Francisco Townsend From Chile

The I In Immigrant

Francisco Townsend met his wife after the YMCA in Valparaiso, Chile, where he worked, made connections with the YMCA in Valparaiso, Indiana. Students from Indiana would come to Chile on a student exchange program, which is how they met. She lived in Chile with him for a while, but Francisco felt it was only fair for him to try living in the United States, where she could be closer to her family.
When he moved to the United States, Francisco didn’t speak English, but that didn’t stop him from working and attending college. After graduating in 2011, he went to work for the YMCA again. Francisco has done many jobs for the YMCA in Fort Wayne and continues to serve through his work there.
Francisco explores what it's like to raise Chilian-American children in the United States and he explains why he tells them speaking Spanish is a superpower. Francisco and host, Ahmed Abelmageed, talk about the relief of gaining citizenship, the difficulties of learning a new language, and the importance of remaining positive.

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