The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down
The third week of the Pathways programme has been focused on home - school connections, and how schools in Washington have responded to culturally and linguistically different families in particular. Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down is a piece of investigative reporting that we read in preparation for the course, and one that I really enjoyed and engaged with. I feel that there are so many lessons that can be taken from the story of Lia and her family who came to the United States as refugees from Laos, and their experiences with the American doctors who tried to treat Lia's epilepsy. The misunderstandings that arise when such different cultures fail to understand each other, the barriers that language can impose and the tragic consequences are particularly poignant for teachers, who are increasingly likely to encounter cultural differences amongst their students.
One quote that I feel summarises a pertinent message that I have taken away from the book, and one that I hope will help be to better respond to my future pupils is:
"If you can't see that your own culture has its own set of interests, emotions, and biases, how can you expect to deal successfully with someone else's culture?" (p.261)
At the beginning of the novel I identified with the doctors and their advice to Lia's parents seemed reasonable; to follow such requests as to administer medication seemed obvious to me. It was difficult as a reader to empathise with the beliefs and views of the Lee's, as they conflicted with my own preexisting ideas about what I believed was best for the child. It was extremely frustrating as a reader to hear how the doctors and parents could not communicate with one another. However, as the events unfolded I realised that it was unjust to assume that the belief system that I was familiar was correct or infallible. In fact, as the reasons for the Lee's refusal to the medication became clear (that they believed they were killing their daughter) it was extremely difficult to read that Lia was taken from them and they were branded unfit parents. For me, the Lee's devotion and love for their daughter was something that transcended cultural differences; in any culture I cannot believe that they could be considered anything but devoted parents, if the motivation behind their actions had been known.
If the doctors had been able to distance themselves from their own beliefs, would they have been able to consider that the values they assumed 'right' could be completely different from the perspective of someone from another culture? I hope as a teacher, I will be able to practice this skill so that I will never again assume that what I believe or know is what is best in a given situation. This is a difficult aspiration to achieve, but one that I feel is important to aim for, even if it is unattainable.
Refugee parents panel discussion
We had the chance to meet with refugee parents who have resettled in Spokane to hear their stories. We were particularly interested in their experiences with and expectations of schools, and we were lucky enough to hear what the children thought also. It was an extremely valuable opportunity for me, as I have little experience with refugees or immigrants as my home town is not very diverse. It was also one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had on the programme so far.
It was enlightening to hear the concerns of some of the parents, one criticism from many of the parents was the amount of freedom schools in America allow students. Also, one father voiced that he felt the schools expected too much involvement of parents, especially with homework, and he viewed this as teachers being unable to fulfil the requirements of their job.
Many of the parents explained how they felt that their children had become disconnected with their native country and language. In order to 'fit in' at school and make friends, the children explained how they had wanted to learn English as quickly as possibly. This resulted in the native language becoming spoken less in the home. One young boy made an insightful comment that "I feel African but act American". This has really made me understand a little better what it might feel like to have several identities and how this might make you feel.
Native American workshop
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| LaRae Wiley |
On Friday we had a workshop with LaRae Wiley and her husband Chris who have just launched an immersion pre-school for Salish language learning. Salish is the language of LaRae's Native American tribe, however as they explained, it is under severe threat of extinction like many other Native American languages. For me, they were an inspiring couple; their dedication to saving this language from extinction, despite the many difficulties they faced was amazing. I was unaware of the danger that so many of the Native American languages face and that the decrease in the number of people speaking them has been accelerated so rapidly due to the history of the Native people that we discussed in previous classes.
I really enjoyed having the chance to try out learning some Salish words and expressions. Although I am not fluent in a second language, I had studied French for seven years, yet this language was completely different! It was extremely different to pronounce the sounds and clicks which were so unfamiliar to me, nevertheless I enjoyed trying. Finding how difficult the language was only heightened my respect for Chris and LaRae.
Omak Pow Wow
We had the chance to take what we had learnt throughout the course about Native Americans and experience it for ourselves at the OmakOmak Suicide Race takes place, although we didn't get to see it (which I was actually relieved about!).
The 'Indian Encampment' included many traditional tents and a round stage in the centre. We had the chance to see Native American dancing and amazing costumes and music. There seemed to be a competition between the tribes, although everyone seemed to just be having fun and enjoying the music. It was fantastic to see!
The Pow Wow was not what I had expected, it was more commercialized and modern. But my preconceptions were based on films and history books, so I understand that this was perhaps not an accurate, currant image of Native American culture that I held. Although it was different, what I did see I found fascinating!
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