Education Across Borders: Immigration, Race, and Identity in the Classroom

by Patrick Sylvain, Jalene Tamerat, Marie Lily Cerat

A critical resource for K-12 educators that serve BIPOC and first-generation students that explores why inclusive and culturally relevant pedagogy is necessary to ensure the success of their students

The practices and values in the US educational system position linguistically, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse children and families at a disadvantage. BIPOC dropout rates and levels of stress and anxiety have linked with non-inclusive school environments. In this collection, 3 educators tell and will draw on their experiences as immigrants and educators to address racial inequity in the classroom and provide a thorough analysis of different strategies that create an inclusive classroom environment. White educators that serve BIPOC students will benefit from these reflections on incorporating culturally relevant pedagogies that value the diverse experiences of their students.

With a focus on Haitian and Dominican students in the US, the authors will reveal the challenges that immigrant and first-generation students face. They’ll also offer insights about topics such

   • How do language policies and social justice intersect?
   • How can educators use culturally relevant teaching and community funds of knowledge to enrich school curriculum?
   • How can educators center the needs of the student within the classroom?
   • How can educators support Haitian Creole-speaking students?

Genres: Nonfiction, Education

144 pages, Paperback

Published February 22, 2022

About the author

Patrick Sylvain is a poet, writer, translator, and academic. He is a faculty at Brown University's Center for Laguage Studies. Sylvain has taught as a lecturer at Harvard, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and Tufts University. Additionally, Sylvain was also a lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He is published in several anthologies, academic journals, books, magazines and reviews including: African American Review, Agni, American Poetry Review, Callaloo, Caribbean Writers, Dirty Chai, Ploughshares, SX Salon, Haiti Noir, International Journal of Language and Literature, The Journal of Haitian Studies, The New West Indian Guide, Revista: Harvard Review of Latin America, Massachusetts Review, Human Architecture: A Sociology Journal, Poets for Haiti, Fixing Haiti and Beyond, The Butterfly's Way, Tectonic Shifts, The Best of Beacon Press, The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse.

(from http://www.brown.edu/initiatives/slav...)

Reviews

[AJ Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about relations between the Dominican and Haiti in the twentieth century. Chapter 3 applied important education theory about Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Funds of Knowledge to working with Dominican and Haitian students. I just don’t think summary comes close to capturing what the book is about. I’d also argue this is a collection of related essays rather than a cohesive set of chapters that address immigration and education.

[Lazarus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flee a rock to end up at a hard place. Although this book speaks to the challenges of the Haitian immigrant, it opened my eyes to the plight of any immigrant. When citizens are forced to leave their home country for whatever reason, whether for war, genocide, famine, etc., they are not welcomed by the citizens of the country they are headed to with open arms. The treatment may not be vicious, but it is far from hospitable.

This is what is outlined in this book. Haitians fleeing Haiti, are permitted to be in America, only to be looked at as Aids carriers, Voodoo practitioners, and ignorant. So they changed their names to be more American sounding and would not speak their native language around Americans. When a person gives to the homeless reluctantly, the homeless one can see the resentment in their eyes. In the same way, immigrants can feel that they are being looked at as pitiful, and that our giving is in reluctance. The way we treat each other as fellow humans is pretty sad. A little academic in its style, but I've added to myself as a person by reading this.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this short essay collection - only 3 essays - I understand why many may rate this book lower. Nothing on the cover indicates that the book lacks consistent through-line. It also does not indicate that the sole international focus would be the two countries on the island of Hispaniola: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. As both a historian and educator, I was engaged with both aspects - education and history - discussed in these three essays.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess the question i was left with was: what was this book trying to do? It wasn't really cohesive as a book, but i learned some really good things and was offered some really useful questions and lenses.

Also, fun fact: one of the narrators of this book is Janina Edwards, aka Mari, a narrator of pretty high heat romance, so that was confusing for my brain.