Week 9--Michelle Prinzo

Rethinking Immigration:

Helping my students share their identity with children in Africa

My students working on pictures to describe their life in Cincinnati

This year has opened up my eyes to issues related to immigration. As I have mentioned in previous posts, many of my students are immigrants, children of immigrants, and/or have a strong connection to another country/culture. My students, as well as the students at AMIS, have shown me how important it is to integrate their home culture and experiences with those of American/Cincinnati-an culture. Helping students to better understand their identity and allowing them to share their cultural differences is one way to support this integration. In the photos above my students and I are learning about children in Otho Abwoa, Kenya and comparing it with our culture through UC's Engineers Without Borders Visual Pen Pal Program. My students showed exceptional maturity as they discussed the similarities and differences between the school children in Otho Abwao and many of them drew upon their immigration and travel experience to enrich our discussion. 

My students demonstrate the direction that I would like to see views and policies on immigration move in. The children in my classroom are excited and curious about other cultures. They ask questions and they learn from one another. Through this exchange they have built a unique classroom culture and have developed a strong set of shared characteristics. Their actions and behavior provide a positive "ethos of reception" for the immigrants and children of immigrants in our classroom. As described by Suarez-Orsozco and Suarez-Orozco, an ethos of reception is a significant factor of the experience of immigrant children that is shaped by "general attitudes and beliefs held by members of the new society about immigration and immigrants" (36). 

I believe that if public opinion begins to view immigrants as a cultural asset the immigrant experience will improve. As the immigrant experience improves, immigrants and children of immigrants will become greater assets to our society politically, socially, culturally and economically.