A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

child care resources at home. 432 Teenage mothers are encouraged to attend an alternative school, but
limited space and transportation pose hurdles. 433
Changed Community Structure
Compared to life in Liberia, the greater isolation that Liberians experience in the United States is also
a significant challenge. One interviewee living in Minnesota stated:
When I came here I thought it would be just like back home, where I could
see my friends all the time, where the community would be so close. But
people don’t realize how spread out everyone here is. It’s easy to get isolated
– I have friends I haven’t seen in ten years. 434
Isolation from others and loss of regular community support falls particularly heavily on elderly
members of the Liberian diaspora. Older members of the community report feelings of isolation and
longing for the social interaction common in Liberia. They report that many members of the diaspora
community have adopted an American lifestyle of keeping to themselves and not becoming involved
with their neighbors. 435
Elderly Liberian women are particularly vulnerable to hardship in adjusting to an American lifestyle.
Because they may be illiterate and lack a formal education, they tend to be more disconnected
from society. Even if they do attend community events, full participation remains a challenge. The
programs may be printed in English and exclude those who cannot read. 436 Even basic tasks involved
in attending public events may present an obstacle. A community service provider described the social
experiences of one of her literacy students:
[A]ll the time she went to events, she had to ask a child to take her to the
bathroom, because she did not know if it was a woman or man’s bathroom,
so she couldn’t distinguish between bathrooms. 437
Elderly women often live with their adult children and tend to assume the role of homemakers and
child caretakers. Within the home, illiteracy and adjustment issues continue to pose a challenge for
this population. For example, elderly women may not know how to use the telephone, dial 911, or call
for help in an emergency. 438 As caretakers, elderly women are isolated within the confines of the home.
This circumstance is especially difficult as it represents a major shift from their lifestyles in Liberia.
According to one community leader, many of these women formerly were respected leaders with
pivotal roles in the family, community, and the marketplace. 439 In the United States, one interviewee
stated, “they’re just lost.” 440
353
Chapter Thirteen