Democracy & Education, Volume 17, Issue 3 (2008). pp. 54-57.
Language:
English
Abstract:
The early 1980s saw an influx of Southeast Asian refugees from various demographic groups and backgrounds to Minnesota. As teachers, the author and her colleagues regularly added children from these groups to their classrooms, receiving little explanation of a student's history or language proficiency. To counteract increasing teacher resentment and generate understanding of what brought these children and their families to Minnesota, the author and her colleagues initiated a two-month process of recording the stories of these refugee families and photographing their middle-school children individually. Insight gained from the interviews led teachers to realize that English language learners (ELLs) deserve respect, and not pity, from educators. The author shares tips to help teachers and communities to include new immigrants in activities and help them to acquire English proficiency. (Contains 1 table.)