I would first like to acknowledge the involvement of the many kind members of the Latino community of Somerville. However, there are a few people who deserve a special thanks for the instrumental role they played in the research and project development.

Sidia Escobar and Yesenia Portillo, my partners from the AHORA program, who are wise beyond their years. You have both provided me with inspiration for the project as well as a greater connection to the Latino community of Somerville; I could never have done this without you. To the directors and staff of all the ESOL programs who guided me in my research, your work is invaluable and I greatly appreciate your willingness to participate in the project.

Many thanks must go to each and every one of the English language students that shared with me their time and their stories, for while I inquired about their motivations to learn English, they were truly my motivation for exploring the captivating impacts of English-language issues in the Latino community of Somerville.

My appreciation must also be extended to the Urban Borderland class, particularly Professor Deborah Pacini Hernandez and our “right-hand woman”, Rosaura Vega, who both provided endless support, organization, understanding and, of course, sanity, throughout a semester of intense and extremely gratifying work. To each and every contributor: Thank you.

Tufts' Urban Borderlands Class, Fall 2003