Daily Archives: February 17, 2022

Media Reflection 5.3- Anthropology of Transnationalism

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Elizabeth Lake- Group 4

Video: Do you feel American? Immigrant Parents vs First Generation | Middle Ground– https://youtu.be/jZA34onP-ZA

In the video I shared, immigrant parents and first generation Americans come together to discuss their experiences with ties to cultural roots, speaking different languages, in how certain topics are viewed and openly discussed in one’s culture (e.g.mental health), and parenting. All of this connects to the several challenges and perspectives that having a transnational identity may hold. 

In Louie (2006), there is mention of how important it is to consider where the “old country” is situated in the lives of immigrants and their children; and the ways in which children of immigrants relate to their parents’ experiences and views on culture can vary greatly. For instance, some first generation Americans have a strong connection to their families’ background as they may have an open dialogue with their parents about culture as well as take it upon themselves to adopt/ continue cultural practices and traditions. For other first generation Americans, it can be very difficult to relate to or understand their immigrant parent’s experiences and culture, especially when the life they have created for themselves in America does not always coincide with the generational patterns and expectations of one’s familial culture.

When these divides occur, I think it makes it a lot more challenging to see exactly where assimilation lies because while it may seem like some children of immigrants have assimilated fully to the American ways, is it really assimilation if American practices are all those children have ever known? However, even first generation Americans sometimes struggle to feel American because their identity is pulled into different directions. For example, one of the participants in the video explained how they “don’t feel Asian enough or American enough” because depending on who they are engaging with–Asian friends or American friends–they get judged on how they present themselves in either culture. Immigrant parents also go through these transnational challenges. One parent in the video said that it is not so much about him accepting America and becoming American, but that it is more so about wanting America to accept him.

Louie, V. (2006) Growing up ethnic in transnational worlds: Identities among second-generation Chinese and Dominicans. In Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power Vol.13 No.3 [363-394]

Media Reflection 5.3

Media Reflections

The state of Latinx education: A fast-growing future workforce, systemic barriers, and la lucha by Rupen Fofaria

Media Reflection by Megan Gavrillen Group 4

This article by Fofaria discusses the state of education in my state of NC through the lens of Latinx immigrants.  

Currently in her senior year at UNCG, Celeste Cervantes shares her experiences as the daughter of Mexican immigrants in the US.  Citing factors such as vast differences between the schools in Mexico and in the United States, the language barrier, and the lack of communication between her parents and her school, she says she was lucky to achieve her goals because caring adults and teachers were able to guide her.  She acknowledges that other classmates were not as lucky.  In particular, she recounts a young man who pretended to struggle with English so that he could be assigned “easier” curriculum through ESL status.

According to the article, one in six children through age 17 in North Carolina is Hispanic, and while “more than half of all North Carolina high school graduates enroll in postsecondary….less than 40% among our Hispanic graduates.” 

This module’s readings highlight patterns of marginalization among immigrants in the education system.  The focus on high-stakes testing, which requires academic language proficiency, and reform initiatives which often “ignore and avoid engaging new immigrant students” are some of the obstacles outlined (Suarez-Orozco, 2011, p. 313).  The separation “experienced by immigrant-origin language learners… results in unequal resources, lowered expectations, and insufficient exposure to high-level academic content and critical-thinking skills” (Suarez-Orozco, 2011, p. 317). 

Another interviewee in the article, Carlos Ramirez, shares that as a student in California, he felt like “ my language … was erased and … we were taught to be less than.”  The perspectives in this article correlate with the “othered” position outlined in our reading (Vigil, 2002, as cited in Suarez-Orozco, 2011, p. 317).  This “erasing” also connects to the exploration of transnational identities in the module.

Suárez-Orozco, M. M., Darbes, T., Dias, S. I., & Sutin, M. (2011). Migrations and schooling. Annual Review of Anthropology, 40, 311-328.