Outside Express route
November 7, 2009
Gloria Valdez-Gardea Ciria *
remember when I got to school Diego Rivera, the third grade, I was scared, not knowing speak English well, they laughed at me, felt like the communication barrier was going to do that take advantage of me ... "each word, meditating, thinking, Matthias Israel touches his forehead, scratches his hair as he relives the emotions and continuous ... "We came because my dad lost his job in California, then to me I liked school, but I felt that nobody liked here, the children did nothing cried a lot, not wanting to participate, had no motivation, until the teacher yelled. Then, while I did not want to participate, children saw me as having a defect, it laughed at me when he raised his hand, that was the beginning. U.S. teachers made you feel better if something happened or cried in order to open self-esteem, aggression seen here as something normal. The more you suffer more mature. There (U.S.) education is more personal, more dialogue rather than just communication as is done here. The dialogue is more interactive teachers are interested in creating a knowledge experience, and this is just communication: convey an idea without necessarily having a receiver, and if you catch the message or not, that's your problem.
There're worried that capturing and here, as sometimes they are not interested ... "" To say the latter Israel Matthias, as he likes to be called, opens her beautiful eyes, framed by long dark eyelashes, as seeking an answer to this claim, stares deep and continues: "Such 'cheek' made me mature.
understood when I said 'damn smack guey ball, do not be stupid ', they were joking, I learned to read between the lines. I feel stronger ... "" Still with an accent said: "I feel more belonged ..." In recent years, anti-immigrant policies implemented by the U.S. government and the economic crisis have severely affected hundreds of Mexican families who had to return to our country. The most vulnerable population are minors as Israel Matias, who face significant challenges especially when entering the educational system in our country. Details of the SEC indicate that in the present 2009-2010 school year have been received in our state to 1134 students primary and 164 secondary.
view of this we wonder: Is the education system ready to receive in terms of human infrastructure, material, administrative and curriculum, how given the inclusion of these children and what are the challenges of language, socialization and learning presented?, are we ready for the challenges facing the imminent increase in children with educational experience in the U.S.? At the moment are more questions than answers, which we have on this emerging phenomenon. The return of migrant children invited to take a look at the structural situation of the education system in general and visible public policy educational crisis. Better leave it here ...
* Professor and researcher of the Center for North American Studies
