)

4) Bologna/bologna (not pronounced the same)

5) China/china (same pronunciation)

6) May/may (same pronunciation)

7) hamlet/Hamlet (same pronunciation)