I remember when I learned about immigration. In school, we talked about people from Europe filling boats and traveling to New York to make something better of themselves. We learned about the people who were skilled in a trade. Those people brought their skills here and opened delis, bakeries, restaurants, clothing shops, etc. We heard stories of how they worked very hard for all thy earned so that their children could grow up in a better world. We saw grainy footage of immigrants getting off boats at the Statue of Liberty. We've heard the stories of Jews before, during and after WWII making their way here to escape persecution, the same way the Pilgrims did hundreds of years before. Immigration was taught as part of our "history."
Why? If immigration is an ongoing point of contention and debate, if people are still coming to the US to make a better life for themselves, why aren't we teaching it? Is it because the boom is so recent that the numbers aren't in yet? No. I think it's currently such a hot-button issue that we are afraid to confront it. Honestly, what was once a positive idea: Europeans coming to America to pursue the American Dream has now turned into hateful discussion about "illegals" coming into the US. When did we stop remembering why people are coming here? It's still to make their lives better. I think about the families of my Latino students. Many of them come from two-parent homes. One (sometimes both) of the parents work one, two, even three jobs so that they can make enough money to stay here and provide more for their children. To me, it's admirable.
I found the concept of assimilation, as addressed in this chapter, to be really thought-provoking. So often you hear of the "angry American" who doesn't appreciate immigrants embracing their culture, language, etc. "They live here so they should..." However, I hadn't considered that perhaps the immigrant families struggle with this daily. What may appear like defiance on the surface could be hiding a major struggle inside: how much of American customs and culture do we embrace while still remaining true to where we came from?
Why aren't we teaching immigration as a current, positive issue?
How do we, as teachers, stay in tune to the struggles our immigrant children may be facing?
I agree with you on the polarizing impact immigration has on the landscape of America. It's become such a negative and contemptuous topic, it's easier to avoid it than to talk about it. There are a lot of stereotypes that immigrants endure to live out the so called American dream. I wonder if it feels like a dream to the children of the immigrants or more like a nightmare. As the mom of a wrestling student, I hear kids take swipes at one another all the time on the topic of immigration. Hispanic wrestlers are teased about cutting the grass after wrestling practice, Black wrestlers are teased about robbing and mobbing and white students are teased about swearing at their parents. Coaches let this kind of behavior ride. I guess they can't correct or teach everything all the time. A lot of what needs to happen with respect to teaching on immigration and diversity begins at home. We can't keep taking the parents out of the process and leave all the heavy lifting for the teachers to do.
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