Haitians Entering the United States
Compromising Educational Standards in Haiti and Familial Adjustments
Oct 5, 2009
Haitians-in-transition refers to the group of Haitian students who just entered the United States of America and who are still trying to find their place in the its educational system. Facing a slew of issues ranging from a lack of mastery of the English language to general cultural disconnect with their new environment, many of the Haitians-in-transition students find themselves at a disadvantage compared to other immigrant groups because of the educational institutions in Haiti and further emotional distance from the parents or guardians.
Less Stringent Educational Standards in Haiti
The degradation of the schools in Haiti has led many of the Haitians-in-transition students astray. During the 1990s, many new schools emerged all across Haiti. Many of the schools did not adhere to the stringent standards of before, and many of them taught their students how to cheat in order to pass the national exams. This along side false schooling documents that have been manufactured by many individuals in the black market in Miami and in Haiti has led a generation of students from Haiti to be less prepared academically than their parents were.
In addition to that, many Haitian-in-Transition students stop going to school either physically or mentally upon realizing that they are on the verge of coming to the United States. Sometimes, the asylum process can take as long as 4 years, and these students enter 4-years behind their grade level, but are placed in a grade level based on their age. Most of the Haitian-in-Transition students are at least one year behind in Haiti, yet they face the added challenge of learning a new language while catching up. There is a need for them to have someone who speak their native tongue in order to help them catch up and who would allow them to communicate in Creole until they can properly speak English.
Disconnection from their Families
For most people, their sense of identity starts with their relationship with their parent(s) or guardian(s). The Haitian-in-Transition group is the most disconnected to their parents or guardians out of all of the groups. The reason why this is so is because of the immigration laws in the United States. Haitian families living in the United States who want to apply for asylum to the United States for their families living in Haiti face one of the most difficult and longest processes in the world. It could take anywhere from 2 to 10 years for a parent to apply for their children and get them to states. Many of the students in the Haitian-in-Transition group have not seen or lived with their parents for most of their lives. Most of them were raised by a different parent or a guardian than the one they find themselves living with. Therefore, there is a massive disconnect between the parent and the child in many homes especially if that parent has restarted his or her life with someone else in America. In such instances, not only do they have to learn to live with their parent or new parents, but they also must adapt to the living arrangements and the rules of their new stepmother or stepfather. This adaptation is usually much to bear for students who are in the midst of adapting to so much in the first place.
Interventions
A school that builds great rapport with parents and that call home not only when students misbehave will benefit such a child. Parents should know when their children are doing well, and since these parents are adjusting to their new living arrangements, it would do their hearts well if they could participate in their children’s successes. This will also build up the rapport and the relationships between the student and their parents, and the relationship between the parents and the school. Then, when or if the student does something negative, the school will be in a better position to call the parents. Research has shown that parents who are actively engaged in their children’s academic lives tend to have children who perform better academically and socially in school. Bringing the parents into the equation is the paradigm shift needed to change the school’s academic future, and improve the school’s standing within the local community.
Finally, the Haitian-in-Transition group has a deeper need to form amicable relationships with one another and with other cultures. Founding Multicultural Organizations and specific Haitian Clubs depending on the Haitian population at the school where they are free to socialize about issues concerning Haiti and participate in Haitian cultural activities will help them remember their roots while they form lasting friendships and grow academically and socially. With a strong Haitian cultural club, many of the Haitian-in-Transition will feel a sense of belonging and pride and that can translate into them performing better in and outside the classroom.
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