GUESS WHO’S COMING TO AMERICA?
IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2011
Sharing What We Know
Maria Green
Assistant Director of Prekindergarten and
Homeless Education Program
Department: Student Diversity & Learning
Phone:
512-464-5977
E-mail: Maria_Green@roundrockisd.org
Sharing What We Know
Vicky Dill
Senior Program Coordinator,
Texas Homeless Education Office,
University of Texas at Austin
512-475-9715
vickydill@austin.utexas.edu
Challenges Immigrant and
Refugee Students Face
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
YNj1ad8vDM&feature
 “Believing in my Culture and Religion”
Liaisons Should Model
Cultural Competence &
Courtesies
 Know strategies to show commitment to
struggling immigrant and refugee families
who may have become homeless.
 Understand the difference between cultural
competence, cultural tendencies, and
stereotyping.
Cultural Competence and Courtesies
 Augments individual liaisons’
intrapersonal skills to better
serve the needs of homeless
immigrants and refugees.
 Reflects the Mosaic or Tapestry
symbol: America is not really a
melting pot where cultures mix
until they are indecipherable,
but rather a picture woven of
distinct threads.
Immigrants and Refugees
 How are they different under the law?
Immigrants and Refugees
 An “Immigrant” is a person who
permanently moves to a country different
from that of their birth.
 A “Refugee” is a person who has fled their
country of birth due to fear of persecution,
war, or imminent danger.
 Students and families can be both of these.
Cultural Competence
Includes the understandings that:
each person in any cultural group is first and
foremost, an individual.
cultural groups vary immensely within the
culture.
learning about “cultural tendencies” is not
the same as “stereotyping.”
Strategies to Increase Cultural
Competence and Courtesies
 Read and learn about the culture; visit and
share stories with youth and families;
 Evaluate your own assumptions and values
about the culture; consider the values of
the culture when serving students;
 Learn a few phrases of the students’ home
language;
 Learn and pronounce students’ actual
names, not just the “American” version.
Helpful Definitions
 Cultural Tendencies: “Shared beliefs,
traditions, and values of a group of people.”
 Race: “A classification that distinguishes a
group of people from one another based on
physical characteristics such as skin color and
other biological attributes.”
 Ethnicity: “The social definition of groups of
people based on shared ancestry and
includes race, customs, nationality,
language and heritage.”
Why Learn these Tendencies?
“By increasing their understanding of
tendencies within various cultural groups, it is
easier for professionals to view students as
individuals within the framework of their
community and culture . . .”
(Roseberry-McKibbin, 2007).
Top 8 Countries Sending Refugees
(as opposed to immigrants) to the
US, according to the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR)
The U.S. admitted 60,192
refugees in FY 2008, the latest
data available from UNHCR.
This included many Cuban and
Haitian nationals admitted for
asylum.
Who Receives Asylum?
 Political refugees who are fleeing arrest,
torture, or other forms of oppression
 An individual who receives asylum is called
an “asylee” or refugee.
Top 8 Countries Sending
Refugees to the U.S. (UNHCR)
1. Cuba (23,294)
2. Iraq (13,755 )
3. Burma (12,852),
4. Thailand (5,279)
5. Iran (5,257),
6. Bhutan (5,244),
7. Burundi (2,875), and
8. Somalia (2,510)
Are Refugees Stably Housed?
Because of the vetting process which starts
for refugees at the UNHCR and progresses
through other clearinghouse agencies
towards, at the local level, a faith-based
agency that resettles refugees, most new
refugees are not homeless.
Refugees: Six top states
that received them:
1. Florida (21,026)
2. California (9,739
3. Texas (5,712),
4. New York (3,784),
5. Michigan (3,436),
6. Arizona (3,212).
Cultural Understandings of the
Refugees (as opposed to immigrants)
Who Came in the Largest Numbers to
the United States
 Cuba
 Iraq
 Haiti
Research drawn from “Bridging Refugee and
Children’s Services” (BRYCS) at www.brycs.org
Cuba Sent the Most Refugees
 Cubans may not know religious distinctions in
the U.S. as religion was outlawed prior to 1991
in Cuba. Catholicism and Santeria (an African
variation) are the most common religions.
 Many Cuban parents, like other refugees,
discipline their children in ways that vary
greatly from discipline customs in the U.S.
 TV is not watched daily in Cuba; Cuban
refugees, like other refugees families, may be
wary of TV violence for their children.
Iraq: The Second Most
Populous Refugee Group
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Special programs exist within the UNHRC to assist
Iraqis who are refugees from the war;
Stigmatization and bullying in the U.S. are common
for Iraqi students;
In many Iraqi families, the mother is responsible for
the discipline of the children; physical punishment is
permitted by the parents, but not by the teachers;
In Iraq, the whole neighborhood may discipline the
child; in the U.S. this is uncommon.
Iraq (Cont.)
 Many Iraqi refugees find citizens in the U.S. are
more sensitive to the differences between
Shite and Sunni than Iraqis are.
 Iraqi families appreciate when their student(s)
can find or have an Arab mentor.
 Many Iraqi families have made downward
adjustments in their lifestyle since leaving Iraq
and are surprised at the lack of social safety
nets in the U.S.
Haiti: The Third Most
Populous Refugee Group
 Haitians do not want to be stereotyped as a
people who are either dominating, corrupt,
and violent (ruling class), or uneducated,
passive, and not loyal (everyone else).
 Haitians tend to see migration as a primary
mode to better themselves and survive.
 Because of their history, Haitians may think
of government as generally elite and
predatory.
Coming to America Isn’t Easy
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtipuczPT
tY
 “Manifest: Coming to America”
Refugee Stability in the US
 Post arrival stability varies greatly.
 Refugees come under the care of a
voluntary agency or “volag.”
 “Volags” assist the refugees for
approximately 90 days after arrival.
 Refugees are eligible for welfare and
Medicaid for about the first 8 months. Until
they become citizens, many benefits are
not available to them.
Refugee Stability in the US
 30 years ago, refugees received a minimum
of 1.5 years of assistance and 3 years of
reimbursement for medical expenses.
 Today, refugees admitted to the US tend to
be more fragile victims of torture, rape,
persecution and other forms of violence.
 Yet there are fewer welfare benefits, no
medical safety net, and fewer employment
opportunities for refugees than ever before.
Update on Immigrants, 2011
Documented Immigrants Coming
to the U.S.
Top 10 countries of origin for documented immigrants
 Mexico (166,271)
 Dominican Republic (33,230)
 India (64,857)
 Pakistan (25, 972)
 China (60,720)
 Haiti (24, 726)
 Philippines (53,171)  South Korea (23,077)
 Vietnam (39,915)
 El Salvador (17, 193)
Extending Cultural
Understanding and Courtesies:
Hispanic Families
 Many Hispanic families tend to hold teachers in high
regard.
 Many Hispanic families emphasize the needs of the
group and cooperation over the needs of individuals
and competition.
 Educational levels vary greatly; immigrants’
knowledge of Spanish may also vary greatly.
 Some Hispanic families may not understand why
their daughters need to graduate from high school
instead of bearing children.
Extending Cultural Understanding
and Courtesies: Asian/Indian
Families
 Many Asian/Indian families greatly emphasize family
interdependence and loyalty.
 Fathers may hold the highest authority and children are
taught to “defer” to adults.
 If children behave badly, the family may “lose face.”
Children may be controlled with physical punishments.
 Many Asian/Indian families prefer family care of their preschool children, so preschoolers may have never been
outside the home or in “strangers’” care prior to
kindergarten. These children may need longer to learn to
socialize.
Undocumented: A Population
of Promise
There are between 65,000 and 1.8 million
undocumented children living in the U.S.
Undocumented Immigrants
 As of February 2011, the non-partisan Pew
Hispanic Center counts roughly 11.2 million
undocumented immigrants in the U.S., up
from 8.4 million in 2000.
 About 5% of all members of the U.S. labor
force are undocumented.
From What Countries do
Undocumented Immigrants
Arrive?
 58% are Mexican (6.5 million);
 23 % from other Latin American countries;
 11% from Asia;
 4% from Europe and Canada,
 3% from Africa.
Only about 8% of all U.S. newborns
(350,000) have one undocumented parent.
Undocumented? Documented?
 Refugees are seldom
allowed to immigrate
without full
documentation.
 Immigrants can be
either documented or
undocumented.
Serving Immigrants in School
 Both School Districts and Immigrants have
Rights.
 Immigrants and Refugees alike should be
treated with sensitivity and an awareness
of cultural tendencies.
 Liaisons may wish to acquaint themselves
with state laws in order to know if
immigrants need to be documented in
order to acquire ID’s and drivers’ licenses.
APPREHENSIONS CAN LEAVE YOUTH HOMELESS
COURTESY http://www.bernardokohler.org/Juvenile.htm
May 6, 2011 Joint Letter
from the DOJ and DOE
 Cites Titles IV and VI of the federal code
that prohibit discrimination on the basis of
race, color, or national origin.
 Cites Plyler v. Doe which makes it clear that
the citizen status of a student is irrelevant
to their entitlement to an education.
 Cites Brown v. Board of Education in
encouraging districts to review their
documents in light of this notice.
DOJ Requests to the State of
Alabama
 November 1 letter from the DOJ about
Alabama’s SB 56 and the potential to chill
enrollment;
 May be preliminary to further action;
 Focuses on extent of withdrawals (items 2
& 3) and tracks data on a monthly basis.
Treating Students with Dignity
 Districts may require residency information
via copies of water or phone bills; however,
a district must recognize that immigration
status is not relevant to residency;
 Districts may request birth certificate
information to gauge a student’s age and to
fulfill requirements to supply data;
however, failure to supply this data cannot
lead to a denial of enrollment.
Treating Students with Dignity
(cont.)
 Districts that choose to request social
security numbers must demonstrate that
the request is voluntary; they must provide
the statutory reason for the request, apply
the same requests to all students, and
never deny enrollment based on failure to
provide such information.
 Encourages district officials to visit the local
Office of Civil Rights to see if their
documents are in compliance.
When Disagreement Arises
 Ensure that language on the Student
Residency Questionnaire warns of the
consequences of providing false
information.
 For example:” Presenting a false record or falsifying records is
an offense under Section 37.10, Penal code, and enrollment of
the child under false documents subjects the person to liability
for tuition or other costs. TEC Sec. 25.002(3)(d).”
 Immediately start the Dispute Resolution
Process
Preserving Opportunity for
Undocumented Students
 Immigration enforcement may leave
undocumented students homeless;
 Where raids on undocumented populations
have occurred, children/students are
always affected;
 In some cases, schools are warned that
raids are about to occur, and staff can plan
for a safe place for the children to go when
their parents have been detained;
Liaisons May Be Able to Help
 Ensure the district is following federal
enrollment protections.
 Encourage and assist students who disclose
their status as undocumented to get legal
assistance.
 Ensure that homeless undocumented students
whose parents have been detained have
caregivers or know who to call.
 Encourage students to take upper level
courses and provide scholarship assistance
(NASSP guidelines, May 2011).
Potential Paths to Legal
Status: Immigrant Students
 “Special Immigrant Juvenile Status” path
requires a student who is unmarried and
under 21 years meet certain eligibility
criteria such as abuse, abandonment,
maltreatment, etc.
 Asylum path: students who have suffered
persecution at home on the basis of race,
religion, nationality, political opinion, etc.
Potential Paths to Legal
Status (cont.)
 Uvisa – student has suffered physical or
mental abuse from a crime and they will be
helpful in prosecution of that crime;
 VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) – female
students who have experienced extreme
cruelty such as female genital mutilation or
similar abuse or children of female victims of
the same;
 T-Visa – Students who have been sex
trafficked or experienced forced labor.
SRQ’s in the Native Language: A
Sign of Cultural Courtesy
The New York City Department of Education
has SRQ’s available in English, Arabic,
Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Bengali, Haitian
Creole, Russian, and Urdu. The Madison (WS)
Metropolitan School District has an SRQ in
Hmong. Many other LEA’s provide
appropriate translations of important forms
http://center.serve.org/nche/forum/enrollme
nt.php .
Shared Fears and Challenges
 Forced Repatriation and retribution in the
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homeland: refugees may face forced labor
camps, prison, and torture;
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder common;
Lack of education and basic resources in the
home country or refugee camps;
Rules and expectations differ in the new
land;
Lack of acquaintance with technology.
Identifying Homeless Immigrants
and Refugees
 Use of SRQ and/or translators in the
families’ native language(s).
 Enlist the help of the greater immigrant
and refugee population; do not assume
refugees who came under a program are
remaining stably housed or that all
immigrants have relatives who can help
them.
An Increasing Number of both Immigrants and
Refugees are Becoming Eligible for McKinneyVento Services
Services for Immigrant Families
within the Community
 Immigration Legal Services – Catholic
Charities of Central Texas
 Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas
 Immigration Lawyer Search- American
Immigration Lawyers Association
 Refugee Services of Texas, Inc.
Navigating the Education
System
 This is one of the most formidable challenges
an immigrant or refugee can face.
 Some cultures consider parents entering a
classroom to be rude behavior.
 Some families that do not have documents
or records will not even attempt to enroll
their children in school. Fear can be
interpreted as lack of interest or motivation.
Helping Refugees from Mexico and South
America:
DISTRICT EXPERIENCE AND QUANDARIES: MARIA
GREEN, HOMELESS LIAISON, ROUND ROCK ISD,
ROUND ROCK, TX.
NCLB (Title III) Guidance
 IMMIGRANT-INDICATOR-CODE indicates whether the
student is an identified immigrant under the definition
found under Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
(NCLB), where the term ‘immigrant children and youth’ is
defined as, “individuals who are aged 3 through 21; were
not born in any state; and have not been attending one or
more schools in any one or more states for more than 3 full
academic years. The term ‘State’ means each of the 50
States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico. (See P.L. 107-110 Title III, Part C, §
3301(6).)
NCLB (Title III) Guidance
Special Instructions
Immigrant status under the Title III – Language Instruction for Limited
English Proficient and Immigrant Students of the No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001, should not be confused with immigrant status as defined for the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Districts should not assume
responsibility for determining the extent to which students are legal or
illegal immigrants under DHS regulations. Definition of immigrant should
not be confused with definition used for state assessment purposes or
definition used for student eligibility to English I for Speakers of Other
Languages or English II for Speakers of Other Languages taught in high
school.
Texas is required to use the federal definition under Title III of NCLB in order
to determine immigrant student counts for funding and for coding in
PEIMS. Contact the NCLB Program Coordination Division for clarifications
regarding immigrant status at 512-463-9374.
Public Education Information System
(PEIMS) for Texas Public Schools
Public Education Information System
(PEIMS) for Texas Public Schools
Identifying Homeless Immigrants
and Refugees within the ISD
 Use of SRQs and the intake process to
provide services through Families In
Transition (FiT) program
 Notification to campus contact regarding
the eligibility status of student
 Progress monitoring of students for the
duration of the school year
Student Residency Questionnaire
Intake Process and Services
Intake Process and Services
Intake Process and Services