Cobb County ESOL

Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

March 2012 Research Report from Center for American Progress: Download Life_as_undocumented

Information on issues of immigration, education and English Learners

www.presente.org: website that explores issues relevent to Latino populations

www.dreamactivist.org: website with information and support for undocumented students

www.colorlines.com: daily news site that focuses the overcoming of racism in society

www.fairus.org: an organization that supports an alternative view to immigration issues

Ed Week article: On Open Article from Undocumented Students

 

Why Culture?

Developing an awareness of the cultural backgrounds of English learners and how cultural differences can support and affect learning is a key facet of effective instruction. Many classroom teachers have not been prepared to tap into the different kinds of prior knowledge that culturally diverse learners bring to the classroom. Additionally, most teachers do not know how to scaffold the transition of EL's from their previous educational experiences to schooling in U.S. schools.

The ESOL Endorsement Course in Cultural Issues expands teacher knowledge of how to deliver equitable and culturally responsive instruction to ELs. The course focuses specifically on the unique cultural backgrounds and needs of ELs to support effective instruction and academic achievement for ALL students.

The Cobb County ESOL Department provides several opportunities throughout the year for Cobb teachers to expand their knowledge and improve their practice through completion of the ESOL Endorsement Course in Cultural Issues. Visit the Cobb Professional Learning page under "Quick Links" for information on course offerings and registration.

The Diversity Kit: An Introductory Resource for Social Change

Brown University's Education Alliance has developed an excellent resource for educators. The three-part kit addresses the gap between research and practice with insights on language acquisition and the effects of student cultural backgrounds on the learning process. It allows educators at all levels, administrators, policymakers, and community members to examine their beliefs, perceptions, behaviors, and educational practices with respect to diversity in education. Each of the three sections contains activities, vignettes, and suggestions for further exploration. the kit contains information on videos, online and print resources. The resource is available FREE and can be downloaded from the Education Alliance site. For your convenience, the kit may be downloaded here: Download Dk_dev26-66

The Danger of the Single Story

TED is a non-profit that focuses on ideas that are worth spreading. One idea worth spreading is the concept that all of our students who come to us have their own stories. As teachers it is important to realize that each of students has an internal story that we may only be privy to if we build a strong, trusting relationships with our students.

Check out the words of Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie as she shares her thoughts about the story within us all in "The Danger of the Single Story."

http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Immigration Information (New!)

Click here to download the presentation on Immigration: Download Immigration slides_KR

Listed below are some additional resoures on immigration:

AJC article: State Immigration Law Beset with Gaps, AJC, November 8, 2011

NY Times series of articles and interactive media on immigration

PBS "Lost in Detention:" Over 400,000 people deported in 2011: Watch the PBS program

The research report, "Shattered Families," on the thousands of children in foster homes whose parents have been deported.

The ACLU website: The ACLU Report on Cobb's 287g is attached.
Information from the Anti-Defamation League on organizations that represent the other side of the issue.

Information required for application for the naturalization process.

The article on Joaquin Luna, the undocumented high school student's suicide

CNN article on allegations of Arizona sheriff's discrimination of Latinos

The Pinky Show's tongue-in-cheek video, "How to Solve Illegal Immigration"

The "Newly Arrived Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 2010" report, which was relased recently by the Census. Surprisingly, since 2008, immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for only 41 percent of newcomers. Prior to 2005, immigrants from that region constituted 54 percent of new arrivals.

 

Zakaria - Washington Post

Click here to read Fareed Zakaria's article from the Washington Post.

Report: Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Rights in America

Click on the link to access the report: Defending Democracy: Confronting Modern Barriers to Voting Right in America

pdf version: Download ACLU report

Diversity Training

Click here to download the information on diversity: Download DiversityIntranetDeck2011

U.S. Naturalization Test

Anyone applying for U.S. citizenship, the applicant must pass the naturalization test. How would you do? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provides a naturalization self test study tool to test knowledge of U.S. history and government in preparation of the test. The actual civics test is NOT a multiple choice test. The civics test is an oral test. During a naturalization interview, up to 10 questions are asked from the list of 100 questions.  6 out of 10 questions must be answered correctly to pass the civics portion of the naturalization test.

If the World were a Village of a 100...

If the World were a Village of a 100 people...

Lindley Middle School - syllabus - Fall 2011

Click here to download a copy of the Cultural Issues ESOL Endorsement Course Syllabus:   Download Cultural Issues Syllabus, Rubrics ONLINE Ewing Lindley Fall 2011

Example Boundary Crossing: Download Example Boundary Crossing

Example Internet Culture Project: Download Example internet culture project

What is culture?

 
As we begin our course of study, we must clearly define what we mean by "Culture." What is culture? Examine the different definitions as outlined by CARLA.

CARLA’s Definition

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For the purposes of the Intercultural Studies Project, culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization. These shared patterns identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.

Another definition:

Starting point: Culture as Knowledge

•Anthropologist James Spradley gives a succinct definition of culture, in which every word is carefully chosen:

'Culture is the acquired knowledge people use to interpret experience and generate behavior."

Displaced in the New South

 

Click below to download the video:

Download Displaced in the New South

15 Eye-Opening Facts on Undocumented Students

The following is from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/10/19/15-eye-opening-facts-on-undocumented-students/

"Families immigrate to the United States constantly, and many of them bring children along with them. Immigrant adults with dubious legal status have it bad enough, but their kids face even more difficulty, unable to achieve their dreams in a country they consider home. About 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools every year, and their presence is not insignificant. Although they are guaranteed a public school education through grade 12, their future in college is much less certain. From federal Financial Aid restrictions to reduced opportunities, students with undocumented status face a lower quality of education and future careers than their legal classmates. Read on, and we'll explore several important facts about their experiences in the United States."

1.     Most undocumented students have no role in the decision to come to the US

Often, undocumented youth are brought into the US by their parents or relatives, and spend more years here than their country of origin. It's usually a family decision to move, and students may be small children when this happens. In 2000, approximately 2.5 million undocumented youth under 18 were living in the US. Typically, undocumented students enter the US without authorization, or they enter legally but remain without authorization.

2.    Undocumented students may not even be aware of their status

As undocumented youth are often brought into the US at a very young age, they may have no recollection of actually immigrating, and typically, no understanding of any legal arrangements that may have been made. In fact, some students have no idea that they are not legal US citizens until their late teens, when they apply for federal Financial Aid or begin looking for a job. This surprise can be devastating, as they are not able to pursue the college and career choices they may have been working toward.

3.    Federal law protects young undocumented students

Plyler v. Doe in 1982 included several points that help undocumented students in school. Through this law, schools must provide an equal education to all children, including the undocumented. In fact, they can't even ask for documentation of a child's immigration status, and schools can't use Social Security numbers as a prerequisite for enrollment. Students are further protected by the law that forbids school personnel from sharing information about a child's immigration status with any individual or institution, even government agencies. This means schools are a safe place for all students to receive a quality K-12 education.

4.    Undocumented students are often high performers

UCLA's Center for Labor Research and Education's hearing and conference in 2007 revealed that although undocumented students may not have access to the same resources as legal US citizens, they often do very well in school. Many are honor students, student leaders, and athletes with high academic achievement. However, they may be held back upon graduation because they cannot access higher education or legal employment.

5.    Undocumented students have fewer opportunities in school

Undocumented students aren't able to move freely due to fear of deportation, which means they may miss out on opportunities that legal US citizens are able to take advantage of. Study abroad, trips with friends, and even transferring to a new school can be incredibly difficult for undocumented students. Additionally, some programs or careers require that students are legal citizens, including teacher certification and nurse registration. The undocumented do not have the opportunity to pursue these careers due to their status.

6.    Undocumented isn't always illegal

Although many are quick to assume that undocumented means illegal, undocumented students can be in a number of different situations. Some have applied for permanent residence or another type of status, but are still awaiting approval. Others have cases pending in either Immigration or Federal Courts, a process that can take several years to complete. In some extreme cases, even US citizens may be undocumented, due to issues with proof of their citizenship.

7.    The DREAM Act may provide relief for undocumented students

Since 2007, legislation has been pending for the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented students to qualify for immigration relief. Students who have been continuously present in the US for at least five years, were under 16 years of age at the time of entry into the US, and those who are able to demonstrate good moral character would qualify. Students would be given a pathway to citizenship through college or the armed forces, granting lawful permanent resident status after completing two years in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher, or at least two years of honorable military service. They would still not be eligible for federal education grants, but unlike current legislation, would be able to take advantage of federal work study and student loans. If passed, an estimated 2.1 million undocumented young adults might benefit from the DREAM Act.

8.    Thousands of undocumented students fail to complete high school

Although undocumented immigrants can attend high school, not all of them do, lacking support and motivation. About 80,000 undocumented immigrants turn 18 every year, but of those, 16 to 20% of them will not graduate. Presumably, undocumented students do not see the value in a high school degree when they are not able to legally work, and may not be able to get grants or even attend college.

9.    Only a fraction of undocumented students make it to college

With many undocumented students failing to complete high school, it's not surprising that so many of them don't make it to college, either. According to the UCLA Labor Center, only five to 10% make it to college due to a lack of available Financial Aid. Even among undocumented students who have attended college, problems abound; many see family members deported, some have to drop out of school because they can't afford it, others have to put their education on hold to find work, and some even experience workplace raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, all of which can severely complicate completing a college degree.

10. Undocumented college students can't receive federal loans or grants

Although federal law does not prevent admission of undocumented students, they may still face obstacles when getting into college. Financial Aid is important to many enrollees, including loans and grants. However, undocumented students are prohibited from receiving federal assistance. In many cases, they are also ineligible for assistance at the state level as well.

11.  Undocumented students may be able to pay in state tuition

In 13 states, undocumented graduates of state high schools are allowed to pay in-state tuition at colleges and universities. The states base eligibility on state school attendance and graduation. These states are as follows: Texas, Connecticut, California, Utah, Washington, New York, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Rhode Island, Nebraska, and New Mexico. With this legislation, undocumented students can save thousands on their tuition, making it easier to attend college.

12. Somehow, undocumented graduates may still find work

Although legally, illegal aliens can't do anything with their high school or college degrees, as they can't work in the US, the reality may be different. Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams reports, "current enforcement practices" result in illegal aliens being hired. Mehlman-Orozco points out, if illegal aliens are somehow finding jobs, they might as well be college educated.

13. Undocumented students often don't apply to college or take advantage of state programs

Although 50,000 to 65,000 undocumented students graduate from US high schools each year, Education Week reports that many of them do not apply to college because it is "economically inaccessible." Still others do not take advantage of in-state tuition programs because they are not aware of them. And in other cases, even students who are aware of in-state tuition programs don't use them because their inability for financial aid means that college is still out of reach financially.

14. Financial Aid opportunities exist for undocumented students

Although undocumented students cannot receive federal Financial Aid, and in some cases, state aid as well, there are other options. Organizations including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, the United Negro College Fund, and the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund provide financial assistance to undocumented students. Additionally, schools themselves may offer Financial Aid to undocumented students, as higher learning institutions are able to set their own relevant policies.

15. Some schools offer undocumented students full ride scholarships

For high achieving undocumented students, there is hope when it comes to being able to afford the cost of college, especially those who have their sights set on the Ivy League. Both Harvard and Stanford University offer full ride scholarships to undocumented students. Although it's a controversial choice, it does mean that undocumented students who do well enough to be admitted to some of the top schools in the nation might not have to worry about how they're going to pay for it all.

 

Black in Latin America - Mexico & Peru

Watch the full episode. See more Black in Latin America.

 

In Mexico and Peru Professor Gates explores the almost unknown history of the significant numbers of black people—the two countries together received far more slaves than did the United States —brought to these countries as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, and the worlds of culture that their descendants have created in Vera Cruz on the Gulf of Mexico, the Costa Chica region on the Pacific, and in and around Lima, Peru.

 

 

Jose' Antonio - NY Times article

Click here to access the article about Jose' Antonio, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/magazine/my-life-as-an-undocumented-immigrant.html

Communicating with Gestures

"Very few gestures are universally understood and interpreted. What is perfectly acceptable in the United States may be rude, or even obscene, in other cultures." Check out Judy Haynes' website.

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/body_language.php

The Diversity Kit

Click below to download the Diversity Kit from Brown University: Download Diversitykit

The American Dream?

"They may not have called it the American Dream but for centuries people have gone to America in search of freer, happier, and richer lives. But is today's American Dream a mythical concept or still a reality?"

And so begins a recent  series of BBC articles. Click the links below to read the series.

"What is today's American Dream?"

"Is immigration policy killing the American Dream?"

"The Korean American success story"

"A dream that never comes true"

"The Amercan Dream redefined"

"The hidden literary themes of the 'American Dream'"

 

Black in Latin America - Haiti and the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided

Watch the full episode. See more Black in Latin America.

  

Black in Latin America is a new four-part series on the influence of African descent on Latin America. This is the 11th and latest production from renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., writer and presenter of the acclaimed PBS series African American Lives 1 (2006), Oprah’s Roots (2007), African American Lives 2 (2008), Looking for Lincoln (2009) and most recently Faces of America (2010).  

Black in Latin America is the third of a trilogy that began in 1999 with the broadcast of Professor Gates first series for public television, Wonders of the African World, an exploration of the relationship between Africa and the New World, a story he continued in 2004 with America Beyond the Color Line, a report on the lives of modern-day African Americans. Black In Latin America, premiering nationally Tuesdays April 19, 26 and May 3, 10, 2011 at 8 p.m. on PBS, examines how Africa and Europe came together to create the rich cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The first episode, posted above, explores race and identity in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Click here for the link to the video on the PBS website: Full Episode: Haiti & the Dominican Republic: An Island Divided.

 

Immigration Interactive Map

The New Immigrants and their Impact 

Culture Shock

What is Culture Shock?

Check out this site for an Overview of the symptons, the stages, the outcomes and how to cope.

Click here to read Dr. Oberg's editorial "Culture Shock & The Problem Of Adjustment To New Cultural Environments."

Black in Latin America - Brazil: A Racial Paradise?

Watch the full episode. See more Black in Latin America.

 In Brazil: A Racial Paradise?, Professor Gates delves behind the façade of Carnival to discover how this ‘rainbow nation’ is waking up to its legacy as the world’s largest slave economy.

 

 

Black in Latin America - Cuba: The Next Revolution

In Cuba: The Next Revolution, the culture, religion, politics and music of this island are inextricably linked to the huge amount of slave labor imported to produce its enormously profitable 19th century sugar industry, and how race and racism have fared since Fidel Castro’s Communist revolution in 1959.

Watch the full episode. See more Black in Latin America.