Sharing cultures

BARSTOW • Tiago “Chia” Serapiao moved into Barstow residents Linda and Jeff Easons’ home nine short months ago. But he has blended into the Easons’ family so much, it’s as if he’s always lived there.

Seventeen-year-old Serapiao, who enrolled in the American Field Services foreign exchange program, spent his time in Barstow winning tennis matches for Barstow High School, wrestling with the Easons’ sons, D.J. Cordova and Jacob Flores, and brushing up on his English. He shared the birth of Cordova’s daughter, and mourned the loss of Miguel Flores, the Easons’ oldest son. After nine months, it’s a different Serapiao who will begin his journey back home to Jundiai, Brazil, on Sunday — and a different Eason family who will say goodbye.

“It was a good experience,” Serpiao said. “I kind of grew up a little bit.”

Serapiao was initially nervous about coming to the United States. He has a small family that’s spread out all over Brazil, he said. His school in Brazil was about the size of the science building at Barstow High School, he had to wear a school uniform and instead of moving from class to class, his teachers came to him.

Negotiating his way around Barstow High School, Serapiao’s English improved, he joined the Key club and took advantage of the different opportunities to play sports. Serapiao played soccer, won the Desert Sky League singles title for tennis and joined the Easons in a softball league.

“In Brazil, it’s study and then go home,” he said. “Here, you can play sports, join clubs and try new things.”

Families who host foreign exchange students through the AFS program choose the student who will be sharing their home, said Tanya Concho, coordinator for the AFS Barstow Chapter. Foreign exchange students arrive in Barstow in August, a couple of weeks before school begins, and leave in June, after school lets out.

Linda Eason said she and her husband talked about hosting a foreign exchange student in the past, but they were too busy with their business, Straw Hat Pizza. When the Easons made their decision to host a student this year, they left it up to Cordova and Flores to decide who it should be.

“(Our mom said) choose someone you think you’d have fun with,” Flores said. “He’s into sports. He’s pretty fun to play around with.”

Leaving his host family and going home will be as much of as shock as his arrival in the U.S. was, Serapiao said. He has at least another semester of high school to finish, and after that he’ll begin college. But even though he wonders when he’ll see the Easons again, Serapiao said his father plans on bringing the whole family to Barstow for a visit. And the Easons say they’ll probably visit Brazil in the next year or so.

“I feel like I have two families now,” Serapiao said.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or jcejnar@desertdispatch.com