“As a 1.5-gen-eration immigrant, I was able to connect to the students and their families in many ways. I speak Kreyòl without an accent, I have lived in Haiti, and I could relate to students’ stories about their parents’ values and criticisms of U.S. mainstream culture. In these ways, participants saw me as an insider and assumed I understood their experiences.”
Although Doucet’s study, (Re)Constructing Home and School:Immigrant Parents, Agency, and the(Un)Desirability of Bridging Multiple Worlds, focuses on the boundaries immigrant parents place between home and school, I found her reflection on her bias to be my MVP for the week.
Although I am a 4th generation Mexican American, I have often found that I am able to connect with minority students by drawing on my own experiences. Much like Doucet’s insider/outsider experience, my background and experiences were different from first generation students, however understanding the language and cultural barriers allowed me to connect with them anyways.
Mostly, the quote reminded me of findings from a recent study conducted by NYU Professor Sebastian Cherng that found that students generally felt more supported and motivated by teachers of color. While the study does support the need for more diverse representation among teachers, it also supports the idea that students achieve more when they feel like a teacher understands them. As the article shows, students, especially those from immigrant families, are having to navigate many types of barriers to their education. I think all teachers, regardless of background, can and should make the effort to connect with students to spark a motivation for learning.