Susan Neate
Final Reflection paper
Crossing the Border through Service Learning
Dr. Griselda Tilley-Lubbs
December 2007
Prior to taking the Crossing the Border class, my opinion of Latino immigrants was that citizens lived in desperate conditions in their home countries and came here because of survival needs or the desire to provide a better life for their children and selves. I neglected to ponder how they came to settle in this particular area, what they experienced in their travels here, or what factors played a part in determining whether they chose to permanently relocate here or return to their native country. Since the beginning of the semester, I feel that my depth of knowledge regarding Latinos broadened. Even though there is still much to learn and understand, doors of awareness have been unlocked and my conversational Spanish proficiency has risen.
In our readings we analyzed what genre of people were most expected to immigrate and why. With heavy governmental corruption and lack of stable employment, creating a positive life for a family proves challenging for many Latinos. Laura relayed to me that her husband used to drive around a construction truck selling various equipment to whom ever would buy it. She said oftentimes there would be days where nothing would get sold and income was exceedingly unpredictable. In addition to instability in income, oftentimes it is difficult for families to obtain proper medical care, sanitary drinking water, and schooling to sustain a hale and hearty family. This is especially true according to Dr. T-L’s Research on the History of Latino Immigrants for many Central American Latinos, where the average American cat consumes a healthier diet than the Central American human. In this class I learned that many of the Hondurans were hit extremely hard by Hurricane Mitch, a major cause for Honduran immigration.
We read about what characteristics are attributed to the archetypal United States Latino immigrant. Bustamente, et. al states individuals with contacts, friends or families who are already living in the States will be more likely to forego the risks of a crossing. Contrary to my previous beliefs, he also explains these are usually skilled workers who come from middle class homes. They have an average level of education and do not typically come from extremely large or small families. I had previously assumed that the people most likely to cross would be those in desperate need of fleeing extremely impoverished domestic situations.
For
several individuals living near the border going back and forth between
If
we look back through immigration history, we can note several occurrences where
a people’s survival depended on moving to another area. Take for example the Japanese workers who
settled in
For those who are
not experienced in border crossings, the journey is long and difficult. In the case of many Hondurans and Mexicans,
challenges include paying a high dollar for coyote services who may or may not
abandon them in their crossing.
Crossings include hiking across unforgiving deserts or forging across
the polluted, fast-moving
Cettaeu stated, “Life is a constant crossing of borders.” For Latinos this declaration implies much more than just a change in physical space. First of all, Latinos must bridge the border between American and their native culture. Adjustments in one’s speech and actions are necessary. For example, my Puerto Rican student was suspended for telling a girl she had a fat butt. He claimed it was aimed to be a compliment, but the girl took it as a serious put down. Several of the other girls in the high school felt a little demeaned by his extremely open sexual approaches. Having lived in a Latin American country, I can empathize a little with how the girls felt. I can also understand how my student’s pointing out the girl’s features was his way of letting her know he had noticed her.
This same student
also had a difficult time adjusting to the community lay out. Having a car is almost a necessity for seeing
friends and participating in extracurricular activities in
Crossing the language barrier gave this student difficulty as well, not socially but academically. His listening and speaking skills were superb, but his reading and writing skills were atrocious. Like the majority of non-native English speakers conversational speech is learned quickly and naturally, because it is necessary to use in everyday communicative situations; academic language, however, is obscure and difficult to derive meaning from. Immigrants experience high levels of anxiety in the classroom unless content in presented in meaningful, interesting ways. Even in co-taught classes with modified assignment, my student struggled to make even average grades.
Rather
than transcending the borders between Latino and American life, many immigrants
prefer to blend the two together.
Language, culture, and lifestyles merge.
Good examples of culture infusion are presented in daily media. Fifty years ago television, music, and the
big screen was limited to Caucasians; however, take a look at present day
popular stars: Selma Hiyak, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer
Lopez, Enrique Inglesias, Ricky Martin, and Shaquira. The number
of ethnic restaurants in the
In immigrants’ homes, like Laura’s you hear a mixture of Spanish and English in conversations. The family will watch Spanish and English television programs, and they wear American clothes with a little Latin flavor. They eat tortillas, empanadas, and pico de gallo, as well as pizza, chicken nuggets, and hamburgers. They listen to Latin and American music, and they attend Latin and American events. Laura and her family truly live bi-cultural lives.
While
many Latinos enjoy the benefits of living in the
Undocumented workers are repressed in many ways here in American. First of all, they are not allowed to get an I.D. or driver’s license. A friend of mine recently told me that their best worker who is Honduran is being forced to go back to his native country. He was caught driving without a license, and he can not afford the heavy fines he received. When Laura and I visited Maria S., she told me a story of how she was pulled over while driving one time. She said she was crying so hard, because she could not understand what the policeman was saying to her nor could she could not explain anything to the policeman about not having a license. She has not driven since that occurrence. Laura also told me about a negative experience her husband had when he got a ticket that was six hundred dollars. There is a Mexican woman who owns La Oficina Latina that claims to help Latinos with translation services in regards to taxes, bills, and lawyers. Oscar gave this woman the money to pay the ticket, but she kept it rather than sending it in, making Oscar “muy enojado.” Laura also had a friend in which that needed to pay her phone bill immediately, or the line would be cut off. That same woman took their money claiming she would use her credit card to pay it; however, she took the money and never took care of the bill. Laura told me several other stories about this same woman cheating undocumented workers out of their money. Laura also says there are so many others out there that are just like her, because they know can not really do much about it. She says that the woman’s husband is nice, however, and gave Oscar a construction job despite his wife’s protests.
In
addition to undocumented workers not being able to get a license, it is nearly
impossible for them to obtain a credit card or a mortgage loan to buy a
house. Laura claims they are getting
ready to move into a house in the next few months. Oscar had checked with a few banks who
refused, because he didn’t have papers; however Laura said they had finally
found a bank that would lend them the mortgage.
Yesterday I read an article about a former classmate that attended high
school and college with me. The article
stated that she recently went from being a high school Spanish teacher to
providing translation services for many companies in the
Another
way undocumented workers face discrimination is by access given to them to
pursue higher education. It is nearly
impossible to obtain a student loan, and most undocumented workers must pay
high out-of-state tuition prices. At the
VATESOL conference this year, I learned about how unfair the laws were,
especially for children who have been living here since a very young age. This is why I am now a huge supporter for the
passing of the DREAM Act. Immigrants who
do not have access to a higher education will only fall into the same cycle as
their parents, only being able to take low-paying service jobs. Fortunately,
according to
It
is an American misconception that Latino immigrants do not desire improve their
lives through education. Oftentimes they simply are unaware of how to obtain
this education in their community. Castellano’s article regarding teaching minority women was
extremely empowering for me. I one day
strive to become as strong of a teacher as she is. Through her classes she empowered motivated
students, especially adults, to rise from their impoverished situations by
means of education. Together they
analyzed and overcame their previous experiences of racial and sexual
discrimination and altered their former views that because they were minority
women, they would never get ahead in life.
Dr. T-L’s stories of working in the migrant
camps were equally inspiring. In the
future, I would like to visit other countries and offer education to those in
need like she had. As for now, here in
Many
Latino immigrants choose to live in communities rich in their native culture or
language. In
There
are two Latino churches on
The Williamson area is not exclusive to Latino immigrants. There are several Asian markets and restaurants, such as Double Dragon, Asian Wok, Asian Clothes, and even a Vietnamese barber shop. There is also a place to take Kung Fu and Tai Kwan Do. This tells me what most people already know; immigrants are more likely to live and work in lower-socioeconomic areas.
Even though there are many different types of Latin cultures that all live in the same neighborhood and speak the same language, there is tension among Hispanic cultures. As we know from our FLP program, contrary to many Americans’ beliefs, tensions lay between Hondurans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and other Latino groups. I am still not clear on all the reasons for this, but I remember our discussion about how many Hondurans felt they were endangered by Mexicans as they passed through during their crossing. I also know that many Puerto Ricans do not wish to be called wetbacks, because they are American citizens who are here by right. On our trip to Maria’s, however, her son and the Honduran neighbor’s son were playing cooperatively completely unaware of each others differences. I feel that by encouraging diversity education at an early age, we can stop large portions of biases before they start.
Friere discusses how power in government and the formation of policies is controlled by the wealthy. I think although this has been the case in past years, the face of American control is shifting. Latinos role in American policies and commerce is growing. There is a Cuban immigrant that sits on Bush’s cabinet now, head of the Department of Commerce. Just across the street from the church where we have the FLP
program, the principal of the
elementary school is Cuban. In recent
years the population of Latinos living in the
For this very reason, it is imperative that caring teachers and school employees are sensitive to practices that meet the needs of ethnic students. School secretaries need to be aware of how the last names of a student’s mother and father are combined to make the child’s last name, not only for Latino students but Vietnamese students as well. In addition , they should know other culture related issues practices regarding names. For example, Chinese students use their last name as their first names, and Indian students have one extremely long name. Errors in the entry of their names in records can cause confusion where transferring schools or entering names in databases.
In the classroom, teachers need to be inserviced on teaching models that are conducive for non-native English students. Moll and Greenberg discuss several of these practices that caring teacher offer to ethnic learners. First of all teacher must be receptive and motivated to meet their needs. Also teachers should aim to promote social justice and tolerance towards diverse people. Teachers should provide a learning environment that is safe, fair, and respectful towards all individuals. They should incorporate a curriculum that not only teaches students about American history and culture, but international history and culture as well.
Noddings emphasizes that teachers need to be competent in their content areas. This proves to be a challenge especially for English as Second Language instructors at the secondary level. They are responsible for providing comprehensible instruction in English but in subjects such as Algebra, Geometry, World History, Biology, Earth Science, and other academically laden subjects. Students’ success in these classes and on Standard of Learning tests is necessary for graduation. If they do not pass at least six SOL tests in these classes, they will be barred from receiving a diploma.
Teacher of all students, native and non-native English alike, should teach towards higher-order, critical thinking skills by using Bloom’s taxonomy. Because of restrictions placed on time by the SOL assessments, teachers oftentimes struggle to find the time in their classes to explore areas which require these critical thinking skills. It is imperative for educators to have high expectations that all of their students can be successful learners despite language barriers, minority status, socioeconomic differences, or learning disabilities. Assisting students in these areas is the essence of the No Child Left Behind Act. Each year students must meet target percentages in each of these subgroups to become to a fully accredited school. Each year the bar is raised higher and higher until one hundred percent of students are proficient in reading in math in the year 2010.
A common teaching practice for many teachers that is essential for English Language learners is the ability to tap into prior knowledge. This enables scaffolding upon what the students already know. It has been proven that when students can connect new information to what they already know, retention of the new information increases. Moll and Greenberg write that it important for the deficit model for language learners to be exported. A students’ home environment provide a wealth of untapped resources. Moll and Greenberg call this “funds of knowledge.” These community resources can be provide many uses in the classroom. For example, one article we read explained how the teacher used a parent’s expertise in construction to assist in a project for her math classroom. In my own classroom, I recently invited the parents’ of my Chinese students to come talk to the second grade. Of the SOL entails that students must learn about Chinese inventions, culture, and writing. The parent taught the children how to write some basic symbols and discussed Chinese culture and holidays.
Further strategies
for teaching ethic students are offered by Moll and Greenberg. I remember reading that teachers who follow
their students through schooling get to know their individual learning styles
and personalities better. I have
witnessed some teachers doing this for their classes for two grades at a
time. The practice is called looping. I learned last week that in
An added strategy for classroom teachers is to integrate language and content objectives into their curriculum. This model is called CALLA or SIOP. It has been proven that students learn English more readily when the language is not learned in isolation. By using content and language objectives simultaneously, English acquisition becomes more meaningful and interesting for their students. Content learning is also enhanced by using authentic materials. When students feel that the information that learning is applicable to their daily life or for their future success in the world, they are more likely to be motivated to learn. Good teachers investigate students’ interests and goals to make learning prescriptive and individualized, leading to more differentiation in the classroom.
There are several ways teachers can show children they are interested in their daily lives and various backgrounds. Last year, I started a Spanish club with American and Latinos that attended to learn or maintain the Spanish language. In addition, I have been involved in the preparation and execution of several diversity days. For example at one school we integrated SOL’s into a Trip around the World diversity day. It entailed presentations about the Greeks, Chinese, Africans, Latin Americans, Canadians, Egyptians, and Native Americans. We also had an assembly with guest performances from a Mexican singer and a Sudanese woman describing the schools in her home country.
When a teacher is in tune with their students’ needs and interests, the teacher and recipient equally grow and learn from each other, and the learning environment becomes collaborative and rich of many different resources. This may be referred to as using the ZPD, Zone of Proximal Development. Suggestions for increasing interactions among students include using small group work, video and written journals and letter, and increased dialogue among classmates. The teacher should also provide choices and opportunities for the students to take active control of their learning. By doing so, students will become more autonomous in the education.
Some educators may wish to connect to their students’ home lives. I believe home visits assist in helping teachers bridge many barriers. Although some teachers may view this to be a liability issue, for immigrants it is extremely unlikely. Students from other countries view educators with respect and value the opportunities that education provides for their children. In many cases, parents’ take vast risks to obtain a good education for their children. By investigating a students’ home environment, it is easier for the teacher to discover their students’ interests and circumstances outside of school. Every time I make a home visit, I am gladly welcomed into the home and offered food and beverages. Parents are highly interested in their child’s progress, many times asking for stricter discipline and additional homework. If there is a rare discipline issue in the school, one mention of it to the parent and it is immediately taken care of. In addition, by making your presence known in the home, parents feel they have increased access and control over their child’s education, and they know they have someone to assist them in navigating the educational paperwork and processes.
Previous home visits have provided me with parents’ trust to privileged information about their former lives and present problems. I was able to help give students a Christmas when otherwise they would have had none, in addition to getting the children and families involved in local churches. I am able to provide free breakfast and school lunch to immigrants that have little and provide transportation and interpretation in parent-teacher conferences and other appointments. I can help teachers relay messages to the parents and give homework help to those students whose parents can not. I have helped in setting up doctor’s appointments and obtaining health insurance for their American born children. I have even been able to provide emergency childcare and supplies to those in need. By doing these things, not only am I helping families meet their needs, but I gain a sense of doing something important and useful with my life.
In conclusion this class has reaffirmed my position that ESL teachers’ jobs extend far beyond the classroom. They serve as a liaison, a translator, an advocate, and an instructor for classroom teachers and parents in addition to their students. The learner becomes the teacher, and the teacher becomes a learner. We grow and learn together, which essence of this class promotes. What a beautiful and empowering experience it has offered to the Virginia Tech community. It has reaffirmed my position that I am glad to have the opportunity to work with immigrants on a daily basis, and inspired me to rekindle old relationship with families, as well as analyze my work in the past.
|
Date |
Start |
End |
What? |
Total |
|
9/18/07 |
3:35 |
4:35 |
Initial Visit |
1 hour |
|
9/21/07 |
3:30 |
4:30 |
SRA picture cards/bi-lingual books |
1 hour |
|
9/25/07 |
4:15 |
5:55 |
Magnetic Spanish boards/homework help |
1 hr 40 m |
|
9/28/07 |
3:15 |
5:00 |
Placement test/trampoline/McDonald’s |
1 hr 45 m |
|
9/29/07 |
1:30 |
8:00 |
Target and Payless shopping/Mexican fiesta |
6 hr 30 m |
|
10/2/07 |
6:00 |
9:05 |
High School Musical at Civic Center |
3 hr 5 m |
|
10/8/07 |
4:45 |
6:00 |
Helped Yulitza with homework/talked about border crossing with Laura |
1 hr 15 m |
|
10/9/07 |
4:00 |
6:30 |
Trip to Library/Dinner |
2 hr 30 m |
|
10/11/07 |
4:15 |
4:30 |
Drop Off Games |
15 min. |
|
10/15/07 |
4:00 |
5:00 |
Spaceship vocabulary building game |
1 hour |
|
10/19/07 |
4:00 |
6:00 |
Make empenadas/play with kids |
2 hours |
|
10/23/07 |
4:00 |
6:00 |
Make Jack O’ Lantern/roast pumpkin seeds |
2 hours |
|
11/6/07 |
10:20 |
11:45 |
Parent-teacher conference |
1 hr 25 m |
|
11/9/07 |
4:00 |
6:00 |
Worked on Auralog |
2 hours |
|
11/13/07 |
3:20 |
6:20 |
Worked on Powerport/dinner/helped Oscar with math homework |
3 hours |
|
11/16/07 |
3:30 |
9:30 |
Visit Escalantes |
6 hours |
|
11/19/07 |
3:30 |
5:50 |
Parent-teacher conference/talk to Oscar, Sr. |
2 hr 20 m |
|
11/24/07 |
3:30 |
7:00 |
Mowly’s birthday fiesta |
3 hr 30 m |
|
11/29/07 |
3:40/9 |
5:20/9:20 |
Family Literacy Program trans. |
2 hours |
|
11/30/07 |
4:00 |
6:00 |
Trip to Family Dollar |
2 hours |
|
12/7/07 |
3:00 |
5:30 |
Finish Powerpoint |
2 hr 30 m |
|
12/11/07 |
12:00 |
5:00 |
TOEIC/trip to Maria’s house |
5 hr |
|
|
|
|
total |
53.5 hours |