Pam, Your story repeats itself many times in US...

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Reply to Msg 26165

Pam,
Your story repeats itself many times in US Haitian-enclave communities and in schools.

Most Young Haitian-American kids would rather go "DL".

They are afraid of verbal and physical abuses.

The Haitian community should be concerned about the long-term harm this attitude can do to the kids. If the parents hold on too tightly to their kids with the Haitian culture, the kids risk being ostracized and marginalized in school by their peers and sometimes teachers.

Haitian parents should definitely educate youngsters at home about their heritage but should cut the kids some slacks in the way they want to dress and express themselves.

They should be allowed or encouraged to have American friends and participate in slumber parties that is foreign to Haitian culture.

We should strongly monitor our kids friends and their parents.

Participation in school events are highly recommended.

Haitian parents should make it a point to know their kid's teachers.

There is nothing wrong to have conferences with your kid's teachers aside from the regular school parent-teacher conferences.

There is nothing wrong in asking relevant personal questions from your kid's teachers like: Where did you go to school?

What were your favorite subjects in school?

How did you get this job?

How long you have been teaching?

How do you feel about Immigration?

How do you feel about cultural and ethnic diversities?

who is your favorite author and why?

Have you traveled a lot?

Have you been to any third world country?

Where do you stand in order of birth in your family?

Do you have any social issues that is dear to you?

What religion are you?

Haitian parents should develop their own questionnaire relevant to them and their kids, above questions are example.

In would not hurt to send during holidays a card as a remainder to the teachers, how much you appreciate their input in your kid's education and well being.

I know you guys work long hours.

But what could be more important than your kids?

Important points: We tend to favor catholic schools over public ones. This is not necessarily a better choice.

Catholic schools are usually rigid thinkers, resistance to newness, demand obedience instead of logical thinkers...;under funded and lack of new technological learning tools.

Public schools, if well chosen might be a better choice, depending on the neighborhood...

Do your research about the community before move-in or getting out. You need to know about average income, composition of ethnic groups, religion, occupation, median age, local school system, percentage of High School graduates, percentage of college bound students...among others.

My point was that we need to be aware of our kids emotions and their environment.

We tend to, in our culture, neglect the kid as a non-thinking entity.

Kids grow up to be adults and they bring their childhood psychological bag with them.
You have seen cyber bullies on this site. Middle America is not any different than certain persons who patronage this site. In fact one in particular represent the microcosm of backwater America.

It is up to you to protect your kids against this type of behavioral nonsense.

Marjorie Middy, February 3 2011, 8:35 PM

Topic: My Referral Message #26141

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