As I have never immigrated, or even moved any real distance away from a hometown, I am certain that immigration is one of the most disruptive experiences possible, especially to a young child. If one moves to any culture that is significantly different than their own then they will not only have to learn a new language but new mannerisms, niceties, and traditions. I twice visited New Mexico and both times met natives of the state. Now, although it is still part of the same country, the culture I saw was very different from what I had grown up observing. I didn't have time to strictly observe the resident of New Mexico, but I did notice some large differences. The houses were all pretty different, and the people were all very friendly. I know that this isn't much to go off of, but even small changes like these can be very different. Where one lives tells a lot about them, and changes even more. We all grew up in some sort of house or apartment, and if we had to move to another one then I can imagine that this would severely affect a child's development. Most immigrant are very poor when they move to the United States, and must live in fairly bad conditions. Of course, it is much better for any child to grow up in a safe environment where they will have the resources to learn and grow up. Some people may question how this relates to them, not everyone is an immigrant. Just because you were born and raised in the US of A doesn't mean that immigration doesn't affect you. In fact it affects every one of us every day. Immigrants work in our industries, often in unsafe conditions or for a very low wage. If we can raise the working conditions for immigrants they will surely raise for everyone else in the working community. Also, poorer individuals in bad situations often commit crime, affecting everyone, through taxes, direct violence, and other ways.
My mentees, Jose and Jose, are both immigrants, one has been here quite a while (about four years I believe) and the other has only been here a few months. There are certain differences between them that we can use to look at how acculturation to a new country affects children. First of all, the first Jose (the one who's been here longer, I'll call him Jose1) speaks fluent English. He also can speak Spanish, but seems to have trouble finding the right words to say sometimes when translating for his friend (Jose2). Obviously, the longer they have been in a country the better they will learn to speak the language, and possibly forget parts of their own (the extent to which this happens probably depends on the extent that English is spoken in their home, and I haven't talked to either about this). Jose1 is much more open and less shy than Jose2, but this may be due to the fact that Jose2 doesn't speak English, and it is probably hard for him to continually be translated and have everything either Alex or myself says translated for him. The language barrier may be one of the most difficult barriers to pass when dealing with immigrants, but it is definately not the only one. Other ways in which immigrating may affect children is through the sudden uprooting of everyone they know, and having to meet new people tat are oftentimes uninterested in being friends with them. Friendship is an integral part of childhood, and a lack thereof could have serious consequences for children.
Very good!-Juanjuan
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