November 13, 2009

Helping immigrant and refugee students succeed: It's not just what happens in the classroom

This brief was written by Eileen Gale Kugler, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, and Olga Acosta Price, PhD, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. Poor student behavior is not uncommon in classrooms with immigrants and refugees and it often signals significant issues below the surface. A child who seems disinterested may actually be depressed, living with parents who themselves are disengaged and depressed as they struggle to adjust. A student with violent outbursts, who might just appear undisciplined, can be reliving the emotion of a turbulent event. These behaviors have a direct impact on student success. Mental health is essential to learning as well as to social and emotional development. The immigrant experience itself brings challenges beyond learning a new language. As the children learn English before their parents, many children take on typically adult roles, serving as interpreter and negotiator for family business. It is vital to learn how these immigrant and refugee children operate in order to ensure success not only in the classroom, but also emotionally and socially.