Welcoming Families from Around the World

I’m excited to receive a four year old boy from Panama, into my early learning program. The family is new to our country and has decided to enroll their little one into an in home learning environment. The mother feels this is the best way for her son to adjust to the new transition. I couldn’t agree more since in home care is more intimate and has a lower teacher to child ratio that will help him not only adjust but to work at his own pace, without feeling overwhelmed.

Based on my research of Panama, I have prepared myself to be culturally responsive by:

1. Incorporating their Spanish language into the learning activities. By me learning Spanish, I’m able to better communicate with the child and his family. I can also send written communication in their home language as well.

2. Having the family share with me some of the child's developmental experiences. By probing, I can find out what the child likes to eat, do for fun, and even what signs to look for when the child isn't interested or doesn't feel like participating. This will help me better understand him and help me met his needs, along with make him feel more welcomed.

3. Including Panama specific customs like art, music, and special foods. This will demonstrate to him and his family how my program accepts his culture and renders respect to his country. This will also help me learn more about Panama's history.

4. Gaining a thorough insight on their early education system compared to the U.S. education system. This will help me gauge what the child has already been introduced to in the Panama ECE programs. It will help me better assess him and to know what type of foundation has already been establish so I can continue to build on it.

5. Gaining insight on the national youth organizations of Panama will help me explore the objectives they are trying to meet with helping children with their child development. This will help me to view current research and other projects that are working internationally to build equity and social justice.

I believe from the knowledge I've gained from diversity classes and professional development courses, that the methods I use to work with this child and his family will help the family adjust to the American culture, and most importantly help the child get the early education and child care he needs as he begin a new journey in his life as well. As I continue to advocate for young learners, this will help me explore a new culture and continue to promote social justice for children. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Recently my family and I watched Lee Daniel's The Butler. The movie is about a butler who served seven presidents and what he and his family encountered during the major events that has helped shaped our country. The movie shows the oppression African Americans experienced during slavery. It demonstrated how unfair and unjust the laws were towards blacks and how they were not protected from the violence white people inflicted upon them. As the movie continues it shows the struggles and challenges that blacks encountered during the Civil Rights Movement. Some methods were of love and peace, while other methods where to took a fight fire with fire approach to use violence as well. This movie differently displayed how white people had the mentality that they were right, their way and methods were the best, and they were the only race deserving of what they suggested life is about. There was one scene in the movie where the main character admitted to having to have two identities. He had to pretend to be invisible when he was serving white people while in his butler role. Outside his butler role, like at home, he could be himself and be honest of how he felt about the realities of life. Equity was diminished throughout most the movie. One specific demonstration of inequity was when the butler would ask for a raise for him and other black employees at the white house. Each time he asked for the raise, he was denied it. According to the butler, not only did the black employees not get annual raises, they were not promoted to other positions within the organization, compared to the white employees. When he brought this to his supervisor's attention, not only was he denied or rejected, he was also advised to seek employment elsewhere. 

I enjoyed the movie and it is more than just entertainment for me and my family. This movie shared insight of African American history. It exposed the in depth experiences blacks faced in our country trying to get equal rights. Another scene shared how the Black Panther Party was formed. I even got a glimpse of what the Freedom Riders experienced. I'm definitely glad times have changed and my race of people, and others have rights and legal privileges now that they didn't have 60 years ago. I'm proud of those who faced those discriminators and demanded change. I'm also glad that I didn't live in that era and have to either suffer or fight along with others during that time.

It took one of the President's to help the black employees get their raise and promotions. Just think if he had of gotten it two president's sooner. A lot of changes have occurred since the butler first started working at the white house. In fact, he was able to witness President Barrack Obama become the first black president. Even though he had retired and wasn't able to serve during his administration, I'm sure after living through the struggle and now witnessing the power of those sacrifices made it worth it. Then compared to now, and knowing that racism still exist, just in different forms, we must still work towards diminishing those inequalities so history won't repeat itself.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

During this week, I witnessed a form of microinsults and/or microinvalidation.  One of the parents decided to correct the assigned teacher and her assistant about the pronunciation of her child’s name.  As Americans, and having a thorough knowledge of English grammar and phonics, the teachers that interact with her son, were pronouncing his name without the Latin accent.  The teacher disregarded it as being unimportant.  She stated, “Why didn't she inform us of that at the beginning of the school year.  Why now?”  The assistant teacher felt like the child doesn't know the difference anyway.  “Besides we are not Spanish speaking people; everyone can’t roll their tongues”.    These are the hidden messages that Dr. Sue was referring to in the Microaggressions video.  I’m not sure if it was intentional or unintentional, because the teachers didn't express this to the parent.  They only discussed it in private, but their attitude of not rendering respect to the parent’s wishes and the child’s identity was shocking.  I definitely disagree with both because they can at least put forth the effort to try to pronounce the child’s name correctly and even though the child is only 2, he is picking up on different behaviors within his learning environment and with the attitudes of these teachers, it could cause an early onset of psychological stress (Microaggression in Everyday Life).  As he develops, he could become embarrassed by his culture or heritage and lose that part of his identity in order to fit in with society or people who share their attitude.   From this observation experience, I see how easily it is to engage in microaggression, as adults, and use it towards children regardless of their age.  This also was an indication of how we must improve our professional development requirements.  If I was the administrator, and this was brought to my attention, both of them would be attending Anti-Bias Educational Classes.    

Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (2011).  Microaggressions in Everyday Life.  (Mulitmedia Presentation).

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I recently asked the following people about their definition of culture and diversity.  Their responses are:

Ruthie, my 58 year old mother:  "A person’s way of life; their lifestyle, beliefs, values, and what is the norm for them is their culture.  Diversity is just a fancy word for being different."

Kyna, a 36 year old friend:  "I look at diversity as being a part of their race. but a person’s culture helps identify them.  How you are raised also defines your culture.  Depending on the country you leave in determines your own culture.  It's just a lot of things."

 

Brianna, my 9 year old daughter:  "A person’s culture is proof of people being different (diversity) from other people.  Culture includes things around you like your family.  Describing culture is really hard." 

I chose different age ranges to demonstrate how over time people's concepts of diversity and culture develops.  As I reflect on what I've learned and listen to what my friends and family have shared with me, I’m reminded of how complex culture can be.  According to Chapter 5 of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, culture refers to how particular groups of people live (Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  Everything we do reflects our individual cultures.  Mostly people view culture as the difference between ethnic groups but it is possible for the Asian culture to share some of the same beliefs as a non Asian culture.  It’s even possible for African American families to share the same ethnicity but have different approaches to their everyday living.  By listening to how others define diversity, I perceive that diversity goes hand in hand with culture because of the uniqueness of it.  There’s no way to identify culture but not recognize diversity.

Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. O. (2010).  Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C.

My Family Culture

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

• A description of the three items you would choose

The three items I would take with me will be identification documents, valuable family heirlooms, and pictures. 

• How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

The legal documents may be useful in the new country and if I'm ever to return to my previous country, I will have them to help me transition. Having anything of value will help me to survive in the new country. I can use things of value to barter with. Taking pictures with me will help me remember and express our family history. It will remind us of what life was like before the catastrophe and help gives us hope for what we will return to one day. 

• Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

It would sadden me even more to have to give up the little I have left. I probably would give up the legal documents that identify me since now that I'm in a new country, they will want to recreate that information for me based on their classification system. I would hold on to what is valuable and as many keepsake items I have. 

•       Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise.

I am closer with my immediate family versus my entire family. I rarely see and interact with them unless its holiday functions, graduations, wedding or funeral ceremonies, etc. Losing my immediate family will be more devastating and have a greater impact on me than losing a distant relative. So, it definitely makes a difference not having a relationship with someone but being related to them. Even within your family their can be a culture diversity.

When I think of Research

First and foremost I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support, expertise, and insight during this course.  Your participation is greatly appreciated and as help better my understanding of the influence of research.  

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

Learning the details of research has helped me better understand why research is important and how it is used to improve the lives of young children.  Learning about the different issues of research and what is currently being done to minimize those issues.  

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

I have a better knowledge of the research process.  I understand that their are guidelines and divisions in place to govern what is or isn't acceptable.  Children, families, and other participants have rights that are protected during research and case studies.  

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I learn the steps to take when designing a plan to conduct research.  Being specific helps know what exactly the objective is that I was trying to meet.  Learning to look at what I want to learn and how I want to contribute to early education was helpful in determining which approach to take.  

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

Making sure the time and resources are available to complete the research is one challenge.  Replacing participants that can no longer commit to being apart of the research is another challenge.  

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

My professional perspective was challenged when I had to switch to a researcher's mentality.  As a researcher, I have to interview and observe then document and analyze.  As an educator, I focused on helping young learners achieve their academic goals.  As a researcher, I see the evidence and I compare it to another group's outcome; I can't interject and make corrections and turn the situation into a teaching moment.  My purpose is to test a theory and to focus on what the child knows or doesn't know.  So, keep the two positions separate was a major modification for me.  

Research Around the World

Recently I visited European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) to learn about current international events related to ECE.  There is an upcoming conference in August for international researchers to gather together and collaborate and network about child development.

What I found interesting is that EECERA offers one of the most prestigious ECE journals of the world.  EECERA is also affiliated with special interest groups.  These groups are formed from members of EECERA who collaborate internationally over child development topics and issues.  EECERA have a partnership with Pacific ECE Research Association and the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education.   

Unfortunately, EECERA hasn't displayed their current topics or events; that section is under construction.  

Reference 
European Early Childhood Education Research Association http://www.eecera.org