Comments on: The Immigrant Experience in Children’s/Adolescent Literature

By: Michael Williams

Michael Williams — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:00:52 +0000

there are lots of social issues that we face these days due to hardships and disease.–’

By: WOW Currents » The Immigrant Experience in Children’s/Adolescent Literature

WOW Currents » The Immigrant Experience in Children’s/Adolescent Literature — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:45:21 +0000

[...] of opportunity” — or do they? (This latter question will be explored in next week’s topic.) Last week’s WOW Currents responses talk about La Línea, an excellent example of challenges faced by certain young [...]

By: Ragina Shearer

Ragina Shearer — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:50:55 +0000

As teachers, I believe we should not focus on our personal beliefs or perceptions of immigration laws, but our focus should be completely on the children. I am not taking a stance on being for or against immigration legal or illegal. I am taking a stance on respecting the children that are here, respecting their heritage and the wealth of experiences and knowledge they bring with them and most of all helping them to feel good about themselves. Think about it there is not a child here that woke up one morning and said, I want to leave home, all my familiar surroundings, all the friends and family, the only way of life I have ever known, and go to a place where I know no one, I don’t speak the same language, and I will have to learn new every day ways of life and customs. No, the children here, whether legal or illegal, are here because their families sought a better life for them, they are virtually victims of circumstance.

However, the wonderful opportunity we as teachers have today is to use all the valuable literature with our classes and open doors for these students. Through literature immigrant students can see their selves, and their own experiences which will open the doors for discussion and follow up literacy activities which encourage and build self esteem. I read The Crossing to my own class of immigrant students, as I read the parts about the “Coyotes” who helped people cross the borders I heard story after story about their own experiences and/or that of relatives. These students were proud of the hardship and danger undertaken by their relatives and often themselves to forge their way to a new home, a better way of life, and very often a safer place to live. Over the years, my own immigrant students have shared remarkable stories that merged from the reading and sharing of a piece of literature.

When I read Number the Stars to my students it led into several great discussions based on why people treat others in a certain way simply because of their race and/or beliefs. They discussed the fact that after the Jews crossed over to Sweden they would face being in a new land and have to start life all over, learning a new language, and new customs. In one sixth grade class the students made their own lists of ways they could help a new student, or any student, that was feeling left out. Many of these students could remember arriving themselves, some were born in the United States, yet all could empathize with the complexities of entering a new and foreign world and a new school.

These are just two examples, but there are pieces of literature used in schools daily that can lend to such discussions. We as teachers simply need to be aware of the diverse classrooms we have today and be able to begin discussions and provide or guide students into further extensions. We are all immigrants, in one way or another, if not ourselves, our forefathers. We all want to be accepted and appreciated for the part we play in our communities; we must guide our students in developing their self confidence and skills.

By: Janelle Mathis

Janelle Mathis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:32:58 +0000

I was intrigued by this book when I read it and I was so glad you shared your students’ responses. I wondered if immigrants or those who know of similar stories would feel that it was well told and realistic. I wondered about what they considered ambigous, since he did make it across. What was the ending that was important for them to see/hear? I love the lines, “I didn’t understand that there are thousands of lineas to cross in a life. Sometimes you see the border and you walk right across, eyes wide open. . . Other times , you don’t know you’ve crossed a border until you reach the other side.”

Thanks for sharing this.
Janelle

By: Jennifer M. Graff

Jennifer M. Graff — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:22:47 +0000

The sociocultural, sociopolitical and literary contexts of immigrants and their experiences are near to my heart, soul, and professional focus. I offer a graduate level course on the construction of immigrants in children’s literature and have been conducting research on this topic. Feel free to contact me if you would you like to have a conversation about these topics and perhaps initiate some collaborative work.

By: Janine Schall

Janine Schall — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:13:10 +0000

I just finished reading La Linea by Ann Jaramillo with my graduate students. When they complained about having to read a novel in a week I told them that this book would grab them by the throat and not let go until they finished. They ended up loving the book–many connected strongly to the immigration plotline since most are either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants. We held literature circles where intense debates took place on the ambiguous ending. Also, we constructed a story ray for the novel.