Optional: Post any links to articles here
Assignment for the week of 4/11/10 : Record something you learned about the populations we are serving & how this will affect your ministry this summer.
See you next week at Casa del Anna and Rebecca!
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Wikipedia article about Montagnard's from Vietnam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagnard_%28Vietnam%29
ReplyDeleteArticle about Art Therapy for Refugee kids in Chapel Hill. Includes history of persecution in Burma.
http://whatgives365.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/for-burmese-refugee-children-art-is-therapy/
The article about art therapy reminds me how important that art will be to our VBS this summer. The kids can really express themselves with the sidewalk chalk, markers or paint. Last summer I felt that the more creative art projects went over better than the cookie cutter crafts, with the exception of the gospel bracelets which we used over and over again in the bible lessons.
The article about the Vietnamese also helps me understand the differences between the ethnic groups, so I wont lump them into one group or expect them to speak the same language.
Prior to reading the article, I thought all Somali refugees to the U.S. were from the same ethnic/cultural/religious background. This article showed me that I need to be disciplined in researching and learning about the populations in Palms Court. We need to approach each with sensitivity according to their backgrounds and in a way that is most conducive to building a relationship with them. It's hard to build a relationship with someone when your first few encounters make them feel offended, oppressed, etc..
ReplyDeleteI can't find the link to my article anymore, so I've just pasted the whole thing in here:
In Africa, the Bantu-speaking peoples make up a major part of the population of nearly all African countries south of the Sahara. They belong to over 300 groups, each with its own language or dialect. Groups vary in size from a few hundred to several million. Among the best known are the Kikuyu, the largest group in Kenya; the Swahili, whose language is spoken throughout eastern Africa; and the Zulu of South Africa.
The Somali Bantu can be subdivided into distinct groups. There are those who are indigenous to Somalia, those who were brought to Somalia as slaves from Bantu-speaking tribes but integrated into Somali society, and those who were brought to Somalia as slaves but maintained, to varying degrees, their ancestral culture, Bantu languages, and sense of southeast African identity. It is this last group of Bantu refugees that has particularly suffered persecution in Somalia and that is therefore in need of protection through resettlement. These Bantu originally sought resettlement to Tanzania in 1993 and 1994, and to Mozambique in 1997 and 1998, before they were considered for resettlement in the United States in 1999.
As a persecuted minority group in Somalia, the Bantu refugees have endured continual marginalization in Somalia since their arrival as slaves in the 19th century. Although they have lived in Somalia for approximately two centuries, these Bantu are, in many ways, viewed and treated as foreigners. This history, coupled with their cultural, linguistic and physical differences, distinguishes them from other Somali refugees who have been resettled in the United States. The culture of subjugation under which most of them lived may present special challenges to their American resettlement caseworkers.
Today, an estimated 300 Somali Bantu live in the United States. Of these, some have come as students, others have accompanied spouses or other family members, and a few have been resettled as refugees. The Somali Bantu, like other refugee groups, have tended to concentrate in urban areas. One of the largest concentrations is in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Bantu have established a community association, the Somali Bantu Community Organization, to assist newly resettled Somali Bantu refugees.
The total number of Somalis living in the United States is estimated at 150,000, of whom about 40,000 are Somali refugees from the dominant clans. With tens of thousands of Somalis, Minneapolis has the largest Somali community in the United States. Other metropolitan areas with large numbers of Somalis include Columbus, Ohio, New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, San Diego, Atlanta, and Detroit. (For more information on Somalia in general, please see the Center for Applied LinguisticsÕ Culture Profile on Somali refugees.)
Before the U.S. resettlement offer, faced with the prospect of indefinite residency in the refugee camps, some Bantu refugee families may have felt compelled to send members back to Somalia to try to claim their former farms. However, when asked in 1996 if Bantu refugees were still determined to resettle, a Bantu elder affirmed emphatically, 'We didn't know what freedom was; we have been let out of the cage and we don't want to go back in.' "
Here is the link to my article:
ReplyDeletehttp://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/thai.karen/
Last week during Sunday School Tara shared about how the children of regfugees are generally wild and uncontrollable or quiet and reserved. This was a new piece of intormation to me, because I never really gave as much thought into how being a refugee would affect the children.
This helps me gain better insight into the lives of the refugee children, and will help me to reach out to them in new ways this summer.
This is the link to my article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/03/25/un.somalia.report/index.html?iref=allsearch
Going along with Rebecca's article, I learned that people from Somalia have various backgrounds and that in fact, they're similar to the term "American" because as Americans, we can also be subdivided. This helps me understand where they are coming from and that I need to be open to learning their individual backgrounds. This will help me interact with each person better in general, not just within the Somali refugees.
Like cheyenne said, last week, tara shared about how refugee children have a hard time adapting to their new lives here. Also I learned that the kids get frustrated easily because of the culture shock and how we should be able to help them and their parents reach to a middle ground on things. Having this in mind I think I will be able to help them out more, especially the older children, and understand them better.
ReplyDeleteI know that one thing I learned was the differences between the cultures of the refugees and that the Burmese are not the same as the Karen or the Vietnamese. Along with what Anna said, it is important to distinguish the difference between the different ethnic groups so that we won't assume that they're all the same. Also, similar to what Katrina said, it is crucial that we get to know each individual and their specific background so we can find a way best to communicate with each one. This will benefit me as I develop better communication skills to interact with not only the kids, but with the adults as well this summer.
ReplyDeleteoopsies! sorry for not posting earlier. i accidentally forgot about the assignment this week. but here is an article i found useful/fascinating. (not the same one i used last week but last week's article again, was just mainly a fun tid-bit
ReplyDeletehttp://www.culturalcornerstones.org/karen/
I found that even with all the dangers and problems that are present in their homeland, they are still willing to go back because one of their primary concerns is maintaining the protection of their traditions. Some people who were observing the Karen, both adults and children, noted that there was just so much passion when it came to their traditions and culture. They celebrated it through dance, music, etc. I think this is important to keep in mind when we are with the people of Palm Courts.
Similar to what Vivian said, all the refugees come from different backgrounds. From this information, I need to prepare myself to be able to connect with each individual refugee. The children having a hard time adjusting to a new place and culture. I will be patient with these children and attempt to help them to feel more comfortable in their new living environment. I hope to be able to reach out to them and let them know that there are many people that cares for them.
ReplyDeletePretty late but here's the article I shared 2 Sundays ago about How to Teach & Reach Refugee Children: http://www.springinstitute.org/Files/refugeechildrenbehavior3.pdf
ReplyDelete