Exploring Immigrant Parents’ Contributions to

Education

ATA ESL Council Conference

Nov 7/08

Yan Guo, Ph.D.

University of Calgary, Canada

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.

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).

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 children’s learning and how they contribute to their children’s education.

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)

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 master’s degrees; 17 bachelor’s degrees; 1 Grade 12

– University instructors, teachers, researchers, engineers, accountants, and housewives (formerly)

Results of the Study

• Understanding students’ culture

• Respecting students’ first language

• Accommodating students’ religious needs

• Becoming agents of social change

Understanding students’ culture (1)

• You know how she (the teacher) started, ‘I think your son doesn’t respect women…He doesn’t look at me when I talk to him’…In our culture, it is a sign of respect. When the children talk to their parents and elders, they look down…(Aneeka, Pakistan)

Understanding students’ culture (2)

My daughter likes to help people all the time. The teacher tells her that she shouldn’t do that in the classroom…it is none of your business. But that’s 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 person…it is a culture clash because my culture is like that. (Kaya, Ghana)

Understanding students’ culture (3)

One of the most important aspects of Indian culture is respect for parents and for elders…When my older sister visited me, I hugged her, kissed her, and touched her feet…I want my children to blend the fusion of mixing cultures…They don’t have to touch the feet, but they need to respect the adults and never talk back to parents. (Neera, India)

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)

Respecting students’ first language (2)

• Language is culture…It 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)

Accommodating students’ religious needs (1)

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

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 religion…the 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 girls…She respects our religion… I was very satisfied. (Manibha, Bangladesh)

Accommodating students’ religious needs (3)

A friend of mine…told 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, ‘I’m sorry. I can’t do that…I don’t want to make the school into a mosque’. (Manibha, Bangladesh)

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 couldn’t recognize that voice. She turned around, but she couldn’t find out who said that…She was very upset…I went to her teacher and we had a conversation about it…I’m glad that the teacher did some follow-up. She had a kind of class meeting about diversity. (Shin, Korea)

Becoming agents of social change (2)

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

Mirror Image 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!!

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!!

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!!!

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)

Implications (continued)

• To understand children’s 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

Implications: Understand the School Community (continued)

• I would be very disappointed, let’s say [xxx, school name] gets a new teacher and doesn’t 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 don’t fit that mould. To me that’s not stereotyping. That’s becoming aware of the key elements, values, and beliefs of that people. (Abril, Belize)