Positive Impacts of Imigration

Welcome to the multicultural hour, were I my self Amber Pina, a professor of multiculturalism at New York University, occupy this hour to discuss Multiculturalism and the spiral effects that it has on learners and educators. Today I’m going to play around with a bit of a different format; one of my current student Karen D’lahoz will be interviewing me as part of her final project. During this interview I reveal some of the most transforming changes that happened as a result of my family’s migration to the United States from the Dominican Republic. I will also reflect on my cultural heritage and the cultural marriage of values that happens to every immigrant during the transitional period of their migration.
Karen: How old were you, when you and your family migrated to the United States?
Amber: I was nine years old, turning ten on December 11, 1990. We migrated in June of 1990, to Clifton, New Jersey. My family consists of both set of parents, two brothers and myself.
Karen: What grade were you in?
Amber: I was entering the six grade that coming September.
Karen: Were your parent’s college graduates?
Amber: My parents were both college graduates. My father was a lawyer, with a successful private practice in the heart of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. My mother, who had also attained a law degree, was a judge for the civil court, in Santo Domingo.
Karen: In the Dominican Republic were you in private school or public school?
Amber: Private School, my brothers and I were in a private catholic school?
Karen: Can you describe how was your life growing up in the Dominican Republic?
Amber: My life growing up in the Dominican Republic was very colorful. My parents kept us very busy as children, with after school activities. My scheduled was filled with ballet classes for six years, swimming classes for five, art classes and I took after school English courses at the Dominico English institute. Education was very important for both of my parents. I’m filled with fond memories of my childhood back home, my brothers and I use to be very close. Our weekends were often spend at the beach house, and family vacations were very present during my childhood.
Karen: Your story it’s different than the immigrations stories that we have become so familiar with, you know the one’s of hardship and struggles, filled with the illusion of coming to the land of opportunity, to conquer the American dream. Your story is different your parents had created a comfortable life for you and your brothers. Your parents were both successful in their profession, what was the motive for the migration to the U.S? What were your parents trying to achieve or expect from this move?
Amber: The main reason for the move was that there was a new government taking over, you see the Dominican Republic is a third world country, anytime there is a shift in government, the new government brings in new individuals to work to fill different positions, which meant my mother would be left without employment. Without my mothers income we would not be able to keep our current lifestyle, so my parents decided that in the U.S. we would have better opportunities. My parent’s expectations varied, I truly believe that my parents were not fully aware of the changes that we would endure as a family in the years to come.
Karen: In your opinion what was one of the first obstacle that your parents faced in the United States as immigrants?
Amber: The first and hardest obstacle that my parents faced was their status shift. They were respected professionals back home; here in the United States their education was useless. Unless they returned to school all over again their degrees were worth nothing, and with three kids to support in a new country, school was not an option. This was very difficult on both of my parents, but especially on my father. I believe his ego could not handle it, to work in a factory making pennies, to endure discrimination it was too much for him. The devaluation of my father’s persona, was something he could not come to terms with. He felt was too smart for these factory jobs and working like a dog, after living a life of fancy cars and beach houses he could not come to terms with this new found reality. I believe that my mother also suffered from this status shift, but since my father could not endure it, she suffered in silence. My father is a very proud man, he could not perceive that his wife was working at a local McDonald’s, which led to fights between my parents, were my father would often put my mother down and eventually it ended with divorce.
Karen: How did this migration affect you?
Amber: I remember the day I left, like it was yesterday. I didn’t want to come to the U.S., as a family we had vacation in the U.S. many times. I like my life in Santo Domingo, and I love my country and my people. This migration has affected me in so many ways first as a girl, to enter a new school system, with no friends. I remembered being ridicule for my clothes, and also feeling puzzled because my clothes were trendy in Santo Domingo; but not good enough for the U.S. I always remembered this moment, and I like to call it the beginning of my individuality. This is were I understood I’m in new territory and they are different ways of doing things, and that is also were I became an observer. I observed everything and everyone. Second as a teenager, I was not allowed to do half of the things my American girlfriends were doing. The Dominican Republic is controlled by Catholicism; I was raised as a Catholic. My father was extremely strict; I had to find ways to introduce my parents to the new culture. This was extremely difficult, my parents wanted to keep things exactly how they were back home, but this proof to be impossible. They had placed their children in a new culture, yet wanted them to stay true to the old one. As woman it still affects me to this present day, I have come across numerous outdated beliefs that don’t serve me anymore. This move also taught me the power of conditioning, and that one has to stay very aware to be able to stay true to who you are.
Karen: Did you encountered any changes in your parent’s interest in your education?
Amber: Oh yes, their interest in my education diminished. They had very little involvement in my education due to the language barrier. My parents were to busy working odd end jobs to attend after school meetings with teachers, they also stop checking my report card.
Karen: What impact did this have in your education?
Amber: Looking back, it did. In high school, I did the minimum to get by. I never joined any after school program or played sports. Instead, I started working my freshman year; once I started to make my own money education became secondary to me. If my parents were more involve in my education and more supportive, I would have probably graduated with numerous scholarships. It was difficult because I could not speak to my parents about my education, because they did not understand. I got my information from my peers and made decisions regarding my education with no guidance.
Karen: What about any of those after school activity that you were part of in the Dominican Republic did you maintain them here?
Amber: My mother till this day carries huge regret for not being able to keep me in dancing. I really loved dancing, but we didn’t have the money or the knowledge of how to find a dancing school back then. My after school activity became cooking diner for my father and my brothers. Due to the fact that my mother worked nights, and I was the girl of the house cooking duties failed on my shoulders. Now I can see that those afternoon spend in my kitchen, served me as an informal way of learning a new skill. I can proudly say that I’m a good cook, and my cooking has evolve through out the years, to what I like to call multicultural cooking. I stated cooking traditional Dominican dishes, and through out the years I have added dishes from various cultures.
Karen: As an educator and a parent what tips can you give to immigrant parents that can enhanced their children education?
Amber: It’s not hard, be present in school activities. If there is a language barrier, one can ask for translators the school will be more than happy to provide one. If a parent can not make it to parent conference due to a schedule conflict, ask for a phone appointment, or send a written notice to reschedule for a better time. Ask your child to translate what their learning, and ask them to teach you things, such as how to properly pronounce a word or use the computer. Ask questions, a parent’s involvement has great positive impact in our children’s education.
Karen: You speak of a marriage of values, can you please explain this?
Amber: A marriage of values is something that every immigrant deals with. As daily interaction begins to happen with another culture, one is exposed to a new culture that consists of new values. The more interaction that an individual encounters with a new culture, the faster a marriage between values starts to take place. Immigrants often come to the realization that their old cultural values are no longer serving them while involve in a new experience. This realization leads to both the old value being replaced by new ones, or a marriage of an old value and a new value. For example, I was raised as a catholic, that value has now been replaced with spirituality. I no longer considered my self a catholic, but yet I still practice some catholic traditions like celebrating Christmas. This what I refer to as marriage of values, is a compromised an immigrant is faced with in a daily basis.
Karen: Well, now one last question, before time is up?
Amber: Sure.
Karen: What are some cultural aspects that the Dominican Republic is known for?
Amber: Well we are an island in the Caribbean; we are known to be happy laid back people. Funny, but the first university in the world was first founded in the Dominican Republic, and education is very important for my people. My country is mainly known for tourism, and white sand beaches. To me is more than a white sand beach, it represents the beginning of a journey. The beginning of this immigrant woman; that sits in front of you; and the end of that shelter catholic girl. I use to wonder who I would be, if we had never moved. I no longer wonder, I’m grateful for all the different perspectives my cultural background has offered me.
This is the end of our show I hope that you have enjoyed it. I would like to live you with a bit of advice for all the immigrant learners and educators that are listening, stay flexible, never rigid. Make room for new ideas, perspectives and values and observe how full your life becomes full of moments one never thought possible. For the immigrant parents that are listening, please embrace positive characteristics of different cultures, not only those this support the growth of your child, it also keeps you as a parent an active learner.
References:
Gollinick and Chinn: Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society, eight edition.