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Refugees
What is a refugee?
Name other ethnic groups who came to America as refugees? (everyone except Native Americans, but more recently: Vietnamese, Hmong from Laos, Hatian, Salvadoran, Russian)
What do you remember about Saroan’s life?
What are the similarities between your life and Saroan’s life?
What are the differences between your life and Saroan’s life?
What do you remember about Chath’s life?
How did Chath’s experience under the Khmer Rouge shape his career? (he felt like he must do something, because he didn’t want genocide to happen again)
What helped Chat adjust to life in America?
Common Difficulties Facing Refugee Children (from Cambodia: A Classroom Study from Cornell University www.eiaudi.cornell.edu/SoutheastAsia/outreach/
resources/CambodiaWebUnit)
- Communication
- Values and Belief Systems
- Learning Styles and Educational Systems
- Parental Assimilation and Involvement within the School
- Lack of Wealth and Material Possessions
- Physical Appearance
- Socialization
What are some nice aspects of having refugees in America? (cultural diversity is interesting, they bring different foods and traditions, it gives us an opportunity to help those who are less fortunate)
How can we help refugees? (help them learn English, help them with their homework, ask them to share their traditions, customs and food with the class; invite them to our homes and to share our favorite activities)
Guidelines for Teachers Who Work with Children from Different Cultures (from Cambodia: A Classroom Study from Cornell University)
- Gain a better understanding of a child's background by working closely with their parents.
- When conflicts arise, do not make quick judgments, but try to understand exactly what happened because injustice will increase negative feelings between children of different races.
- Be aware that children may experience a high degree of stress during acculturation and try to help alleviate the stress.
- Be patient and provide positive reinforcement to children who are learning English.
- Learn to understand the child's body language to facilitate communication.
- Be aware that it takes time to learn a new learning style and classroom behavior.
- Encourage children from another culture to share their traditions, customs, food, etc. with the rest of the class as this will foster mutual understanding.
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