Welcoming Families from Around the World

The country that I chose for this assignment is the Central African Republic.  To prepare for this family’s arrival, I would learn as much as I could about the country.  Below are some basic facts about the Central African Republic

According to Wikipedia (Wikipedia, 2013), in the Central African Republic, there are over 80 ethnic groups.   I found that in this country, the main language is French with a dialect called Central African French as well as lots of indigenous languages. The language spoken by most is Sango. While French is the official language few people speak French and almost no one speaks English. There is great civil unrest in the Central African Republic, there are major human rights violations and the rates of HIV are high.  The per capita income is $300.00/year. More than 50% of the population is affiliated with a Christian religion.  Exporting food is the major source of revenue in the country.  The life expectancy for both men and women is under 50 years old.    

In order to prepare myself to be culturally responsive to the family I would take the following steps.

1.  The first thing that I would do is find out what language or languages the family might speak.  I would also try to learn something about the literacy rates in the country.  Once I had information about the language and literacy rates, I would learn a few basic words and phrases that I could use to greet the family.  I would also contact agencies that offer translation/interpretation services so that I could have someone available to assist with communicating with the family. 

2.  The second thing that I would do in order to be culturally responsive would be to learn what I could about traditions and customs in the Central African Republic.

After learning about the traditions, I would try to learn more about the beliefs and values that underlie the traditions.

3.  The third thing that I would do would be to learn something about the food that is traditionally eaten.  After learning about traditional foods, I would try to find out if there are local stores that stock the ingredients the family might need.

4.  The fourth thing that I would do is learn about the political, economic and social climate in the country.  This would help me be sensitive to possible fears or trauma that the family might have experienced.  This would also help as I gather information about resources that the families may need.

5.  The fifth thing that I would do is gather some pictures or artifacts from the Central African Republic.   I would make a small book to place in the library area, or display the photos in various places in the classroom. 

I think these steps would beneficial for the family and myself.  Gathering information about all aspects of the Central African Republic would help me be knowledgeable and would give me a deeper sense of what the family might have experienced.  Following these steps would also help me gather resources that I could share with the family about local resources, and social and religious groups that might help the family get established.  Being able to say a few words/phrases would let the family know that I was making an effort to connect with them.  It would also be necessary for me to reflect on any stereotypes or preconceived ideas that I might have about people living in very poor African countries.  As Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) point out “ongoing learning about yourself and well as about the children and families you serve, makes it possible to effectively decide what to say, what to do, when to wait, ad when to act in many different kinds of settings” (p. 21). 

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and

ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Wikipedia. (2013, August 14).  Central African Republic.  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic