Before Ehtalow Zar’s students could sample the porridge their teacher had prepared for them, they had to answer a question.
“Why do you guys think this is our traditional Karen food?” she asked them.
One student raised her hand and suggested that it was a tradition that evolved in the jungle.
Their teacher agreed, noting that in those days Karen people did not have much access to rice, meat, or vegetables. “So our elders will cook this meal so everybody can have some, so we don’t have to cook food separately,” she said.
Classes like this one at St. Paul’s Johnson High School — where a group of mostly Karen students learn about Karen language and culture — have become more and more popular in Twin Cities schools in recent years. In addition to this advisory — like a homeroom — Ehtalow Zar teaches a Karen language class for Karen speakers. Johnson students attend in person, and students from several other St. Paul high schools attend virtually.
The push for heritage language programs has grown as charter schools have developed programs honoring the cultures and languages of immigrant communities, and students and parents have asked school districts to create these programs, too.