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By
Hussam Al-Khalidy
UNDERSTANDING THE IRAQI COMMUNITY AFTER 2003
• Iraq’s population is over 31 million.
• Iraq has 18 provinces. Baghdad is the capital.
• Boarders: Iran to the east, Kuwait & Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan & Syria to the west, and Turkey to the north.
• Iraq is an agricultural country.
• Oil is one of its main resources.
• Islam is the main religion in Iraq; Iraq also has Christians and Mandaens.
BACKGROUND ABOUT IRAQ
IRAQIS’ DISPLACEMENT AFTER 2003
• The rate of internally displaced persons in Iraq reached to an estimate of 10% of the Iraqi people. UN reports showed that 2.8 million Iraqis were displaced after the war of 2003 either because they were followers of the former regime or due to ethnic and sectarian cleansing.
• Some Iraqis fled Iraq and temporarily went to neighboring and regional countries like Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and UAE.
WHERE DID IRAQI REFUGEES COME FROM?
• The majority of Iraqi refugees came from countries other than Iraq. They spent years waiting for their immigration process.
• Education, if any, in (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Egypt) Some moved from one country to another leading that their children may not have been enrolled in any school missing years of education.
• Iraq is known for its “strong”-education as compared to regional education systems. Those students who were relatively lucky to get education in the countries they stayed at received lower education than what was given in Iraq.
• Temporary settlement for these families and differences in education between Iraq and these countries.
IRAQI REFUGEES IN USA• The first factor will depend on the family
background, education, and adapting a new culture. As many of the refugees will struggle through the changes they face especially with the lack of knowledge in the system, language, and laws.
• Other factors depend if the family has relatives, friends, or any experience of such an environment of foreigner countries prior of their coming to USA.
• Unified education system throughout Iraq.
• Mandatory up to sixth grade. Free education from elementary school through college.
• Mixed gender in elementary school and college. Separated in middle and high school.
• Stationery, notebooks, and report cards are provided to the students.
• Dress code in schools.
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN IRAQ
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN IRAQ - CONTINUED
• Ethics and discipline are strongly emphasized and enforced.
• Students who do not pass their classes are not promoted to the following grade.
• State-wide exams in 6th, 9th, and 12th grades.
• At 11th grade students may choose to enter either a scientific or an art and humanities fields of studies.
• Entire and partial exemption from final tests for advanced students in middle and high school.
PERSPECTIVES & EXPECTATIONS
• The education level and background of each family.
• The educational background, age of their children.
• Concerns and challenges (by the students & their families).
• Parents want their children to have better education than theirs.
• How the families can work together with the school while their English language is an obstacle.
• How fast can the students pick the language and improve their grades.
THE CULTURE SHOCK!?
• Iraqis are very sociable, working hours in Iraq are not so long and family rules have priority.
• Life in USA goes too fast which causes frustration for many refugees.
• The medical services and their costs, taxes, the banking system, education, property rules, common foods are very different from what we were used to. In Iraq, we have free medical services and education, no sales or federal tax, only one small property tax paid once upon the deal.
• Freedom in the USA is too unclear for Iraqi teenagers to understand. Families have concerns about raising their children keeping/losing their own cultural and religious values.
STUDENTS’ TRANSITIONING
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Unstable life even after reaching the U.S.
• Culture shock (Traditions, Language, Style, Friends…etc).
• Food, long hours, environment.
• Influence of the classmates on them.
CONCLUSION• To conclude, the Iraqi community in USA especially refugees, had gone through
prolonged hardship: war-torn country, internal and/or external displacement, and immigration.
• Difference in the educational systems here and Iraq or any other country at which the families had to temporarily stay.
• Parents’ perspectives and expectations for their children’s education.
• The culture shock after settling in the U.S.
• Students’ transitioning at school.
These factors altogether have great impact on the Iraqi community in USA in general. They also directly affect the learning/acquisition and behavior/reaction of Iraqi students at school. Therefore, it is necessary to consider all the above factors when dealing with Iraqi refugees.
