Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is for everyone to respect each other, take the time to learn before judging, and to embrace differences.  I hope that in the early childhood field that education and curriculum become more well rounded; introduce and explain different cultures and diversities and give children real world experience.  

Thank you to my colleagues for having the courage to share their stories and experiences, challenge each other and myself, and take the initiative to make our world a more tolerant place.  Good luck in the next leg of your educational journey!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

 This assignment gave me the opportunity to explore the country of Seychelles, located east of Africa in the Indian Ocean.  Seychelles consists of 115 granite and coral islands, that "... represents an archipelago of timeless beauty, tranquility and harmony that is famous for its world-beating beaches and for its great diversity which rolls from lush forests down to the warm azure ocean", (Seychelles Tourism Board, 2013).  Seychelles is a multi-ethnic country with its roots originating from African, European, and Asian ancestry.  According to the Seychelles Tourism Board, despite the multicultural background of their people, there is a harmonious relationship within the island, which has melded together to create a unique cultural atmosphere.  Ancestry of the Seychelles people included, but are not limited to "... freed slaves, European settlers, political exiles, adventurers, traders of Arab and Persian origin as well as Chinese and Indians" (Seychelles Tourism Board, 2013).  The primary language in Seychelles is Creole, with many people speaking English and French; a large portion of the population is also known to be fluent in German and Italian also.  Religion is no different from ethnic background in its representation in the Seychelles islands, Roman Catholicism is the most practiced, but there are multiple religions practiced and worshiped harmoniously. 

If I had a family enroll at my center from Seychelles, I would prepare myself in the following ways to be culturally responsive to the family:

•  Folklore still has a place in the Seychelles' culture, especially its influence on the way to live particularly on the island, it would be important to learn as much as I can about daily life, traditions, proper interactions, way of life, before meeting the new family.
• Food is prepared differently in Seychelles as far as the location of the kitchen (typically outside) and the ingredients (lots of colorful spices and coconut milk for example).  I would re-look at the menu we offer and see if there are any familiar dishes that I could add or enhance. 
• There is a vibrant fine arts culture in Seychelles and I would gather popular paintings and music from the islands to enhance our classrooms.  
• I would gather as many resources and materials as I could to provide the family with and also reach out to other families at the center to see if anyone would like to help introduce our new family into our culture. 
• I would learn basic Creole phrases and greetings found on the Seychelles Tourism Board's website; 

English	Creole
Hello	Bonzour
Goodbye	Orevwar
How are you?	Ki dir?
Thank you	Mersi
Where?	Kote?
Please	Silvouple
No	Non
Yes	Wi
I don’t understand	Mon pa konpran
I like it	Mon kontan
How are you?	Konman sava?
What is this?	Kisisa?

In preparing for our new family, I would be demonstrating respect and acceptance.  The family would feel empowered knowing that our center wanted to get to know their family’s culture and traditions more and may feel more inclined to share those things that represent their home with us. 

After this assignment, I think I know where I want to plan my next vacation to!

References

Seychelles Tourism Board (STB).  (2013).  Retrieved on December 15, 2013 from

            http://www.seychelles.travel

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

My husband and I moved to a pretty rural area about five years ago from New Jersey.  Growing up, I hadn't experienced much prejudice or racism and knew after researching where we were moving to that that could change.  Several weeks after moving here and meeting my neighbors, the gentleman from across the road came over to my husband.  He was in his late eighties at the time and had lived in the area his whole life.  While making small talk with my husband, he made the comment, "Beaver Falls is as dirty as the N****** that live there."  My husband, who is white, takes offense much more to racist comments than I do and proceeded to remind the gentleman that I was black and to get off of his property.  A few hours later, our neighbor left a peace offering on our door step, fresh green tomatoes from his garden.  After this experience, I became extremely uncomfortable living in our town.  I wondered and still do how people perceive me, whether or not they feel as though I am capable of working and owning a home in our area, and just all around discouraged.  This being such a small town, I could see the lack of social progress that has been made.  In order for the opportunity of greater equity to increase, personal views and biases would have to be changed, whether from positive experiences with me or change from within the person.  Also, the surrounding towns and cities, governors and mayors, must work together to bring better awareness of the plight of the residents.  General attitudes and beliefs need to be changed and that will only come when greater cultural awareness is brought to the area.