Transcript Inclusion des nouveaux arrivants en milieu linguistique et

Fostering partnerships for
integration of new
immigrants
Chamber of Commerce Presentation,
September, 2011
Dr. Laurie Carlson Berg
Partnership research process:
Identify concerns, needs, and questions;
 Discuss options for how research could address
needs;
 Negotiate buy-in of stakeholders within
organization;
 Delineate responsibilities and clarify expectations
(research ethics; academic freedom)
 Conduct research; Ongoing feedback and
consultation
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Collaborative research in
Francophone schools
Reciprocal learning and Strengths-based approach
(Appreciative Inquiry);
 700 hours over first 18 months to build
relationships and gain in-depth understanding of
the community;
 Openess and of the Director of Education
 Findings used for collaborative problem-solving vs.
public critique
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Research to date
Interviews with newcomer families from all
immigration categories (refugee, family
reunification, and economic);
 Sociograms with students at eight schools in
Saskatchewan and Manitoba;
 Interviews with administrative and teaching
personnel;
 Ongoing work with high school students.
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Findings about Racism in schools:
“Is brown skin a sign of illness?”
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(Translation) There were some children who thought my children were ill
because their skin colour was different from theirs. So, when they sat
down, someone said, « No, I don’t want you to sit beside me because I
don’t want to get the same illness as you.” My daughter then asked,
“What do you mean by the same illness?”. [The other child replied,]
“Because you are black so if I sit beside you I will get the same colour of
skin as you.” That [statement] could have come out of ignorance but, at
the same time, you need to educate children when your city has a certain
number of immigrants and especially people of colour. So, that ticked
me off a bit because my daughter didn’t want to go to school in the
morning and she is a very sociable person who loves to have her friends
around her. But, all of a sudden, she decided she no longer wanted to go
[to school]. When we tried to question her, she finally told us that she
had heard some things said that she wasn’t comfortable with and she
wanted to know more. So, she came to us and asked us to explain
whether indeed being brown, as it was said here, is an illness. Now, we
had to intervene, because with that it’s the self-esteem that takes a blow.
(Véronique, p.3)
Racism in schools (cont’d)
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(Translation) At times, there were even children
who said, “Oh, it stinks of Blacks” and that,
compared to the child who thought that having
brown skin was an illness (pause) but a child who
says, “It stinks of Blacks” that is another way of
saying, “I don’t want you near me”. Those children
must have heard something , you can’t always
interpret but they must have heard something to
have said that Blacks stink. There were very
hurtful words that our children heard when we first
arrived [in Saskatchewan].
Racism in schools (cont’d)
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(Translation) I remember a time when there were three of us
immigrants, and all the rest were Canadian [classmates]. We were
together playing but we didn’t do everything together because we, the
immigrants, were always on one side, we don’t get along so well [with
the Canadians], I don’t know. I felt like we were on one side and they
were on the other side. It’s not that they didn’t want to [be with us], they
wanted us with them but maybe there were things that caused us to be
on the other side because if there wasn’t something there, we would all
be together. But I felt like we immigrants were on one side and they
were on the other side. (pause) I think it’s because we are not
accustomed to them and all they do that is different. It’s not as though
they are racist but everything they do, it’s different from us. (pause)
Even in sports because we immigrants, we like soccer. We played
soccer and they would go play volleyball and we would leave to go play
our sport. We didn’t get along too well. There was no problem, we
laughed well, we had good fun. (Martin, p. 13)
Sociogramme
(Carlson Berg, 2007)
From the list of classmates below, please circle the
three classmates
1. with whom you would most like to play at
recess.
2. with whom you would most like to do a group
project at school.
3. with whom you actually spend the most time.
4. who you admire the most.
5. who are the most like you.
6. , 7., 8., 9, 10. who have the best handwriting,
reading, math skills, musical talent; are the best
athletes.
Results:
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Newcomers and visible minorities are the least included and
remain at the margins of social and academic networks;
Newcomers, who are not visible minorities, have a greater than
average likelihood of being chosen and being central to a
network;
The relationship between visible minority and low teacher
ratings on academic achievement is statistically significant;
The better one’s academic ranking (by the classroom teacher),
the greater likelihood of being central to a network;
If a child is central to one social/academic network, it is highly
likely they will be central to another network;
Statistically, it is very unlikely that new immigrant or visible
minority students (even those with high academic teacher
ratings) be central to a social or academic network in the 26
classrooms surveyed.
Network 2:
 With
which 3 classmates
would you most like to do a
group project (Desired
academic)?
Preferred work partner
Circle: male/ Carré: female
Blue Lines: unidirectional/ Red Line: reciprocal
Blue nodes: visible minority/ Red nodes: white majority
Absent: 5
No response: 16,
20
Size of node: bigger = better school achievement ratings
Network 3:
Which 3 classmates do you
spend the most time with
(Actual)?
Who I choose to spend
the most time with
Circle: male/ Carré: female
Blue Lines: unidirectional/ Red Line: reciprocal
Blue nodes: visible minority/ Red nodes: white majority
Absent: 9, 10, 17
No response: -
Taking action: Talking race
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Virtual discussions, face-to-face discussions, and network
building;
Putting yourself in a newcomer; different language situation
(e.g. talking with teenagers)
Tell about a time when you felt a strong sense of belonging?
Tell about a time when you felt you didn’t belong?
As a child, what were you taught about discussing differences?
When did you begin seeing yourself as having a racial identity?
What name did you give this identity?
Describe your first experience of learning that some people are
ill-treated because of their racial identity?
What are your thoughts on how this discrimination could be
stopped or prevented?
Quotations to ponder
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“I feel that we are all part of the relationship between oppression and
resistance” (in Lund & Nabavi, 2008).
Trepagnier defines “silent racism” as “the shared images and
assumptions of members of the dominant group about the subordinate
group” (p. 15);
Trepagnier puts forward the idea of a continuum of racism, from “less
racist” to “more racist” and contends that “racially progressive whites will
welcome the suggestion of a racism continuum, knowing perhaps that
without realizing it, they have racist thoughts at times and may act on
them… .The concept of silent racism gives well-meaning white people
permission to explore their own racism. Instead of asking, ‘Am I racist or
not?’ progressive whites will ask, ‘How am I racist?’ ” (p.43).
suggests moving beyond the binary of “racist” and “non-racist” as they
impede frank discussions of silent racism;
Members of the white majority may be engaging daily in routine acts that,
while non-intentional contribute to the maintenance of the status quo of
racial inequality.(Flat tire story)
My ongoing Community
Consultation
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Community-based discussions on racism and
inclusion (Saskatchewan Ministry of Education;
Conseil des écoles fransaskoises; Communitybased organizations)
Moving beyond tolerance;
 Moving beyond managing diversity.
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Concrete outcomes?
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Improved rate of retention of immigrant families.
Thank-you! Merci!
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I wish to thank the students who participated in this
research and my community partners: the CEF
(Conseil des écoles fransaskoises), the DSFM
(Division scolaire francomanitobaine), and the French
Education Branch of Saskatchewan Learning.
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I also wish to thank the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCCURA), the Humanities Research Institute, the Centre
de recherches sur les francophonies en milieu
minoritaire, and the Prairie Metropolis Centre for their
financial support.