The assigned readings discuss the differences between earlier immigrant groups and today’s. Include at least three significant differences discussed in your texts, articles, or films.

The assigned readings discuss the differences between earlier immigrant groups and today’s. 

Include at least three significant differences discussed in your texts, articles, or films.

Please respond to at least 2 classmates. ( 2 points will be deducted if the minimum is not met).  

Reply classmate

Brittny Zepeda (She/Her)

Mar 19, 2024 at 2:10 PM

In reading “Diversity in Early Care and Education” alongside “The Inner World of the Immigrant Child,” several key differences between earlier immigrant groups and today’s can be identified. Firstly, the demographics of immigrant populations have shifted over time. Earlier immigrants were primarily from European countries, while today’s immigrants come from more diverse backgrounds, including Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This diversity presents unique challenges and opportunities in early care and education settings, requiring culturally responsive practices to support the needs of immigrant children and their families. Secondly, there has been a notable evolution in educational opportunities and access. Earlier immigrant groups often faced significant barriers to education, including language barriers and limited availability of early childhood education programs. Today, there is a greater emphasis on providing equitable access to quality early care and education for all children, regardless of their immigration status or background. This includes initiatives such as bilingual education programs, culturally relevant curriculum, and support services to address the unique needs or immigrant families. Lastly, there has been a shift in societal attitudes and policies towards immigration and diversity. Earlier immigrant groups often encountered overt discrimination and hostility, which influenced their experiences in early care and education settings. Today, while challenges and biases still exist, there is generally greater awareness and acceptance of cultural diversity, leading to efforts to create more inclusive and supportive environments for immigrant children and families. This shift reflects a broader recognition of the importance of diversity in early childhood education and its role in promoting positive outcomes for all children. 

 

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Diversity In Early Care and Education Honoring Differences (5th Ed., pp.46-64)

Igoa, C. (2015). The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. Routledge. (pp. 37-69)

Clasmate 

Brandon James

Mar 21, 2024 at 6:20 PM

Immigrants from back in the day are different from today. In current times, immigrant groups can have access to MediCal here in the United States, whereas in the past they were less likely to have access to healthcare. Today’s immigrant who arrived to the US before they were 16 years old can qualify for the DACA program. 

The story in Diversity in Early Care and Education (p.g. 48) about the grandfather who brought his granddaughter to preschool stood out to me. The granddaughter enters the classroom and ignores the teacher which the grandfather thought was rude. Meanwhile, the teacher dismisses the grandfather’s concern. On one hand, the teacher thought the grandfather was shaming the child, meanwhile the teacher explained to the grandfather that developmentally the child is not there yet to understand these social niceties. The two were not communicating. Although the author does not explicitly state whether the grandfather was an immigrant, later she suggests that their lack of communication may be a conflict in values between the teacher’s individualistic orientation and the grandfather’s collectivist orientation. Many immigrant communities to the U.S. have been collectivist, which counters the dominant narrative of the U.S. being an individualistic culture. From my perspective, it is not fair to claim the U.S. is individualistic because that privileges only one narrative among a complex set of narratives held and valued among immigrants to this country, whether long ago or more recently.

One difference discussed in The Inner World of the Immigrant Child was the need for immigrant children and families to retain cultural identity. An example taken from the 10-year-old American Samoan F’aatui. This story highlighted how it was not serious to throw a Samoan child out of the house. ” Throwing a child out of the house is not as serious to Samoans as to Americans, Samoans have a large extended families, and there are always some next-of-kin nearby, even here in the United States” (Barker, 1993 in Igoa, 1995, p. 56). Given the collective nature of Samoan culture, it seems that a child thrown out of their parent’s house will be cared for by another family member, so the consequences for that child may be different of that for a child from a family whose culture is characterized by less family proximity, cohesion, or broader sense of family.

Being displaced in a foreign land can have a negative impact on a child. For example, in The Inner World of the Immigrant Child, immigrant children were observed to experience exhaustion resulting from a new language, sights, and sounds, conflicts between assimilation and acculturation, loneliness, and isolation. These experiences must be taken into account by teachers and others who work with immigrant children and their families. Both must be supported through the significant life transitions associated with immigration. It is important for teachers to develop relationships with immigrant families to better understand their cultural perspectives and values while sharing how the education system in the U.S. views child development and learning. Teachers must not impose these perspectives on families but instead engage in dialogue to understand so that children and families feel supported.

Reference:

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2016). Child, family, and community: Family-Centered Early Care and Education. McGraw-Hill.

Igoa, C. (1999). The inner world of the immigrant child. Routledge