I would like to thank everyone who participated in this dialogue and share
some closing comments borrowing from my response to a panelist last night.
Educcation is the vehicle to empower people.
As educators we need to find ways to maximize the chances for immigrant
girls and other children from marginalized communities to succeed in
school and attend college. This is not easy, for many of the reasons we
discussed this week: family pressures; discrimination based on race,
gender; rejection by the mainstream culture and/or the home
culture; pressures to comply with the images of women in the
media.
I believe that young people can be resilient if they have at least one
significant person who cares and who is willing to listen someone
who can be an advocate. Setting up mentoring
opportunities with older girls who can serve as successful role models can
be very helpful. I have found that college students of color want to make
a contribution to their communities, so it should not be difficult to find
volunteers. Of course, since many of them can benefit from additional income,
it might not
be a bad idea to find a source of funding to pay them to tutor the girls
or assist with other extra-curricular activities.
Lots of social and academic support is also critical to their transition.
Sometimes we have to accept that some things will not change for immigrant
girls until they become independent adults. The key is to prepare them so they are
self-sufficient, well educated, responsible, and caring individuals.
Let us listen to the girls and hear their individual stories. Then, we
can find out how we can be of support to them. Rest assured, once they
grow their own wings they will be able to fly!
****************************** ****************************************
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
Nelson Mandela
*****************************************************************************
Norma Barquet, Ed.D.
Associate Director
Programs for Educational Opportunity
The University of Michigan
1005 School of Education Building
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1259
734.763.9910 Phone
734.763.2137 Fax
email:<nbarquet@umich.edu>
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