First of all, I thought that this book was fantastic and
very easy to read. It can be a daunting task knowing that you have to read an
entire book in one week’s time but I thought that this book was so interesting
that it went by very quickly. On that note, I also found it very depressing.
Some of the accounts of the different children truly saddened me.
The story that sticks out most in my mind was that of a nine
year old boy from the Dominican Republic. In the book he says “life is good to
you if you are pretty and if you are white. If your face looks white and you
are not very dark, life is good.” (p. 98). How does a nine year old understand
this concept? That is a very heavy burden for a nine year old child to be
carrying. At nine years old I can’t even remember thinking about race. Race was
absolutely a non factor in my life and this poor child (and countless others)
have their childhood stripped away from them because they are worried about
being picked on and out casted because the color of their skin? Other children
have to bear the burden of being interpreters, babysitting younger siblings
while parents are at work and basically taking on the role of the adult.
Granted, many immigrants come here for a better life, to escape war, genocide
and to build a better life, but these children deserve their childhood.
And how are we not setting them up for failure? In this
book, there were many accounts of the general population reacting negatively to
immigrant groups. On page 97 there is a chart that breaks down the different
ethnic groups and how people of that group are perceived by others. For every
group, the majority of the responses were negative. If we keep acting
negatively towards them of course they are going to succumb to that. The book
points this out by saying, “[f]or these youth, the response is, ‘You think I’m
bad? Let me show you how bad I can be.’” (p. 100). They are mirroring the
behavior that is being portrayed out to them. If we tell them that they’re
awful, a burden on society and their culture is strange how should we expect
them to act? On pages 96-97 the book lists out “most Americans think that we
are…” and all of the responses are negative, cruel and malicious. These
responses were not coming from adults, but from children ages nine to fourteen.
I hope that by being in the classroom I can help bring back childhood
for some of my students. I hope that I can portray a more positive influence
towards their race and culture. I may not be fully aware of many different
cultures but it is something that I can learn from my students. At the very
least, teachers need to stop the negativity towards these students. It is not
their fault that they have been put into the situation that they are in and for
them to be punished for that is truly unfair.
Kim - I totally agree with your point about race causing such worry for very young children. When we were young, we didn't even have to think about it. If immigrant children come to the United States and settle in an urban, poor, or racially charged area, this adds a whole new aspect of life for them to adjust to. Not only are they adapting to a strange new life, but they must also constantly worry about others judging them based on their race or ethnicity. You're right, many are escaping from war-torn countries where life is probably even more dangerous, but children have the right to be safe and comfortable here. The images of violence in this book were abhorrent.
ReplyDeleteI also worry about how much pressure immigrant parents may (knowingly or unknowingly) place on their children. When their parents do not speak English well, children are relied on as translators. If their parents work long hours, children might have to care for younger siblings or take care of the household. There are so many adult responsibilities that unfortunately sometimes fall on the children when they should be focusing on education and enjoying their time as young people.
I must say that the story that moved me the most was this exact one. Sadly, this nine year old boy who should be enjoying his childhood is growing up way too young. Although the article we read last week wasn’t the best it actually spoke to this nine year olds story. We as white individuals didn’t have to deal with racism during our childhood. It really was a non factor. We had advantage of schooling, job opportunity, and most importantly college. This child easily has seen more hardships then we could ever imagine. Truly a heart wrenching story. In addition immigrant populations that really need the most help are commonly seen as individuals who live for “free”. Many who receive welfare and other government aid become targets for persecution by many Americans. It seems that’s this negative feeling towards diverse populations contributes to the downfall of its youth. Commonly youth of diverse populations that receive such negative responses from the general public take negative actions in their life. Joining gangs, selling drugs, dropping out of school and other negative actions come from such distain. The book really does a great job of addressing that.
ReplyDeleteI think that these stories and statistics are part of the reason we all want to become teachers. We want to be able to make even the slightest change in our students' lives and try to give them a positive outlook on life, no matter what color their skin is. It's so disheartening to hear that there are children out there who already have a preconceived notion about their race at such an early age. As you've mentioned, these children seemed to have lost part of their childhood. The only thing that I was concerned about when I was nine years old was when I was going to be able to play with my friends again. As teachers,we won't be able to stop all of the negativity that exists in the classroom and among students, but it's our job to try.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great discussion going on here. I understand that some of you feel sad for these children but my experience tells me that children learn to live the situation at hand. We do feel heartbroken because we are compassionate and we want to make a difference. I come from India where child labour is very common. There is a lot of poverty and children barely get a chance to go to school. Those that are fortunate enough end up going to a night-school after a hard day's work. When I visit India, I do feel for them. These children are happy in their own world. Children need guidance, love and respect wherever they are. They don't even know what's out there so it is our duty as teacher's to show them the possibilities. I am miles away from my home country, but the opportunity to serve the underprivileged is everywhere and I will consider myself grateful if I get one.
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