Week 8; Jonathan Hilton

Week 8: Immigration and Health -- Jonathan Hilton

"Maria," a Nicaraguan girl with Down's 
Syndrome (from my 2009 to Granada)

When I read Chapter 7, “Heath and Culture,” in Vaughn, I kept thinking about a time when I was trying to help a Guatemalan mother understand a letter from her child’s school about vaccinations. The school had sent her multiple letters asking her to provide documentation that her seven-year-old son had received certain vaccines. I could translate the letter easily enough for her, but since I am not a doctor, I had no idea what vaccines her child actually needed. The school had only provided vaccine codes. Had they simply put “Hepatitis B,” life would have been so much easier. The numbers and letters of the vaccine codes meant nothing to me or to the Guatemalan mother.

Another Nicaragua student with Down's. In
Nicaragua, there is not sufficient access
to health care for students with disabilities.

My task was to help the mother locate a clinic where she could obtain the vaccines for her child at reduced price. The school had given her an ultimatum—if she didn’t manage to provide vaccinations for her child in two weeks, he wouldn’t be allowed to attend the school anymore. Trying to figure out how to coordinate the mother’s busy schedule with going to a clinic with her child was tough. Although in the end I didn’t accompany her to the actual clinic, I know she had a difficult time trying to explain to them which vaccines her child had already received in Guatemala and which ones he hadn’t. With no shot records, either, some guesses had to be made. What would happen if the child received a “double dose” of the same vaccine? The doctors needed to understand these kinds of things to decide what shots the child should get, making his case complex.

In the end, the mother got new shot records for her child, who was able to keep going to the school. This kind of stressful experience—which combined school needs, health needs, financial concerns, the language barrier, and bureaucracy—is unpleasant to say the least, and may even lead to additional health problems later. No wonder, according to Vaughn, “racial/ethnic minority patients utilize health care less frequently, report being less satisfied with their care, have less access to care, and use fewer health care resources” (pg. 159). If I had to go through so much hassle to get my shot records straightened out, I would be less inclined to be satisfied with my health care, too. ~Jonathan Hilton

Week 10- Dominique Lawson- Learnings/ Summary

Learnings

What have you learned about yourself and your culture?

      This class has taught me that culture is not specific to where you live and your race. There are many other aspects to this broad subject. I have learned that I have many cultural attributes other than my African American label. I have learned that being a sister is a cultural definer, that being a student is a cultural definer, that being a Christian is a cultural definer. I have learned that I have more that defines me, that I am a very culturally diverse person although I was born and raised in America. 

What have you learned about other cultures from working with the kids at AMIS?

The children at AMIS have shown me how easy other cultures can work, play, and enjoy company together. They showed me, first hand, what our class books talk about: the struggle faced by immigrant children and the hard work that goes into being a successful student. Each of the children that I encountered at AMIS was kind and full of life. I enjoyed keeping Alina on track with her school work and giving her guidance in the problems associated with grade school. It was nice to be emerged in multiple cultures, practice Spanish, and feel appreciated. 

What have you learned about other cultures from our readings? 

The readings have taught me many things in this class, things that I may not have learned elsewhere. I have learned about the prejudices and discrimination that immigrants face. I have learned what constitutes a psychosocial experience. I've read about the intercultural interactions and relationships. I've learned about the differences in health across cultures. I've seen the experiences that immigrant children face in the school system. Each of the books selected was very appropriate for the course and helped me create my blogs and formulate thoughts on immigration. 

What have you learned about other cultures from your peers and society? 

     I have learned that much of society do not understand what culture really is or what the true benefits and downfalls to immigration are. From my peers at UC, I have learned the differences in education across culture and how varied scholarships truly are. I have greeted many cultures on a day to day basis because of this school. 

Summary

      I intend to make the most of this experience. I really formed a bond with Alina and even though I live out of state, I intend to keep in touch with her throughout the summer and hopefully be her mentor again when the school year starts again. I will also study abroad and attempt to expand my cultural competence. Because I will become a bilingual psychologist, this experience has helped me work on my Spanish skills and be more comfortable in speaking it. 

Week 9- Dominique Lawson- Rethinking Immigration/ Remaking Identities

Rethinking Immigration
     I have no personal experiences with immigration except for my relationship with Alina. My mentee immigrated from Costa Rica. She was integrated in a school similar to the settings that we find in The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. Attending AMIS has allowed Alina to acculturate easily. She speaks English very well and puts time into making sure that she does not forget her native Spanish. Seeing her with the other students shows me that she is comfortable in her new life because she has many friends and has many other students come up just to say hello to her. She always has a smile on her face and rarely tells me of negative experiences in her life.
     The U.S. has multiple views of immigration. In times of economic hardship there is a negative view on immigration, in times of economic prosperity there is a positive view on immigration (Suárez- Orozco, 37). There are also many stereotypes surrounding immigration to America. Many think that there are more illegal immigrants than there are legal immigrants in the U.S., they also believe that almost all immigrants are associated with crime. There are thoughts that immigrants take all of the jobs of Americans and that they are impartial to the American culture because they don't speak English. Each of these misconceptions was proven wrong in the second chapter of Children of Immigration. It is important that Americans learn the facts so that the thought surrounding immigration is changed. The internet is a viable resource of statistics and there are many books that can be looked at so that Americans can become better informed.

Remaking Identities

There are many pressures surrounding immigration identity. There is the peer pressure, societal pressure, pressure to succeed, and the pressures and stresses of everyday life as an immigrant. In order to rethink cultural identity to be more encompassing of cultural differences we must realize that it is hard to adjust to a new culture. We must also learn to accept the cultural differences of others instead of judging them. Many of the differences are not that much of a change from our own cultural practices. In chapter 4 of the Suárez- Orozco novel we are taught of the many challenges faced by immigrants in adjusting to a new society and deciding how to form a desirable identity. It is not an easy task and we must recognize that and attempt to help those struggling with it. 

Week 8: Effects of culture on health; Maureen Rooney

A person’s culture has a great effect on a person’s health. A person is surrounded and immersed in their culture on a daily basis. Four factors that help shape a person’s health are “human biology, personal behavior, psychosocial environment and physical environment” (Vaughn, p.134). First, we can look a person’s human biology. Certain races and genders are more susceptible to diseases, or be a carrier for a trait, than other races such as Sickle Cell Anemia. How a person interacts with others also impacts a person’s health. If a person is part of a warm, friendly environment and then the environment is drastically changed, from a large-scale migration, a person could experience depression. They could also experience a loss of identity and forget why they are important in their new society. Also, if they are an outgoing person, a loss of interaction with others can negatively impact their health. Religion is also a part of one’s culture. A person’s faith can keep one mentally strong during a time of trial and sickness.  A person’s everyday culture can positively or negatively impact one’s health. If it is common to smoke in one’s culture, the person may pick up the habit of smoking because they see it as a norm. On the other hand, if the person’s culture is filled with athletic people, the person may develop the passion to physically challenge themselves by participating in sports.

At AMIS, the Pigglet team tried to create a positive culture of health by encouraging the students to walk a mile twice a week. It was easier for the students because they saw that their friends were completing the mile and wanted to do the same. The culture at AMIS assisted the students to become physically and emotionally healthy.

I am immersed in a culture that promotes health. My mother is a dietitian so as a child, my family would always eat healthy meals and snacks. Therefore, as a young adult, I am accustomed to choosing healthier options. Furthermore, my parents were both athletic as children. As a result, they encourage my siblings and me to join multiple sports teams. The sports teams allowed me to develop useful social skills and meaningful relationships while keeping me physically active at the same time. Also, my family is very religious. We attend mass every Sunday as a family and pray before our meals. I have turned to my faith in times of need and thanks. I believe my faith has kept my family and myself emotionally strong during difficult times. Then, my culture, which includes my neighborhood, affects my health. My neighborhood recycles. This teaches me to be eco-friendly and to pick up after myself. It assists my health because I am able to live in a healthier, cleaner environment. Culture impacts a person’s health in many aspects and I am fortunate to be impacted in many positive, healthy ways.  

Culture and Relationships -- Emma Shreve

When I stop and really think about the different lives that Dayana and I lead, it kind of blows my mind. I have lived in the same house my entire life, with the same parents and siblings. I went to Catholic school, where I never struggled with reading or writing, and was always understood by my teachers and peers (although I did go to speech class once). I grew up and moved on to high school, where I met a diverse group of girls, but could still voice my opinion and know that all would understand me. Dayana's life is much different. She grew up in an orphanage in Peru. She has a speech impediment, a remnant from a cleft lip, which makes it hard to understand her sometimes. Her parents adopted her a year or so ago and moved here, to Cincinnati. From what I have gathered, Dayana doesn't have any siblings, here in the States, but she still mentions her siblings in the orphanage. One of her teachers explained to me that back in Peru, the older kids were in charge of looking after the younger ones, in a sort of buddy program. When Dayana first mentioned that she had several sisters, I am guessing that she considers these other kids that she might have looked after her sisters. I may call my high school class my Ursuline sisters, but I know that I will never be as close to them as I am to my younger sister. I can't begin to imagine how hard it was for Dayana to transition from the orphanage in Peru to her home in Cincinnati but I'm sure it was really difficult. Luckily Dayana has her parents and AMIS to help her through the transition.



My sister and I at a Cartel concert for her birthday!



From what I can tell, Dayana is thriving at AMIS. It seems like she has lots of friends. One day we were going to a different room to read and she almost insisted that her friend come with us when he was waiting for his UC mentor to arrive. I felt bad telling the cute little boy to wait! AMIS really is a unique school, and the students all seem really close. All of the younger students that we interact with every week talk to each other and are friendly with everyone. This was obvious when we went outside to play. I told Dayana that we had to read a story before we could go play and that was a struggle. All of the laughter and screaming coming from the playground was distracting and I think we were both happy when we finally went to join everyone. It didn't seem like there was any division between students of different ethnicities or grade levels. Everyone was playing together and running from the multiple people that were always 'it' during a fierce game of tag. Like the reading suggests, the AMIS kids cope with immigration and the transition by making friends at school and socializing on a regular basis. At a school where all the other students are in the same boat, integrating your primary culture into a new one doesn't seem like such a daunting task..



A picture Dayana drew of her family and their house



Week 7:Culture & Relationships/ Thelma Hodge

Peer relationships are very influential in all of our lives. Our peer groups usually set the standards on regards to, what is normal and abnormal. Peers mostly shape our identity because for the most part, we all want to fit in (no one ever likes the feeling of being left out). Peers can be kids that make fun of us or can be, for the most part, our friends. In regards to immigrant children, friendships may greatly assist children, in their new environment through “modeling so they can learn to fit acceptable peer and cultural norms” (p. 113). Friendships and peer bonding was a highly utilized tool, used by Dr. Igoa, in her classroom to help bridge the academic achievement and language gaps within her classroom of immigrant children. Clearly, friendships and peer relationships, all aid immigrant children in their search to find security, comfort, and a sense of belonging, which, all necessary for long lasting success in their new country.

            Newly arrived immigrants, are forced to plant themselves, in places that are directly dictated by their monetary and family resources. If the family doesn’t have much money, they are forced to live in poorer urban areas. This places them in a very precarious situation because their children are immediately forced to attend poorer public schools, which have less money for education. The fact of the matter is, outside of one’s immediate family, school and our neighborhood have a dramatic and life changing effect on all of us. Orozco & Orozco strongly suggested that the neighborhood, affects the kind of English immigrant children learn, which in turn affects their future job prospects and later education (p. 130 & 131).

            The lack of social support greatly affects immigrant children and families. If the school systems doesn’t align their curriculum with the needs of the immigrant children,  most of those children may suffer academically. The truth is, not every teacher supports their immigrant students. Orozco & Orozco critically highlighted many opposing views shared by teachers in regards to immigrant children and academic ability. Shockingly, some teachers suggested that immigrant students were “less intelligent, lazy & more prone to get into trouble” (p.127). Obviously, if the teachers hold such low expectations for their immigrant students, the students in return will fail because their teacher did not support them in the first place.

            Family is one of the most important institutions in society. As mentioned earlier, the immigrant families’ financial resources greatly impacts the lives of their children, in regards to living arrangements, neighborhood choice, school systems, extracurricular activities and educational support. Igoa suggested that her students flourished because their immediate families supported them in their academic endeavors, which reflected in better grades and social relationships.

            School was described by immigrant children in Orozco & Orozco text as “my life, my second family & the pathway to success” (p. 125). I found Orozco & Orozco findings to be very accurate. Last week, as I talked to Leonel, I asked him if he excited that the school year was ending soon. To my surprise, he stated, “No, I like school and I don’t want it to end”.  He enjoys the routine, spending time with his friends, watching over his brother and above all learning. I truly envied his lust for learning! He really has taken full advantage of all of the learning opportunities by participating in sports, and the U.C. mentorship. I am going to miss him very much. He is so bright, funny and frank…it was very refreshing to meet someone like him!

Culture's Role in Interpersonal Relationships

As I have mentioned before, Sara and I have very different types of relationships with the people around us.  While I am rather loud and outgoing even with new acquaintances, she pulls back shyly from people and stays physically close to those she knows well.  This likely stems from her first years in the United States when she needed to cling to her family and friends who spoke her language while the new environment she was immersed in swarmed with English-speakers.

She seems to be close with her family, describing in particular a close relationship with her sister (who does Sara’s hair in the morning).  With friends, she exhibits a value of quality-over-quantity, mentioning her best friend Viviana often and few others.

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Sara and I differ dramatically in our interpersonal relationships, and far beyond the over-simplified level of extroverts and introverts.  She is not necessarily energized by alone time; she shows fear in group settings.  She is nervous to respond in school and has a preference for math probably because math presents no language barrier or differences in application across nations.

I on the other hand, being an English-speaking American who has lived in the same house and community all my life, have always been comfortable participating in classes, communicating with peers, and making friends quickly throughout everyday life.

I have struggled to find a way to bridge this divide because of the way our radically different upbringings has fundamentally affected our personalities.

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Last Monday, Sara and I joined other mentors and mentees in playground games, and while I ran around playing tag, I saw her slip away inside unnoticed by others around her.  As I helped her explore the monkey bars as her friends were doing, she slipped her way out almost immediately to avoid embarrassing herself, visibly regretting even trying to climb them.

Uncomfortable with the boisterous environment of the playground and lacking confidence in her own coordination on the equipment, Sara clearly preferred our time quietly coloring at a picnic table with Viviana and her mentor, Maureen, over the playground games.  This comfort level with fewer, more familiar people is a common sentiment for all people, but was more extreme in Sara’s case.

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Culture and Relationships



Our paper airplanes and finger claws



This past week I could see a definite mood change when it came to the mentees. The testing was over, and the school year is winding down, so the kids are a lot more relaxed and ready for classes to be out. That is why I think the kids had so much fun playing outside with us, just relaxing and having a chance to be kids. I feel that I saw a whole different side of my mentee Adama on Monday. The time started off like it normally did, me asking questions and him giving slow, one word responses. But then, when we went out side he began to open up. While trying to think of something fun to do I thought of making paper airplanes. So we had a contest on who could make the best plane and fly it the farthest. Of course it was super windy so they didn't really work, but doing this made me see how much fun Adama was having, and how he is just like a regular kid. After the airplanes Adama wanted to show me how to make "finger claws", he saw the video on YouTube, which i thought was pretty funny. After that, we went and played on the playground, and it was really great to see how Adama interacted with his friends. At that moment I did not even think about how he is an immigrant student, instead, he was just a regular 4th grader who wanted to play tag.



Adama



Being outside made me realize that these kids needs this social, relaxing time to just be kids. In our books that we are reading for class I have read about how important it is for immigrant children to make friends and socialize with people they can relate to. Many of these kids have a lot of responsibilities at home, so this is truly the only time they get to be kids. This is so important. I think AMIS is such a great place for these kids because the kids understand each other, and what they are all going through. They can socialize with other kids who get it, which in the long run bring them closer as friends.

In my life I understand how important socialization is. I think friends and having people to talk to is what makes a person complete. I think that culture helps bring together people who have common interests, however I don't think that culture is the only thing that brings people together. Coming to college I have become friends with people who come from different circumstances then me, but we  can still relate to each other and have a good time. I understand how culture and beliefs do bring people together, however I don't believe it is the main factor. I think the main factor is just to find people who understand and accept you for who you are, and that is why AMIS is such a great place for our mentees.

Week 7 -- Culture and Relationships -- Sarah Arriola

Hawa and I -- I wasn't brave enough to hang upside down!

This week was our last week of doing actual work with our mentees. Hawa had a little bit of homework to do, and after we finished that, we talked a little bit about how she felt about our time together these last few weeks. She said that she liked meeting with me and working on homework together. She thinks that it helped her on the test that she had to take. She just really liked getting to know me and really liked how every week we would get to talk about all sorts of things. After we were finished talking, we went outside for a few minutes because it was so nice out. We played around on the playground and she liked showing off her abilities on the monkey bars and the climbing wall.

While we were outside, she kept running up to one of her friends, ironically also named Hawa, and wanted to play on the slides and run races with her. They seemed to be enjoying running around outside together. Plus my mentee Hawa was getting help from her friend Hawa on how to climb up on top of the monkey bars. Her friend was very willing to show her exactly what the best way to flip upside down on the bars was, as well as the easiest way to climb up the bars. I was reminded of a statement from Vaughn's book while watching the two Hawa's help each other. "Friendship in  the Western world seems to serve the purposes of enhancing self-esteem and fulfilling individual psychological needs such as the development of self-identity and enhancement of feelings about self-worth whereas in other cultures, friendship is more about the socialization of cooperative and compliant behavior with others" (Vaughn p.113). I think their friendship is probably about developing self-identity, and that is because from what I can tell, both girls (or at least my mentee) seem to be fairly Westernized and so it makes sense that they would develop more Western-like friendships.

Hawa waiting at the top for her friend so they can go down the slide!

Watching Hawa run around with her friends reminded me a lot of my elementary school days. I loved being out on the playground with my friends, running from the monkey bars to the swings to the slides, always trying to make sure we had time to play on everything. Looking at both my experience and Hawa's experience I would say that a statement made it Vaughn's book is definitely true: "The relationship of friendship is found across virtually all cultures" (Vaughn p.112). Even if friendships are formed for different reasons, they are still formed.

I moved before starting my fourth grade year. I made some friends fairly quickly when I moved here to Ohio, and even though I didn't realize it at the time, there were some reasons that I formed those friendships. They are probably the same reasons Hawa made friends when she moved to the United States. As stated in Vaughn's book, "Friendship seems to serve the purpose of socialization and enculturation within society in terms of learning about culturally appropriate negotiation, reciprocity, cooperation, and interpersonal sensitivity" (Vaughn p.112). I know that by watching my friends, I learned what was and wasn't acceptable at my new school. Hawa most likely did the same thing when she first came to AMIS.

My brother, Kevin, and I dressed up for Halloween.

Having friends in a new environment is invaluable. As Vaughn says, "Friendships may also serve as a buffer that protects children during adjustment to life events" (Vaughn p.113). Although we never talked about it, I'm sure the friends that Hawa made when first moving to the U.S. made the whole experience easier for her. Something that Hawa does talk about is her twin brother. Although she says that they fight, I would almost guarantee that just like my brother and I, they lean on each other when dealing with new situations. My brother and I have always fought, but when something tough happens in our life, like moving to a new school or losing our grandfather, we are always there for each other. I bet Hawa and her brother are the same way. She once told me about a time when she and her brother flew by themselves to visit their father in Africa. She told me that it was cool to have her brother on the plane because that meant she knew someone else on the plane and wasn't by herself.

Hawa has been such an interesting girl to get to know. I am really glad I have gotten to know her over the last few weeks and hope that our paths somehow cross in the future. I hope that I have helped her in some small way, because I know she has taught me way more than I ever thought I could learn from a fourth grader.

Week Seven: Relationships

This week all of us were relaxing outside with our mentees. Their testing was done, the weather was nice, and summer was on our minds. As I began to ask Jose about his summer plans, however, I realized that his summer would not be the same summer that many of us experienced as kids. He will not spend his days exploring the neighborhood playing games with his friends; all of his friends are here at A.M.I.S. As Jose describes it, he is the second-to-last stop on the bus; all of his friends from the bus get off at the first stop. This was something that I could really relate to. The magnet school I attended when I was his age also pulled children from all over the city. Therefore, none of my classmates lived in my area. As a child, I was only allowed to ride my bike along one block of the street we lived on. Along that stretch there were two other kids close in age to me but we never got along. Jose said that his neighborhood’s population was mostly comprised of older people without kids.

My father and sister enjoying each other's company

Jose playing with friends at A.M.I.S.

Social surroundings influence people a great deal. The friends we make and the people we surround ourselves with help to shape the person we become. Each summer I, like Jose, spent a lot of time with my family. My dad and I would read books together, my sister and I danced in the mornings and played with chalk in the afternoons, and my mom always had an art project for us to work on. These relationships have continued to be an extremely strong influence on me and we are all extremely close still. My summer days forced me to learn how to enjoy my time with people of different ages, both older and younger. This is a skill that I still value to this day, and I am sure that Jose’s summer with his family will help to shape him in the same way it shaped me.

Week 7: Michelle Prinzo

The best part of fall: Bearcat Football!

SELF: I never thought I would become a football fan. Ten years ago I would "watch" football with my parents (aka Read while they watched the game) and complain about what a strange and pointless sport football was. In high school I went to every single football game. It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I actually saw more than five minutes of the game. Football in high school was a social event. As I entered my senior year of high school, I became better friends with a few people who were huge football fans. They wanted to watch the game, so I learned to watch. I asked questions until I figured out what was going on. Fast forward to my four years in college. I was a member of an organization called RallyCats, a spirit organization that is represented at almost single varsity game on campus (and quite a few away games). I became a fan-- a true fan. Football is not the most important thing in life, but I think it is a great example of how peer influences shaped my interests. I would even argue that this organization of peers, along with other experiences at this university has helped ingrain an important aspect of my identity--as a UC Bearcat. Today I was at a recognition ceremony that was closed by the singing of the Alma Mater. I sang the words to the song and it was automatic to do the "fountain" "tower" and "rock" motions. My mom next to me was laughing and I was very offended. Then it occurred to me...4 years ago, I was laughing at the motions too. Now, I embraced them. This is a strong illustration of how my peers and education have helped to formulate my identity.

OTHER: In the Vaughn text she states, "identities and styles of adaptation are powerfully linked to context and social mirroring (103). I believe this to be very true of my mentee. From our conversations and activities, she clearly has looked to her peers and popular culture to find interests and I would argue identity. In the picture below, you will see a drawing we created together. She had seen some of my doodles in a notebook and asked how I made them. This page is our practice together. I noticed that in her drawings with me she almost always draws something that she sees me draw or similar to something her peers have drawn. I would speculate that other aspects of her identity would be formulated through social mirroring--as it is for many children her age.

Week 7- Culture and Relationships--Jamie Nickell

On Friday, I helped work with the K-2 group for Field Day at AMIS. Jonathan and I were in charge of working the Bounce House and keeping it under control. Quite entertaining! :)

The Bounce House- Field Day at AMIS

While I was observing the interactions with the children and their teachers, I noticed that the younger kids seem to have a higher respect and listen more intently to their teachers than what I see with the older kids. I loved to see how each child helps out the other when there is a miscommunication between them. They translate, and explain to where that particular child understands and is not left behind. In my extra book I am reading for this course, Teacher by Sylvia Ashton-Warner, she talks about how peers often help out one another more than a teacher even realizes. They gain a sense of comfort and trust with each other and know that if they are not understanding what is to be done another student will help them out. I believe this is also because a child might feel that they would get in trouble for having to ask what the teacher said to do again.


The children at AMIS enjoying Field Day!

 During Field Day I found that their were many family members of some of the children who had came out to volunteer and participate in their child's fun day! Family is important in a child's education, especially in immigrant children. It helps the child take pride in their schooling and gives them a sense of accomplishment and success when they have people who care about their own success. However, on Saturday for the International Festival, I noticed that many children were having to translate to their parents what I had said to them as far as directions for the games. As Dr. Vaughn mentions in her book, this can cause barriers between the families when the children pass the parent up in education or language, or even both. I hope that the children's education will help the families to succeed and try to make the best of their levels of education.

Week 7, Culture & Relationships--Allison Miller

My brother (left), me (right), and two of our childhood friends

           During our weekly conversations, Lizbeth always loves to talk about her friends and siblings.  While walking down the hallway together a few weeks ago, she encountered a friend of hers and they had a little conversation while crossing paths.  As we walked away, Lizbeth told me the girl’s name and said “She’s my best, best, bestest friend!”  It made me smile and I began to think about the friendships I had when I was her age; I remembered having that single “best friend” as well as a bunch of other friends.  It also leads me to consider the differences between my experience with making friends and Lizbeth’s. 

            Most of my friends were my same race, nationality, and social class.  We had a lot of the same interests and spent much time shaping each others’ ideas about life.  Lizbeth on the other hand attends a school that is extremely culturally diverse.  Most of her friends are probably from all over the world with many different cultural beliefs and practices.  Some of them even speak other languages! It is interesting to think about friendships occurring between all types of people, all over the world.  As Vaughn writes, “the relationship of friendship is found across virtually all cultures and friendship invariably occurs within a cultural context” (p. 112). 

Our drawings (I should totally be in DAAP or something)

            Vaughn also writes that “friendships may also serve as a buffer that protects children during adjustment to life events” (p. 113).  I’m sure that when Lizbeth’s family moved to America from Mexico that Lizbeth’s friendships helped her our immensely.  Whether she called friends from back home or made new friends and shared her experiences, friendships tend to be therapeutic and help people become accustomed to new situations.  Her friends also allowed her to become comfortable in her new environment; Vaughn communicates to us that “friendships may also serve a regulatory function so that children learn to modify behaviors to fit acceptable peer norms and ultimately cultural norms” (p. 113).  Lizbeth’s new friends have taught her what “appropriate” school behavior looks like in  America, and it seems that she has applied this information and adjusted accordingly.  She may have even inadvertently taught these norms to some her friends that are newer immigrants to America.

I believe that Lizbeth’s family was a huge help in her adjustment as well.  Since they all traveled together, they shared the experiences of immigration and could therefore lean on each other and empathize.  Every week when Lizbeth and I talk and share stories, she tells me the fun that she has playing with her siblings.  I think it would have been twice as hard for her to move here as an only child than with her siblings.  Her brothers and sisters have experienced this new environment with her; I definitely believe that there is strength in numbers.  They had each other to lean on when they were having a rough time.  Sometimes there’s nothing like having a sibling who is right there with you, experiencing all the hardships that you are.  It really strengthens bonds of friendship.  I know this to be true when it comes to my brothers and me.  When we were younger and began to attend a new school, I was so grateful that I was not alone.  I’m sure Lizbeth feels similarly.

This past week when I asked Lizbeth to draw a picture or write down a few sentences of what our time together has meant to her, I was really touched by some of the things that she wrote.  She drew a picture of us as cats, and then wrote a few sentences.  Her sentences were:  “I am really happy that Allison helped me a lot and I missed her a lot because it is almost the time that she is going.  I liked when she helped me in my homework.  It helped me in class.  I wish we could play instead of doing homework.  I would like to meet Allison every day instead of every Monday.”  I am so glad to have befriended her; I really hope we can continue our mentorship in the future.

Week 7; Jonathan Hilton

Week 7: Culture and Relationships

When I was volunteering with the K-2 group on Friday for Field Day, I saw something that amazed me. When the teachers spoke to the children in Spanish, all of the students who didn't speak Spanish still understood them. When the teachers spoke to the children in English, all of the students who didn't speak English still understood them. When a command was issued, everyone obeyed, no matter what language the teacher giving the order used.

Here, non-francophone children are taking directions from their teacher--in French.

How was this possible? I soon noticed that all of the students were simply looking to their peers for direction when they didn't understand. When Michelle (Prinzo) said, "Clap once if you hear my voice," only the English-speaking students clapped the first time. When Michelle continued, "Clap twice if you hear my voice," everyone clapped twice--the Spanish-speaking students quickly copied the actions of their peers.

If the children at Field Day find themselves having to copy one another, I can only imagine how strong the “pressure to assimilate” that Igoa discusses at page 104 must be. The reality is, for these children, assimilation doesn’t appear to be an option: it’s a survival skill. Immigrant children will look toward their peers for guidance, perhaps even at the cost of not relying on their parents (as we read about in Suarez-Orozco on parent/child relationships). Luckily, the Field Day at AMIS focused on integration rather than assimilation in its overall spirit: children wore the flags of their countries painted on their faces and celebrated their own heritage. Although the “need to assimilate” may be a “survival skill,” the ability to integrate instead (that is, to retain some of one’s cultural identity rather than losing it all in the face of a new culture) will help them psychologically in the future.

"Integration" in a sea of loneliness