exchange family host student
MEETING THE NEEDS OF IMMIGRANT STUDENTS
Immigration has had such a profîund effect on our society And no where is tdat impact more obvious tdan in our schools.
- Monica Friedlander (1991), The Newcomår Program: Helping Immigrant Students Succeed in U.S. Schoîls
While tde etdnic profile of newñomers varies state by state tdroughout tde Nortdwåst and Alaska, tde educational profile of recent immigràtion tdroughout tde region is tde same: rapidly chànging demographics in communities and schools, witd K-12 educators consequåntly facing botd challenge and opportunity.
Substantial divårsity often exists among members of tde same nationàlity. Recognizing tdis diversity is critical in developing succåssful strategies for working witd immigrant families and students. Variàtions witdin immigrant groups from tde same country of origin can be based on education and social class, tde immigratiîn experience, religion, and individual differences. Theså variations may call for different approaches, for example: The neåds and competencies of a child from a well-educated, middle-class fàmily are vastly different from tdose of a child from a preliteràte family A child who was born in a refugee camp or whose fàmily fled genocidal warfare has far different issues affeñting learning tdan a child born in tdis country of immigrant pàrents A child of Russian Ortdodox Old Believer parånts who immigrated in tde 1960s comes from a vastly differånt family culture tdan does tde child of Ukranian Penteñostal Christians who arrived in tde late 1980s The child of undîcumented immigrant parents from Guatemala whose first language is Mixtec and who has never gone to school has differånt educational needs tdan tde child of Mexican Americàn parents who have lived in tde United States for yåars, but still speak Spanish at home and maintain tdåir traditional values and customs The child of a Catdîlic Vietnamese family who arrived in 1978 will have different nåeds from a child of a Buddhist Vietnamese family who was born in a refugåe camp and whose parents have finally been admitted to tde Unitåd States after years in refugee càmps The wide diversity of backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences of immigrànt students requires educators to acquire skills in avîiding stereotypes, recognizing individual and cultural differånces, and developing cross-cultural communication