Welcoming Families from Around the World

This week we have been asked to respond to the following scenario:

While working as an early childhood professional, you receive notification that the child of a family that has recently emigrated will be joining your class soon. You know nothing about this child, family or their country of origin. You are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to learn more than surface facts about their country of origin. Choose a country of origin for this fictitious family and describe how you would prepare yourself to be culturally responsive to this family and how these preparations will benefit both you and the family.

For this assignment, I chose Bolivia, a country in South America for the country of origin of this fictitious family. During this course we have learned that to foster positive relationships with and among families it is to establish two way communication.  The key to establishing two way communication is to treat families as the source of information on the child, engage them in planning for their child and create an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Another important factor in establishing a teacher-family partnership is to respect and value the family's culture. It would be prudent to learn some basic communication etiquette pertinent to the family's country of origin. It is also helpful to learn some basic words or phrases in the language spoken by the family. If this is not feasible, having an adult interpreter (either on staff or as a consultant) would help the family feel more at ease and facilitate the family's transition from their home nation to their new home. Talk regularly with the family, sharing their child's experiences and asking them to share information about the child's home experiences. When differences of opinion arise, it is important to remain calm and to keep communication open, try to find out why the family feels this way, explain your position and the goals you have for doing things a certain way, and make every effort to reach an agreement that is amicable to everyone. Another way to make the family feel welcome at your center is to make the classroom accessible, ensuring that families and children can move freely throughout the room and that there is a comfortable place for families to sit and observe or talk with you (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Providing books or materials to families in their home language also makes them feel welcome and gives them a sense of belonging.

I took some time to research some basic cultural information about the cultural norms of Bolivia. It is important to keep in mind that most, but not all families may hold these values and beliefs, so it is best to be observant of the power dynamic and of nonverbal as well as verbal communication to avoid misunderstandings. I learned that in general Bolivian people speak Spanish, but many speak one or more of the 36 indigenous languages including Aymara, Quechua, or Guarani. Bolivian people generally value direct eye contact as an indication of trust and honesty, but it is necessary for men and women to avoid overly direct eye contact during their initial meeting as this may be misinterpreted. Handshakes are a common form of greeting for business-type relationships. Bolivians value polite, formal communication and avoid confrontation as much as possible. This also includes ensuring voices are kept at a medium to low volume, as loud voices in public are frowned upon. I learned that in general Bolivian people stand relatively close to the person they are speaking with, generally one to two feet away, and that it is considered rude to back away from someone while they are speaking. Women's social standing in Bolivia varies based on where they live. Women living in urban areas are expected to work outside the home, while women living in rural areas are not. Instead, women living in rural areas are expected to oversee the general duties of the house, educate/care for children and do all of the cooking and cleaning. It is also important to note that Bolivia is generally a male dominated society, therefore males make many of the important family decisions. Generally, most Bolivians (95%) are Roman Catholic, and therefore celebrate the holidays associated with this religion, however many people of indigenous decent retain some of their pre-Christian beliefs.

By becoming aware of the cultural values and beliefs of a family and establishing open, honest communication, families will begin to feel comfortable and welcomed because they are respected. Consulting families regarding their hopes and dreams for their child, clearly communicating your hopes for their child (after you get to know him/her of course) and finding common ground ensures that you are all working towards providing the child with the best environment possible for her/his development. Treating families as the expert regarding their child shows respect for the family and gives them power, avoiding feelings of marginalization. Respecting the family structure and dynamics also avoids marginalization.

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Landers, M. and Grossman, L. (2014).  Bolivia. Culture Crossing: A community built guide to cross-cultural etiquette and understanding. Retrieved from http://www.culturecrossing.net.

www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bolivia.html

www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/bolivia-land-people.html