Laura Conaway

1. Consider the definitions of culture and subculture on pages 50 - 52. What are some
characteristics of Hala and her family's home culture?

There are a variety of characteristics that Hala and her family demonstrate from their
home culture. The older women, specifically the mother, wears a head covering which is part
of their culture and possibly Islamic religion. Hala is also a young girl whose family comes
from a poverty stricken area in Syria that is suffering the effects of a war, which is a contrast
to the affluent, and safer, cultural environment of the U.S.

2. What are some challenges of moving from being part of the dominant culture in your home
country to being part of a subculture in your new country?

Many challenges present themselves when moving from a dominant culture to a new
area and subculture. Being able to adapt and adjust to new ideas, values, behavior, language,
and region alone present struggles to people who are accustom to a certain way of living.
Some may even view a different culture and their behaviors/beliefs as offensive. Due to this,
navigating the judgement and questions can be challenging for both the dominant culture and
the subculture. Learning a whole new way of life and not succumbing to the new culture but
instead respecting and practicing your own culture so as not to loose your cultural identity can
be hard as well. For example, in the video, there is one point when Hala’s mom gets excited
when she finds a familiar spice in Walmart that they use in Syria. This familiarity gives her
joy because she recognizes something from her culture, even though she is in a different
country now.

3. What are some things the school does to help the sisters adjust? What are some difficulties
they face in school?

The school practiced how to welcome the girls in their native language. Even though
most of the teachers and administrators did not know Arabic, they attempted to encourage the
girls by relating to them even on a very small scale. They let the girls participate in signing
papers in the office which helped in making them feel like they belonged and were important
in the transition process. The teacher also introduced Hala to the class and explained to them
where she was from and lets them ask questions. She also showed the class where Syria was
on a globe. This helped both parties feel comfortable because they knew part of the story as to
why Hala was there and Hala could see that her peers had an interest in getting to know her.
Some of the difficulties that they faced in the school included not knowing much
English. This resulted in the need for English to be taught in a separate classroom and took
away part of the girls’ time in the general education environment. The other children also
knew that the girls were exceptional in some form so this could cause them to constantly ask
questions and make them feel uncomfortable answering, or they may be treated differently
because of where they are from.

4. If you were the teacher for one of the sisters, what might you do to help them adjust?
Consider some of the approaches on pp. 58 - 60 of your textbook.
 Laura Conaway

There are two approaches to helping teach language minority students that the
textbook discusses. The first approach is to predominantly use the individual’s native
language when teaching them and then have English as a separate subject for them to learn.
The second approach is to use English in the content area instruction, but teach it in a way
where the individual can understand it since their English is not near fluency.
I personally would use the first approach because there are so many other changes that
the girls must adjust to. They need the security of being able to learn things in their native
language, while becoming fluent in English. It allows them to know that they are not
completely being thrust into a new culture without being allowed to partake in their home
culture in some form. I would also do my best to understand their cultural background, respect
it, and incorporate ways to get the kids involved with understanding Hala’s background too.
This may be through activities, videos, games, or presentations that encourage the children to
learn about Hala and her life. However, I feel that this would only be appropriate if Hala and
her sister feel comfortable with this kind of attention.

5. How might you deal with some of the political issues related to refugee families and the
potential for clashes and confrontations among students and families if you have a refugee
student in your classroom as well as some students/families that are resistant to refugees
arriving in the United States?

The topic of refugees in the U.S. is a challenging subject and can be even harder to
navigate in the school system. I would be upfront with not only the students about where Hala
and her family are from, but I would also address the parents about the scenario in hopes that
any major confrontations could be avoided. I would preface it as explaining that we have the
privilege of having international students in our class, including some from Syria. If any
parent is seriously concerned, I would explain that unless the school district has reason to
believe that other students’ safety or educational learning is at risk, there is no harm in having
refugees in the school. It allows these children to get a proper education that everyone
deserves and something they may not have gotten elsewhere.