1) Select 1-2 paragraphs from “African-Born Immigrants in U.S. Schools.” Summarize them and respond to them.
Many schools introduced a cultural program to educate teachers better on the African culture, but these programs were reduced to sampling ethnic foods, and modelling African style clothing. (pg. 39)
Response: I believe that this shows American education putting a Band-Aid covering a big issue that we have when it comes to the coverage on African culture. Because this is a very low-effort solution in their eyes, they could have had a different approach when it came to these programs. Something as simple as having an African immigrant come and educate the teachers on how life was like, how literature was taught, and how people were brought up in Africa. This is a step that I believe would be much more inclusive and culturally in tune as you would be getting taught by someone who comes from Africa. Even if this wasn’t the option they wanted, I believe that there are many good documents that cover African living and cultures out there and I believe teachers should put the extra step in learning to not mis-spread the wrong image of Africa and their teachings.
2) Discuss something you learned and/ or can relate to from one of this week’s assigned videos.
Something that I noticed in the video “What I Learnt as an African Immigrant Growing up.” She mentions that whenever an African student were to have a bad day or was misbehaving, they’d be seen as the bad black student. I believe that as unfortunate as this view is, it’s true in the sense of when people view a black person misbehaving. This type of surveillance that is put on a person is unfair as we as human have emotions which range from good and bad. The reason why I chose to mention this is because I have heard such close-minded remarks being said and labelling the person by their skin tone in which we as people could do better.
3) Share your source on this topic–let us know what it is, why you selected it, and why it matters.
The reason why I chose this video is because it covers the different situations of what an African immigrant may face when coming to America. This video was an interesting watch, but the reason why I believe that this video matters is because these are people who are leaving their home countries at their attempt of the American dream to try and become something more than what they already were back at home. I believe this video matters because it’s showing the various experience that these people face immigrating to America and it shows their unique goals in America.
