Community provides support for foreign workers
By Bridin Reynolds-Hughes (www.capegazette.com)
Oú est votre maison?
Dove è la vostra sede?
Kur irtavas majas?
This question, “Where is your home?” seems to bring infinite, international answers at the Delaware beaches this summer. Whether they are here perfecting their English, putting money in their pockets, or partying, thousands of foreign students are once again filling the local shores and stores.
In increasingly record numbers, international students are returning to the Cape Region summer after summer. What started as a friendly, mostly Irish invasion in the early 1990s now includes seasonal travelers from homes as diverse as Ukraine, Belarus and Lativia.
“I just love the United States. I love to come to the ocean,” said Lea Hanakova, a citizen of the Czech Republic, a landlocked country.
She and her friend Kamila Hruba continue to come to the area because of the hospitality and opportunities provided by their employer Chip Hearn, a local entrepreneur who owns Peppers hot sauce store and the Ice Cream Store in Rehoboth. Hearn has played a major role in helping foreign college students make a temporary home in the resorts. “All of our kids arrive with their arrangements set. They are invaluable to us,” said Hearn. Hearn and many employers appreciate the international influx both for their work ethic and their length of stay. As opposed to U.S. universities, European colleges take leave from late May to late September, giving employers a crucial few extra weeks of the students’ time
“That was the reason we came back; they were so nice to arrange things, excited to have us back. Chip provides the house and we work at both stores,” said Hanakova, smiling and unphased by the dozens of customers seeking ice cream on a sweltering August evening. “This is not even busy. We love when it is busy; it is fun. Everyone is nice,” said Hruba. While it is not obvious by their summer uniforms, both of the young women have completed college and are pursuing advanced degrees. Hanakova is a graduate of the Masaryk University law school and Hruba is pursuing an MBA at the University of Economics Faculty of International Affairs in Sydney.
“I am a lawyer in my country. Being here helps me with English, and I have nothing to worry about here except working and having fun,” said Hanakova. She hopes to find an internship with a law firm this fall before returning to Europe. “I know our law is different but I want to learn more about your system,” said Hanakova
“This is the best way to learn the language,” said Hruba. The continued proliferation of Eastern Europeans, however, does not help on that front. “Last year we had to speak English all the time; now we can hear our language almost everywhere,” said Hruba. “We have to make ourselves speak English to keep learning.” Hruba also holds three jobs because she is saving to return to school. “Every day they are laughing at me saying, ‘Do you have the right T-shirt?’ as I run in,” said Hanakova
The Czech women are not the only foreign friends to find the Delaware beaches together and continue returning. Three years ago, friends Paul Staunt and Paul Scannell, natives of Cork County, Ireland, found their way to Rehoboth Beach after landing in New York City. “There was a bus leaving for Rehoboth so we got on it,” said Scannell. He has been a lifeguard at North Shores each summer. “Rehoboth has a good reputation as a fun place and a place to make money,” he said. However, Scannell and Staunt are in conflict for the best reason to keep coming to the Delaware beaches.
“The weather,” said Skannell as Staunt simultaneously responded, “The women.”
Both lads also have college degrees waiting at home but enjoy coming to Delaware each summer as they work through their universities. They both appreciate the learning opportunities offered by traveling and have taken time to travel to Washington, D.C., San Diego, New York City and Philadelphia. “Delaware is a great place to be and to travel from; we have been able to see many lovely places,” said Skannell.
Over the last decade, the Cape community has come to embrace the international workers. Those that arrive, some without the benefit of employment and housing arrangements, have found resources at places such as the library, the chamber of commerce and even local churches.
“I really feel they bring a joy and dedication to their work. Even if it is menial labor they show pride; I see a nice spirit and I think it has positive effect,” said Rev. Max Wolf, whose All Saint’s Parish helped several foreigners find housing and jobs this summer.
Marge LaFond, director of the Rehoboth Beach Library, concurs with Wolf. “I really think they are an asset to our unique summer community. I think the library is the first stop for many of them to get acclimated and get in touch with people at home online,” she said. To help accommodate the students’ desire for inexpensive internet access, the library purchased a pager system this year. With a library card, which costs $15 for out of state, or in this case, out-of-continent residents, internet access is free. However, there is usually a waiting line for the 10 computers. When the library learned that there was such high demand, they decided the pager system would improve their services and their environment. The restaurant style pagers work in a close radius to the library. Once checked in, library patrons can even run errands near by such as going to the post office while they wait to be paged.
“I use the computers to read the newspapers at home and email friends and family,” said Mihai Balaj, a native of Roamnia and returning Rehoboth worker. “I don’t mind the wait.”
Balaj is working at the Atlantic Seafood Company in The Atlantic Sands Hotel for his second summer. He also used the internet to line up his job again this summer. “Last year I was a food runner and then waiter. I checked with the manager and he said to come back,” said Balaj, now an economics major at a university in Switzerland.
“These are students and especially at this time of the year they are thinking about their school responsibilities,” said LaFond. She said many of them ask for copies of the TOFEL test, an English as a second language test, and use other resources of the library. “I feel good about the library’s role in supporting them. The pagers help with that. They don’t have to sit right here in the lobby and wait to be called. They are checking out books and playing CDs.” For the second year in a row, the library is keeping an informal poll of where the young people hail from with a global map at the front desk for them to mark their hometown. While the Emerald Isle continues to have the majority of pinpoints, the points are spreading. “It has become very concentrated with Eastern Europeans,” said LaFond.
When they are not working, not studying and not traveling, the foreign workers take full advantage of the popular spots.
“It is odd; it is cheaper to eat badly here - the burgers, the pizza, the sweets. Healthy food is very expensive here,” said Staunt, who works at Candy Kitchen. Skannell agreed but admits some of the foods he misses most from home - Irish bacon, Irish sausage - are not exactly on the heart healthy list. “Also, ‘Taytos, I really miss ‘Taytos,” said Staunt of a brand of potato chips only available in Ireland.
Hanakova and Hruba also feel healthy meals are hard to find while working downtown. “I like Subway and we shop for good food,” said Hruba. Yet, no one is immune to the pizza perfume in downtown at the beach. “Louie’s is class. The people know us, they have a mushroom slice ready before I speak. It is typical stuff like anyone here - people treat us the same, nice,” she said. The girls are also well known at the bars nearby their Van Dyke Street home. “We have the beach. We have the Rudder. It is perfect,” said Hruba, whose only lament is the state’s 1 a.m. last call law. “We are just getting out of work. We want to dance,” she said.
