Cultural Practices

I believe that education is one of the most important things a person can gain. I think that this is especially true when it comes to immigrant children. AMIS is a great place for these immigrant students to gain knowledge for the future in a setting that is more comfortable to them. In The Inner World of the Immigrant Child, Igoa approaches the idea of educating immigrant children from many different angles. Igoa describes that certain criteria must be met in order for an immigrant child to be comfortable in their educational setting. Some of these ideas include having the teacher be more knowledgeable about the student's home country, having the teacher be knowledgeable about the educational system in other countries, and make sure that the immigrant children feel valued and accepted. I think that this last point is very important. Igoa mentions that a great way to make an immigrant child feel valued and accepted is simply by talking to them. That is why I think that we as mentors, are doing such a great thing. Coming to AMIS to talk to my mentee is really one of my favorite parts of the week. I know that I am helping a student feel more comfortable, and I am also learning a lot myself.

It is really a great experience being able to talk to my mentee Adama. I think that when we meet, he feels comfortable and able to be himself, which Igoa points out, is a very important key to a good educational experience. Adama is very aware of his surroundings, and I believe that he fully embraces the American lifestyle. His interests reflect that of many other 4th grade boys his age. He is sometimes shy and quiet, but that is natural when talking to someone who is quite older than you. I think that Adama is a great kid and is really adjusting well and succeeding at AMIS.

My own cultural and experiences are very different from Adama's. Although I consider myself a Caucasian American, my family continues to recognize our Italian roots. We do this by celebrating our Italian heritage regularly. We have many Italian traditions like have Italian meals on all major holidays and putting a strong emphasis on family. I love that I have an Italian background and I am proud to be Italian. I know that having an Italian background is very different from being an immigrant child, but like an immigrant child, I like to recognize where my past comes from, and I hope that I will be able to keep my family traditions alive for a  long time.