American Dreams, Global Visions : Dialogic Teacher Research with Refugee and Immigrant Families

by Hones, Donald F.; Hinz, Katie; Mehn, Judy; Song-Goede, Maya

• ISBN13: 9780805837070
• ISBN10: 0805837078
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-08-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

This book presents the struggle for dialogue and understanding between teachers and refugee and immigrant families, in their own words. Forging a stronger connection between teachers, newcomers, and their families is one of the greatest challenges facing schools in the United States. Teachers need to become familiar with the political, economic, and sociocultural contexts of these newcomers' lives, and the role of the U.S. in influencing these contexts in positive and negative ways. The important contribution of American Dreams, Global Visionsis to bring together global issues of international politics and economics and their effects on migration and refugee situations, national issues of language and social policy, and local issues of education and finding ways to live together in an increasingly diverse society. Narratives of four immigrant families in the United States (Hmong, Mexican, Assyrian/Kurdish, Kosovar) and the teacher-researchers who are coming to know them form the heart of this work. The narratives are interwoven with data from the research and critical analysis of how the narratives reflect and embody local, national, and global contexts of power. The themes that are developed set the stage for critical dialogues about culture, language, history, and power. Central to the book is a rationale and methodology for teachers to conduct dialogic researchwith refugees and immigrants--research encompassing methods as once ethnographic, participatory, and narrative--which seeks to engage researchers and participants in dialogues that shed light on economic, political, social, and cultural relationships; to represent these relationships in texts; and to extend these dialogues to promote broader understanding and social justice in schools and communities. American Dreams, Global Visionswill interest teachers, social workers, and others who work with immigrants and refugees; researchers, professionals, and students across the fields of education, language and culture, ethnic studies, American studies, and anthropology; and members of the general public interested in learning more about America's most recent newcomers. It is particularly appropriate for courses in foundations of education, multicultural education, comparative education, language and culture, and qualitative research.

Table of Contents

Tables and Maps	ix
Preface	xi
I Dialogic Teacher Research
Dialogues of Cultural and Educational Change	3	(16)
Dialogic Teacher Research With Family Narratives	19	(14)
II Family Narratives
A Hmong Family	33	(24)
Refugees From Laos	33	(6)
The Lors	39	(14)
Faye A. Van Damme
Chan
Khou Lor
Hmong New Year	53	(1)
Hmong Refugees: Suggested Readings and Web Sites	54	(3)
A Mexican Family	57	(36)
The Curious Wedding of Tijuana (Aunt Juana) and Uncle Sam	57	(5)
La Frontera	62	(5)
The Gonzales Family	67	(20)
Judy Mehn
Maya Song-Coede
Angela Gonzales
Beatriz and John: A Bilingual Dialogue Journal	87	(4)
Mexican Immigrants: Suggested Readings and Web Sites	91	(2)
An Assyrian Family	93	(34)
Refugees From Kurdistan	93	(8)
The Dawood Family	101	(23)
Katie Hinz
Refugees From Kurdistan: Suggested Readings and Web Sites	124	(3)
A Kosovar Family	127	(24)
Refugees From the Balkans	127	(4)
The Sutaj Family	131	(12)
Jessica Wade-Martinez
The Arkan of the Washita	143	(1)
The American Table	144	(2)
Refugees From the Balkans: Suggested Readings and Web Sites	146	(5)
III Extending the Dialogue
Extending the Dialogue: Pathways for Change	151	(20)
Appendix A: The ``Bully 4-U!'' Award	171	(2)
Appendix B: Escuche Bien, Amigo	173	(4)
References	177	(12)
Author Index	189	(4)
Subject Index	193