Exploring Immigrant Parents Contributions to Education

1
Exploring Immigrant Parents Contributions to
Education
University of Calgary, Canada

• ATA ESL Council Conference
• Nov 7/08
• Yan Guo, Ph.D.

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Context

• Almost 6,293,000 people, that is about one out of
  five people in Canada, speak languages other than
  English or French as their mother tongue
  (Statistics Canada, 2008).
• Calgary is the largest recipient of immigrants
  and ESL students in Alberta, and the fourth
  largest such urban area in Canada, after Toronto,
  Vancouver, and Montreal .
• 44,996 ESL students in Alberta in 2007 (Alberta
  Education, 2007) The Calgary Board of Education
  in 2006 enrolled about 20,000 ESL learners.

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Issues

• ESL parents are promising untapped sources of
  knowledge and wisdom about teaching their
  children.
• Nonetheless, teacher education programs rarely
  consider their perspectives in the preparation of
  teachers.
• Pre-service teachers are not prepared to work
  with parents from diverse backgrounds (Guo, 2006
  Turner, 2007 Wasonga, 2005).

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Issues (continued)

• Many pre-service teachers have limited prior
  experiences with parents from diverse backgrounds
  (Stachowski Frey, 2003).
• Many pre-service teachers have biases towards
  these parents (Hale, 2008 Lenski et al., 2005
  Pang Park, 2003 Turner, 2007 ).
• This study explores how immigrant parents
  construct their knowledge regarding their ESL
  childrens learning and how they contribute to
  their childrens education.

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Transcultural Knowledge

• Culture as a dynamic entity
• Considering ESL parents and students
  experiences in countries of origin, in
  transition, and in residence in the local
  community, to make sense of transcultural flows
  and attachments to locality (Appadurai, 1996
  Hannerz, 1992)
• The process of individuals and communities
  changing themselves by integrating diverse
  cultural life-ways into dynamic new ones (Hoerder
  et al., 2006)
• World-travelling (Lugones, 1987)

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The Study

• Phase 1
• Interviews with 27 parents
• China, India, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Nepal,
  Pakistan, Bangladesh, Algeria, Ghana, Somalia,
  Sudan, Columbia, Belize, and Suriname
• 22 female 5 male
• 9 held masters degrees 17 bachelors degrees 1
  Grade 12
• University instructors, teachers, researchers,
  engineers, accountants, and housewives (formerly)
  

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Results of the Study

• Understanding students culture
• Respecting students first language
• Accommodating students religious needs
• Becoming agents of social change

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Understanding students culture (1)

• You know how she (the teacher) started, I think
  your son doesnt respect womenHe doesnt look at
  me when I talk to himIn our culture, it is a
  sign of respect. When the children talk to their
  parents and elders, they look down(Aneeka,
  Pakistan)

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Understanding students culture (2)

• My daughter likes to help people all the time.
  The teacher tells her that she shouldnt do that
  in the classroomit is none of your business. But
  thats how she is. She is so caring. When she
  sees something going on with somebody, she wants
  to go and see and listen, just help that
  personit is a culture clash because my culture
  is like that. (Kaya, Ghana)

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Understanding students culture (3)

• One of the most important aspects of Indian
  culture is respect for parents and for
  eldersWhen my older sister visited me, I hugged
  her, kissed her, and touched her feetI want my
  children to blend the fusion of mixing
  culturesThey dont have to touch the feet, but
  they need to respect the adults and never talk
  back to parents. (Neera, India)

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Respecting students first language (1)

• I want my children to keep up with Punjabi, so
  that they can talk to their grandparents. (Neera,
  India)
• I think these days having more than one language
  is a good skill. You know our country is growing
  and there are many immigrants coming. I think
  most jobs will require additional languages.
  (Sana, Pakistan)

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Respecting students first language (2)

• Language is cultureIt is my language that makes
  my colour, who I am, and my culture. (Tamika,
  Somalia)
• One of the reasons I help him maintain Nepalese
  is that he can translate the concepts in Nepalese
  into English, so it will help him with his school
  learning. (Parveen, Nepal)

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Accommodating students religious needs (1)

• This kid came and was crying because she was not
  allowed to wear the swimming suitThe teacher was
  in fact forcing her to wear swimming suitThe
  only thing that this person had in her mind is
  that you can only swim in the swimming suit.
  Thats not true, a real mistake. (Aneeka,
  Pakistan)

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Accommodating students religious needs (2)

• We are not supposed to show our bodies in front
  of other men. We are supposed to be covered. That
  is part of our religionthe teacher understood
  that they (girls) can swim, wearing full clothes,
  and there should be no men with them. So she
  would close the door and they have a separate
  swimming time for the girlsShe respects our
  religion I was very satisfied. (Manibha,
  Bangladesh)

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Accommodating students religious needs (3)

• A friend of minetold the principal that her
  daughter has to pray... Could you just give her
  five minutes in any corner of the room? The
  principal told her, Im sorry. I cant do thatI
  dont want to make the school into a mosque.
  (Manibha, Bangladesh)

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Becoming agents of social change (1)

• When my daughter was erasing the board, behind
  her a student said to my daughter, Korean
  student, you have to go back to your country. Why
  are you here? She heard that because she was the
  only one in the classroom, but she couldnt
  recognize that voice. She turned around, but she
  couldnt find out who said thatShe was very
  upsetI went to her teacher and we had a
  conversation about itIm glad that the teacher
  did some follow-up. She had a kind of class
  meeting about diversity. (Shin, Korea)

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Becoming agents of social change (2)

• My child told me somebody called me Osama bin
  Laden. I asked him, are you? No, mom. Dont
  worry. You know you are not anything like that.
  You are a good Muslim boy. You believe in peace.
  You are not a terrorist. Dont let them make fun
  of you. (Aneeka, Pakistan)

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Mirror Image

• You might be fair Snow-white of my fairytale
• I might be black demon or brown Gin,
• but Oh well,
• Skin is our armor not what we really are,
• Same red blood we have and salty tear.
• Don't pull a curtain between us two-
• If you wipe clouds of your eyes-
• You'll see -I'm you!!

• Whatever you call me,
• Different could be my name
• The color you see in my skin-outside,
• Might not be your same
• But don't create a wall in between
• Thinking me a "creature new"
• If you look deep down your heart-
• You'll find -I'm you!!

I'm alien in your country so you'll be in mine.
English is my second language, but I've an open
mind. Don't hit me with Racism-thinking Me not
You If you ask alone with your heart- You'll
find I'm you!!!
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Implications

• To acknowledge immigrant parent knowledge
• We have so many educated people. How many of them
  are really exercising their knowledge or
  potentials in the school program? (Sarita, India)

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Implications (continued)

• To understand childrens backgrounds How first
  cultures, languages, and religions affect student
  learning
• Not to misjudge students and parents based on
  race, ethnicity, and religion
• To become agents of social change
• To examine our own biases
• To be open to different perspectives
• To educate non-immigrant students

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Implications Understand the School Community
(continued)

• I would be very disappointed, lets say xxx,
  school name gets a new teacher and doesnt know
  predominantly she will be interacting with a lot
  of East Indians. I mean you need to be open to
  learning and reach out to them Getting to know
  that climate and work with that. You might come
  across one or two that dont fit that mould. To
  me thats not stereotyping. Thats becoming aware
  of the key elements, values, and beliefs of that
  people. (Abril, Belize)