Brukab: Conclusions

Hello colleagues and visitors,

I have been tasked with writing the last blog for our program, but where to start?

First off, a summary of my assigned date ( Friday Sept 19th 2008). Well we didn't have class so that last day consisted of packing, last minute sight seeings, shopping, and getting ready to go. A few people flew out that day, but the majority of us had our flights on Saturday, and since we were kicked out of our apartments, a few of us had a slumber party at the airport:

Now to the deep stuff:

To sum up the exploration seminar in one word....Amazing.

I personally learned so much about the world and how I fit into the bigger picture through my experiences during this past month. Through meeting the many guests we heard from, through the readings, and through discussions with my classmates i gained a greater understanding of Italy and thus a greater perspective on the world.

When the program first started, all I knew about the immigration and education systems in Italy were from what I read in our class readings. When we first started visiting NGO's and government organizations it seemed like there was a general feeling of hopelessness and frustration with a non-adaptive government. When we started talking with immigrants and volunteering at the refugee center, it was sad to see how the challenges in navigating the immigration system were felt by real people. Hearing their stories and hearing about how they felt that they couldn't do anything to improve their situations was heartbreaking, especially coming from a country in which we're taught to fight for our rights. At this point i personally started feeling hopeless also, until we started going to the schools...

Jami Hubbard from the International Development & Law Organization

At the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center

Once we started visiting the schools, I started to see, and find inspiration in the work that the teachers and parents were doing to improve the situation for the children. Talking to a few of the parents from the Parent Association at the Di Donato School we learned about the commitments in time and money they make to getting their kids to interact and learn about each other. At our first visit to the Manin school we learned about how the teachers were using diversity as a resources, and taking their students on visits to museums to learn to appreciate their differences. And at the Iqbal Masih school we saw how they allowed their students to teach others about their culture, and how they actively opposed and protested against the government to fight for the needs of the children. These visits taught me a lot about how change has to often occur from the ground up, and also that it's the people on the ground who really understand and fight to improve what seem to be hopeless challenges.

Iqbal Masih

Student teaching his classmates Mandarin

A teacher at Iqbal Masih

Protests at Iqbal Masih
At the Manin school

So at this point of the seminar I felt hopeful after seeing how there were people who were fighting to improve the education and immigration systems in Italy despite the challenges they faced through the government and other factors. We finished our seminar with a visit from a few members of G2, an advocacy group comprised of second generation children of immigrants in Italy. Being of the same age and hearing their perspective as the first group who has gone through the system and felt its challenges firsthand was insightful. Also, seeing how they fight to change citizenship laws even though the government hasn't been open to change was inspiring.

Mohammed, Yue, and Alphousseymi of G2

Group Photo

Walking away from this seminar I personally feel very empowered to help to improve the situation for immigrants here in the states. Seeing the challenges immigrants face in Italy has made me interested in learning about how that process here in the U.S. is similar or different. Also, I've realized that we all, regardless of our backgrounds, have something to contribute to this effort.

All in all this was a very eye opening seminar. I greatly enjoyed meeting and getting to know everyone in the program. I know that walking away from this we've all changed for the better and I hope that we all take the knowledge we've gained through this program and put it in action to help others.

Ciao,
Brukab

End of the program

Ciao everyone,

This is my last blog from Rome. What an intense month! We truly did a lot - I can't even begin to describe what we did, what happened, and all the emotions that have gone along with it. In terms of things happening outside of the content of the program, we had health problems/scares, people losing things or getting things stolen, emotional ups and downs. And in terms of the program, instead of winding down the last week, our program got more busy with all the different school visits. All in all, most of the students experienced and observed the power of schools. In contrast to the beginning of the program when the different people from organizations talked about the depressing state of affairs of the legal protections and citizenship pathway for students (that along the way others talked about too), this last week we also observed the caring of teachers, strong leaders, and some amazing schooling environments. We were mainly at 2 schools. The Iqbal Masih school is really one of a kind, with the strong relationship it has fostered with the Rom people around it for the last 20 years (one that is on its way to being threatened because of the strong persecution they are facing by Italian society and the law enforcement officials). This school was holding a sit-in with parents taking turns to sit-in and occupy the school each day of this first week of school; they were protesting the cut in educational funds, in general, but in particular, the proposal by the new Education minister to move to a one teacher system in the elementary schools (from its 2 teachers per school) which would especially affect different forms of extra curricular activities like drama and music, as well as extra support that is given to children experiencing different forms of difficulty, such as immigrant children. One of the things that really stuck out was the strong affection the teachers show for the kids - both physical and emotional - this was especially strong with kids with disabilities who are included in the classroom and have a resource teacher for them. Similar to the States, it seemed that teachers in middle schools and high schools have a more difficult time to create such environments for their students as we saw in the Manin Middle School and we heard from the teachers and others. On Wednesday of this week, after I provided a short presentation with the background on schools and immigrant students as well as my propsition that additive discourses in educational settings can be used to push back against the subtractive discourses in larger Italian society, the students in the program presented their extremely well documented projects on different subjects - Lia and Jamie started with a presentation on assimilation and integration and how these themes play out in government regulations as well as the schools. Then, Anjali and Jasmine discussed how the curriculum in the schools addressed inclusion and integration; Manmeet, Marissa and Irene presented their project on teacher attitudes and professional development in relation to immigrant children. Next, Maia and Megan explained how Italian as a second language is approached in the schools and Sterling and Trina focused on the identity of the children and how this gets constructed. The last two presentations were Emelia's and Gentry's on the difference between younger and older immigrants and Brukab and Sam's presentation on immigrant children and access to higher education. The program ended in a wonderful way - after a heavy, Roman group meal where we all shared our highs and lows and our biggest learnings from the program, we had an emotional and powerful conversation with a group called G2 - the second generation immigrants who have a platform for advocating their rights in Italian society. Four of them came to talk to us about their challenges and plights - since Italian law doesn't provide them citizenship, they discussed the different hurdles that they face. It was a wonderful way to end the program - to really talk to these young adults and hear about their hopes and fears. I have to say that I am really spent from this program but it has definitely been one of the most rewarding professional experiences I have had - arrivederci, Roma - e buongiorno Seattle!

Irene Pagpaguitan - September 18, 2008

Wow, I can't believe we just had our final class session today. Although it feels like I have been homesick for weeks now, it feels like just yesterday that I was climbing up 94 stairs to get to my apartment after an exhausting trip from Santorini, Greece.  Today's class sessions were all so bittersweet.  It began with visiting the Iqbal Masih School again but to different classrooms. We were divided into groups and sat in preschool to kindergarten classrooms. In the classroom that I was in, the children were having free play time.  Most of them drew pictures so I sat next to them. As much as I love playing with children, I found it so difficult to communicate and draw with them because of our language barrier. None of them spoke English, but we found a commonality by making silly faces.  The next class we visited was a 4th grade class. Since the speaker spoke some English, we were able to understand the general class content.  I was told that this classroom didn't have any foreign students but one student with movement problems that had a special desk. I liked that this school was inclusive and accommodating for this student.  Overall, my experience at Iqbal Masih was very positive and modeled the school that teachers strive for in providing children with the education they deserve no matter where they are from or what they look like. 

In the evening, we met with G2, a national organization of sons and daughters of migrants and refugees born and/or grown in Italy. We spoke with Alphousseyea, Yue, Mohammed, and Dona. . This organization wants to tell people that they are not just the second generation of migrants, but rather the second generation of migration. The four we interviewed were either born in Italy or grew up from an early age. One of the things I found most interesting was from Alphousseyea. He said that when he went abroad to Canada, he found a large community of Italians.  There he spoke with them and they seemed to understand that he could be Italian regardless of his ethnic background.  But when he is in Italy, even though he has grown up and lived in Italy all his life, he is asked daily by people where are you from? Another thing that was hard for me to grasp was the way the media not only portrays immigrants but the second generation. The other day when a young person was killed, the headline said 'Young Italian of color'. The media had to be sure to label them as well as differentiate them from ethnic Italians. This phenomenon is so new here in Italy and does not seem to be getting any better.  Throughout this trip I have been somewhat pessimistic in the government changing, but when I see groups like G2, it makes me hopeful for the future of immigrants and their families in the next few years. 

This trip has been an amazing experience for me and I am sure for many of the other students in the group. I didn't realize how much I really learned and enjoyed about the trip until lunch today when we talked about our highs and lows of the trip.  Although my lows were a constant struggle for me dealing with customer service, the ignorance of people, and language barriers, the highs definitely made up for everything. The joy I saw on the faces of the young children as they sang songs, the impact one group can make in the lives of others like them, and the stories from refugees has changed my perceptions on life and the outlook I have to creating a better future for children. I can't begin to express how thankful I am to have come to an amazing country like Italy to study education and immigration with this group. I have not only gained these experiences, but a stronger appreciation for my parents and what they have overcome in order to provide my younger sister and I with a successful future.  

Manmeet Dhami-September 17th, 2008

Today’s class presentations marked the end of this exploration seminar. My group focused on the topic of teachers and immigrant children. Specifically, we researched teachers’ attitudes towards immigrant children and professional development programs. Our findings, which were obtained through readings, interviews, and visits to schools and organizations, suggested that there are actually varying approaches to schooling and immigrant children. We found that attitudes towards immigrant students were more positive in primary schools. There also seemed to be better language and inclusion programs in primary schools. The situation in secondary schools was less optimistic. Secondary schools seem to have a more difficult time accommodating the needs of immigrant students. This could be attributed to the fact that most teachers are not accustomed to teaching literacy and language skills to older students. Our findings on professional development were troubling. There is little funding for professional development programs in Italy and teachers must take the initiative to enroll themselves in whatever classes are available. I think it would be beneficial in the future to have some sort of a national framework dealing with immigrants and the schooling system. I think the Italian government needs to focus on professional development in particular because teachers without proper training will be unable to effectively aid immigrant students. Currently, teachers receive no compensation for attending professional development classes, which means there is little incentive for teachers to do so. Italy’s education system isn’t perfect by any means but it is important to acknowledge that the United States is also plagued by many of the same problems and challenges.

Following the class presentations a group of us (Lia, Jaime, Irene, Jasmine, Sam, Brukab, Trina, and I) did a night tour of Rome. We visited the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and Vatican City. It was amazing seeing all of these amazing sites all lit up. The group definitely made the most of one of our last remaining nights in Rome.

As this exploration seminar quickly comes to its end I am realizing exactly how much this trip has impacted me. I’ve come away with a greater appreciation and understanding of what my parents had to go through when they immigrated to the United States as well as a renewed sense of responsibility to create change. Through the conversations I’ve had with refugees and other immigrants I have learned that there is always some sort of sacrifice involved with immigration. I am extremely grateful for my parents, whose sacrifices have allowed me to live such a privileged life.

Anjali Riddick- September 15th 2008

I arrived in Rome with Sterling on August 13^th. It has now been a little over a month and I feel that this experience has truly had its ups and downs. I had finally felt comfortable with my racial identity before this trip. I was adopted from India when I was three months old. My family is white yet based on my appearance I am an Indian American. I have learned throughout my life that there is a strong assumption that most people live with their biological parents therefore their culture, tradition, and language must be related to where their parents are from. That is not the case for me. My experience in the Sates and now here has contributed to my interest in immigrant youth and their experience with education in Italy.

I have never been as aware of my racial ethnicity here, as I have in my entire life in the United States. I have not gone one day without being asked about my racial ethnicity, typically it is assumed that I must be Sri Lankan. As I explain that I was born in India but grew up in the United States people tend to assume that my parents must be Indian, and many assumptions about my culture, tradition, and language have been made, after a while it becomes very draining to explain my situation and often there is a strong language barrier. Many cannot seem to accept the fact that despite my appearance I am an American (I am guessing I do not fit their stereotype of a typical American). In the United States anyone can be an African American, Asian American, Native American, etc. Here the general attitude is that you are an Italian or a foreigner. Considering that my race has consistently been a factor in people’s perception of me here I can only imagine what it may be like for many immigrants. Each person’s experience on this trip in our class has been very different, and in large part, race seems to be a factor in contributing to our different experiences and views.

To me, race is a social construct. This trip has definitely supported this idea. There are different perceptions of the same racial groups in Italy and the U.S. Although race is socially constructed I have learned that the affects of racism and assumptions based on race are still very real. Racial issues are very complicated and often related to other attitudes and policies. Immigration, education, and identity all go hand in hand when exploring the experience of immigrant children in Italy. I have learned that how issues are dealt with differ depending on what we see the source of the problem being. Whether it be the system that immigrants face or the immigrants themselves will change the attitudes and policies implemented.

Today was an optimistic day as we were able to have the opportunity to observe the first day of school at Iqbal Masih. We were welcomed into various classrooms where we were sung to in most. The first class we observed was a third grade class. A young boy was sharing the Chinese characters and sounds of his native language. We have heard several teachers mention that they see immigrant children and cultural differences as a resource for teaching. This was a good example of that where the student was able to share a part of his culture with his class. It seemed that the school really welcomed diversity. I was also happy to see that students with disabilities were integrated into the classrooms. The messages that the school was sending seemed very positive and accepting. It appeared as if the prevalent idea of the “other” in Italy was being discouraged by the integration of diversity in the classrooms. I got the impression that not all schools were as innovated as this one and that this one is very popular. It was also a day of protest due to the budget cuts, the shortage of hours in a school day, and going back to having just one teacher teach multiple subjects from what I understand. It seems that we are here in Italy during a very transitional time; there is an increase in immigration which is a fairly new phenomenon for Italy, and many political, institutional, and administrative changes. It was very reassuring to actually see that in some schools they really are using diversity as a tool for enrichment and as a resource as many speakers and teacher had claimed.

Trina Le - September 12th, 2008

One of my major motivation for coming to Rome was to get an international aspect on edcuation. I believe that in order to help my students succeed academically, you need to first understand and respect your students' background, family, life, ethinicity, culture, etc. Coming to Rome gives me an international aspect as to education in general for it is so much different than what we are used to in the US. Since Italy is new in the immigrant education issues, it not only gives me an aspect on the early stages of a new country dealing with immigration educational issues, but it gives me a chance to learn, reflect and witness the issues that I do not witness often while in the US.

One of the things that I learned while in Rome is appreciation for what I have, but have taken for granted for so long. That is the right to an education. Many of the immigrant youths here in Italy have meet with hardships with the education system because of the laws and regulations, and opportunities for higher education are not as readily available as in the US. In the US, opportunities that comes with higher education is many, yet here in Italy, higher education is limited to a few Italians. Being here in Rome also makes me appreaciate my parents for what they have gone through when they first came to the US with no knowledge of the langage, the government and the United States' society, and on top of that . . . . four young children on their hands. It gives me a whole new respect for my parents on a level that I never thought that I would.

One of the things that I would like to learn further here in Italy is the future of the educational system in Italy, maybe in 5 or 10 years. Because Italy is so new to the immigration educational systems and issues, it would be interesting to know and witness the process of how they got to a stage of "satisfactory" educational system (however one can define that).

Here is a great shot of Megan, Maia, Trina (me), Sam, Anjali, and Brukap in the garden in the back of the Borghese Museum. ^_^

Jamie Kang- September 11th, 2008

Hello,
It’s been about three weeks in Rome, but I have been away from home about 2 months! So, it is time for me to head home, soon. I think it was a rough start for all of us to grasp Rome in such a different perspective. When we think of Rome, we think of the Vatican City and all the historic values it has within every street and every building. I got to experience that from a visitor’s perspective (Father Kim). With him, Rome is still a beautiful city, even with its flaws. You see people going to places, conversing with each other and enjoying yet another burning day. He told his stories and toured us around Rome with such pride and sense of happiness that he feels from this city. I felt it and I still feel it, but something inside me has changed. This is from visiting schools, talking with immigrants at the market, volunteering at the refugee center, and reflecting my experiences as an immigrant in the U.S. They say Rome is a city that never changes, but it is time for a change.
I cannot imagine living here as an immigrant without adequate resources. If my parents were stranded here with no knowledge of the Italian language, what would they have done? For every immigrant living away from his/her home country, he/she will always feel multiple identities. This would be hard for anyone else to understand. Just as the teacher at the Manin school said, “It is a problem that the Chinese student goes home to his Chinese culture, living two worlds.” What should the Chinese student do? Tell his parents to live like Italians and give up their identities and traditions? In my perspective, the Chinese student will have much more broader perspective of the two worlds. The world is becoming more multicultural every year; therefore, the emphasis on becoming one culture (identity or self) has to change. It is important to use these situations as an opportunity for other students to become aware and familiar with other cultures in Italy.
Although different countries will have different rules and regulations for schools, it’s the teachers who will make the difference in students. It is essential for Italy to become multicultural with teachers as more immigrant children attend schools.
Lastly, I want to share with all of you a poem that Hijran (a political refugee from the St. Paul’s Refugee Center) wrote about his emotional and physical difficulties he must face as a refugee:

Throughout my life, I have always been hopeless, feared, and fearing. My heart has always been pouring fountains of blood over the plight of my country and my soul always strangled.
God, oh my God, I may be dragged into profanation, should you not see my plight and not listen to the voice of my heart. I might commit a sin by making complaints against your Almighty, but nonetheless, I do so by forging complaints against you, against yourself in your entire sanctity.
What would happen if my world was a better place to live in and what would it be like, as if God has vested a mother the responsibility to look after and care for the planet earth (world)?
Such that my city would not experience the man made atrocity and would observe no artilleries destroying lives. Consequently my other country men and I would wake to a bright day instead of living lives under an everlasting darkness of the bloody nights.
Religion, the religion has always proved disastrous to m e and caused me to shun it and it (religion) has affected me to the extent that I sing the songs of disapproval against my own religion.
I never perhaps whatever I have seen in the foundation of it (religion), is baseless and nothing more than pure superstitious. As a result of being empty spectacles the religion has ruined my world.
What have you brought to me, which you (religion) demand of me to pay back except for pain, disaster and countless problems?
I would seek revenge on the Prophet whose religion has brought about the destruction of my entire entity.
I will deviate and break the Arab’s much shunned and backward rules of law, the rules that made it not only difficult but also impossible for me to live a life free of fear and thirst for hate.

I hope that everyone gets a chance to reflect our privileged lives in the States!

Lia Kang- September 10th, 2008

Coming to Roma was a dream come true. Learning Italian at the University of Washington inspired me to explore Europe and its history, and with all the traveling I have done in the last month, I got a small glimpse of what Europe has to offer. When you think of Europe and specifically Italy, you think of all the touristy attractions and its beauty. During the first week of Roma, that was exactly what I got of Roma. I saw the Vatican, Colosseum, Pantheon, and the magnificent catholic churches all around us. As days pass by here in Roma, walking by the Trevi Fountain is just any other day. This got me to think how we easily take things for granted. How much my parents had to sacrifice for my education and my better future in the States and what a privileged life I have back in Seattle are some of the things that came into real realization in Italy. It is so easy to forget what you have until it is blowing away from your hands.

Underneath its beauty, Roma has its complications and its problems. How can I look at Roma the same way after listening to different people talk about the problems that Italy is facing with the immigration and education and learning about it through hands-on interactions with the refugees? Italians are optimistic, yet the immigrants and the refugees feel hopeless. Most of the refugees at St. Paul’s Refugee center were all alone here in Roma, their family scattered around the world- they didn't even know where. I just can't imagine how they live here in this foreign country without knowing where their parents and siblings are. As for me, I'm already missing back home (only been away one month and two weeks). I just can't imagine what kind of hardships they've been through at such a young age (most refugees were around 20 years old or younger!).

Today's guestspeaker was also a refugee who just became a citizen of Italy three months ago. He talked about the importance of knowing the Italian language to be accepted in this culture. Although the U.S. talks about diversity and having diversity, knowing English is important to be accepted and to feel part of the American culture. It made me think of all the immigrants in the U.S., especially my parents. I know we talk about multicultural living in this world, but I wonder its limitations and its possibilities. Before we start criticizing foreign policies and such, we need to look at ourselves, our own country, and our culture. We still have much work to do.

Week of September 8

Hi there,

It has been a long time since I have been able to write. As Sam mentioned in the earlier blog, I did have quite a health scare and am not quite sure what happened. But the doctors ordered a few days of rest for me so I am trying to do that. However, I had arranged most things for the students so that they could go on their own. They went to the St. Paul's Refugee Center this morning and are returning tomorrow morning, as well. This is a refugee center only for political refugees and when they apply for this status, they cannot work for a period of time so at this center they give out meals and it is also a place for them to hang out. I think they were happy to have the students hang out with them, talk with them and also play some games with them. This afternoon, I had arranged a visit to the Department of Education here (the Ministero di Pubblica Istruzione). Here, they met Dottor Vinicio Ongini who was in charge of the program for Intercultural Education in the last government, which is the main label used here, for integrating immigrant children in schools. In this last government there were high hopes that this could be an attempt at having a national programmatic approach - some of the basic aspects of this is to link the program to basic human rights that are universal, having a program which values students and values diversity - this would be a program where students are integrated within the regular school and where there is not a separate school for them, and also where students can have access to learning Italian. What is especially fascinating is that the word identity keeps coming up and the idea is that the identity of the school where the kids come in has to be refashioned to accomodate immigrant children. Interestingly, the word "children of immigrants" and "foreign children" keeps being used interchangeably. In our readings, especially Stephen Castle's Age of Migration, it is clear that Italy has an ethnic model of the nation state and citizenship - the national identity, therefore, needs to be refashioned. I can see that Italy has to begin to accept this new mulicultural identity, and many parts of it are resisting it. In Italy, these often get positioned as coming from the right or the left. Many fear that the new rightist government will not go forward with this Intercultural Approach and will also undo some of the immigration regulations, restricting immigrant rights further. But even many in the left have criticized the leftist goverment for having taken a passive approach and denying many people's fears and stating "no to racism" but not really engaging with the problem and engaging with the fact that there is racism and fear. It will be really interesting to have Amara Lakhous, famous novelist of Morrocan origin, who has written this book that was just translated in English, Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio. He and the students will be having a question and answer session tomorrow evening about his work but about the fundamental issues of identity and how race, ethnicity and religion intersect in talking about identity. On Thursday, I hope to be back with full force and we will be going to DiDonato school and speaking to the teachers that morning - in the afternoon, we will be summarizing our class so far and integrating our readings. On Friday, either we will be visiting a Rom (gypsy) settlement that I have been trying to arrange and if not, students will have a chance to make serious headway for the projects they are supposed to present next week.

Emelia: September 9th

We had a three-day weekend, so 7 of us decided to travel out to Barcelona, Spain. The weather, beaches, and architecture was stunning, but unfortunately, a few hours before we boarded the plane to go home, my purse was stolen from me at a nice restaurant on the marina. My purse contained all forms of identification, including my passport, and also contained a camera full of gorgeous pictures and some other important items. After frantically (and hysterically) calling the police, local security, banks, my parents, and Manka, I realized that my bag would most likely not be recovered. Thus, with the much needed help of Gentry and Marissa, we booked a hotel near the US consulate to get an emergency passport so we could leave Spain.

Upon checking in, we met an Iranian woman who had also had her passport stolen. Unfortunately, she had been waiting days for her new passport. After I arrived at the US consulate, it took no more than an hour before I left with a new, valid passport. It was interesting to contrast governments. The American government was quick and efficient, each visitor going through a series of steps, filling out the proper forms, getting in line, taking passport photographs, and waiting for the passport to be printed. I feel incredibly lucky and priveleged to be a citizen in a country that has the means to get me the documents I need to return home. The contrast between how countries are able to treat their own citizens is surprising.

Because of the delay in arriving in Rome, I missed the first day of volunteering at the refugee center. However, I was able to catch an interesting Q and A session with Dottor Ongini, who is in charge of the intercultural program in Italy. It was interesting having a look on the immigration/education issues with a person on the inside. He explained to us how the departments of schools and Universities have merged. He told us that immigration has become more and more prominent, with 50,000 immigrant children in school ten years ago, and with 574,000 immigrant children today. The most interesting topic that he talked about, in my opinion, was Italian teachers. He explained that because there are not many job opportunities for young people, many Italians end up falling into the career of education. They aren't held in as high esteem as doctors or lawyers, and are only paid about 1200 euro per month. He also said that they cannot monitor teachers in schools to make sure they are following some sort of integration-based curriculum, but that it is really left up to the teacher him or herself, and the school district.

It was shocking to me how there is no set guidelines for integrating immigrant students. Teachers, it seems, are not given adequate pay or reward for doing so, and immigrant children are the ones that bear the brunt of the system. It will be very interesting for me to see what happens with this, and how the government and schools respond, as immigration continues to grow and permeate Italy.

I have enjoyed the speakers and little journeys we have taken thus far as a class, and look forward to those that are to come!

Sam: September 8th

Sometimes Mondays don't start off on the right foot, and today was one of those Mondays. I arrived at the Rome Center for our scheduled class at 10 AM, only to learn from Irene and Jasmine that class had been canceled because Manka had a medical emergency.

"Huh?!"

We all had a bit of a scare until Manka sent out a nice email later this afternoon that, yes, she was doing fine and was resting at home. Not to worry. Even while she was supposed to be resting, she had arranged our full week ahead already and gave us directions for our trip to the Refugee Center tomorrow morning.

Today, and really this weekend, was a bit quiet for me. I think spent most of my day finishing up a few readings, sending out a few emails, and revising a final research paper from an earlier program this summer. As I've been revising that paper though, it's given me a new perspective to build upon through my experiences in Italy. The paper I had written with two other research partners focused on upward educational mobility for low-income and first-generation students in Germany, so in now coming to Italy and learning first-hand about many of the challenges that students from immigrant backgrounds face, I've now gained a broader understanding about what sorts of barriers exist for individuals from immigrant backgrounds. For me, the best parts of our program are the visits to meet with different individuals, from schools to NGOs to the government. Already, many of the themes I've heard from each speaker's presentations and the readings have emphasized challenges that many immigrants face--challenges like learning a new language that affects all aspects of daily survival, learning to navigate an entirely system (education, legal immigration, healthcare, etc.) that's stacked up against you, learning to adjust to a new culture that may not accept your own culture, and much more. I have often thought about my own story of immigrating to the US when I was six weeks old, but when you practically spend your whole life growing up in the US, many of the struggles that my parents faced are stories that I remember hearing. But through my experiences here in Rome, I have a greater urge to learn more of the details, and it has taught me even more so to appreciate the sacrifices that my parents made.

As we start our last two weeks of class, I will be especially interested in learning how immigrant children see their opportunities for further education and universities. One of our readings we read discussed the challenges that immigrant children from non-European countries face in accessing higher education and the fact that the number of students from this background has been consistently decreasing since the 1980s. I wonder about the types of programs, both public and private, that exist to encourage and support students who hope to go to university. It will be especially interesting to understand how socioeconomic class and privilege play into this too. Our visit to St. George's School definitely gave me one perspective that will be interesting to gauge with our upcoming visits this week.

To end my post, I've uploaded some photos from our first two weeks here. Enjoy!

On the train to St. George's School...

Our visit to the International Office for Migration...

Some pictures from our group dinner last Thursday...

Jasmine: September 7th

I spent the weekend in Spain, and like Italy, it was amazing being immersed in a whole different culture.  I feel like I have already learned so much in the past two weeks, from seeing the sites of Rome, to talking with the people of the Italian culture, to visiting the schools of immigrant and non-immigrant children - it has been a fulfilling experience so far.  Even though I was only in Spain for three days, it was interesting to be able to compare it to Italian culture.  I took Spanish for three years in high school so it was nice being able to communicate more with the people there.  We had to get from the airport, to a bus station, to a metro station, to our hostel.  It was definitely an experience trying to find our way, but we finally found it.  I flew to Rome with my family so I had them there to help me navigate, and where we still didn't really know where we were going, having your family there is different than being in a group of students so travelling to Spain was a different, but good, kind of experience.  We went to the beach, we went shopping, visited the Picasso Museum, and did a walking tour of some of Barcelona's historical sites.  I noticed that some of Barcelona's structures reminded me of the sites in Rome, and sure enough, when we went on the tour, the guide told us that there was much Roman influence in Spain.  Throughout our trip, we had to ask people for directions in Spanish, ask how much things cost, etc. so it was helpful to know their language.  It reaffirmed my beliefs of how important, valuable, and useful bilingualism is.

I think it is important that even though you don't really know how to speak the language, to at least try your best to do so.  I feel that language is so important to a culture, a people, that when there is a language barrier, it is so difficult to communicate with one another, and to build relationships.  I've read a lot about the American sentiment on immigration, and immigrants learning English, but when many Americans are put in the same situation, in a nation that is not their own, viewed as the foreigner, the "other," it becomes a totally different, hopefully eye-opening experience.  I remember flying into Rome and not having any idea of what people were saying.  It really puts you out of your comfort zone, coming to a country where you have no knowledge of their language, so going to Spain, it was a bit more familiar.  It made me attempt to put myself in the shoes of an immigrant, and think of how hard it would be to immigrate to a foreign country without any knowledge of the culture, and try to work, go to school, and provide a suitable life for yourself and your family.  I can't even imagine how difficult it would be.  I think sometimes people don't realize the struggle, the journey of an immigrant, and if they did, the attitude towards immigration would be a lot different in the world.

In Spain, I also noticed many Filipino immigrants, like I have in Italy, doing services such as cleaning, caretaking, etc.  I encountered many other different ethnic groups as well, mostly as vendors.  It was interesting because as many immigrants as I have seen in Italy, I felt like I was surrounded by just as many in Spain.  It would be interesting to look into that as well because I wondered if the Spanish view/perspective on certain immigrant groups is the same as it is in Italy.  It is always interesting to see the parallels on certain topics such as immigration and education in different countries, and I look forward to visiting the immigrant schools and refugee camps in the coming weeks so that I can expand my knowledge on these issues.

Photos: City Tour

Sterling: September 4

Today everybody got up early and met in front of the UW Rome Center for our last day of class before the three day weekend. First, we took the bus to the train station, and from there we caught a train over to St. George's English School, where Manka used to go to school when she lived in Italy. Going to an International school was definitely an interesting experience after having visited Di Donato School yesterday, near Piazzo Vittorio. My expectations for the school were already high, especially after finding out that tuition is around $20,000 a year--more than many people pay for college! However, the school exceeded even my own expectations. When we arrived, we were welcomed with a friendly greeting and allowed to go outside to observe the kids at recess. We were led through a beautiful hallway decorated with artwork and paintings that I would have thought was professional if not for the labels stating the names and ages of the students who created them. There were also beautiful murals on the walls and a plasma screen TV in the hallway. Just before we walked outside, there was a table set up with "milk and biscuits" for the students. Outside, we watched the kids run around the playground and play games of tag and soccer. They were all wearing matching blue school uniforms except for their shoes, which varied from student to student--I saw one girl in high top converse with bright red shoelaces.

After observing the kids at recess for awhile, we were led back inside and split into groups to visit classrooms. Megan and I visited a grade 4 class of about 20 students of every ethnicity from French to Russian to Sri Lankan. I was especially impressed by the teacher's ability to inspire the kids and really make them enjoy learning--students were literally jumping up in excitement to answer questions during a math activity. Megan and I talked to the teacher for a bit and learned that she taught in Scotland for 15 years before teaching at an International school in Portugal for 2 years. She has been teaching at St. George's for 5 years, but she is not fluent in Italian. She explained that teachers come from all over the world and do not necessarily have to speak Italian, because classes are taught in English and children are encouraged to speak English while at school. Students who arrive at the school and do not speak English or Italian are given intensive language lessons in order to become fluent and perform at the level of the other students academically.

Using my experience yesterday at Di Donato as a point of comparison, this visit really underscored the disparities in education between the wealthy and the working class within (and beyond) Rome. Students at St. George's have access to an almost overwhelming array of opportunities--even as we were walking through the hallway, we passed by a class of kids baking bread as a class science project. At Di Donato, the economic and class differences are striking, as most of the kids come from working class immigrant families, and they are enrolled in the school in large part because of its proximity to the train station, allowing parents to drop off their kids on the way to work. I look forward to going back to Di Donato once school is in session and witnessing firsthand the classroom dynamics and methods of instruction that teachers rely on given their limited resources. While both schools are similar in terms of ethnic diversity, they are worlds apart in many other respects, which I look forward to exploring in greater depth.

Yesterday 9/3 was a jam packed day full of hot, smelly bus rides but wonderful meetings and events. First we went to the International Migration Organization and we will meet senior reseachers Ugo Melchionda and Rosella Celmi. I was really inspired by Rosella. She is the only person in her department which concerns education and identity in Italian schools. She showed us a video of one of her projects which really emphasized this idea of looking/listening/and sharing one's identity and experiences between schools, teachers, the children and parents.

Our next stop was the Di Donato School in the very multi ethnic neighborhood of Piazza Vittorio. There we met with the school's parent association. The association started informally with parents trying to create networks among each other and grew into this major resource for the school. The parent association provides all sorts of activities for the children, trying to get them to interact more outside of the school environment. The association also provides language classes in the afternoon, a study hall, and sports. The parents of children are also invited to come out to the classes. It was amazing to think that the decorated room we were sitting in was painted and put together by one of the students father. We saw pictures of the abandoned building before it was turned into a school --- it was in terrible condition. However, with the help of the parents, it was transformed into a place for learning.

Later in the evening we watched a documentary of the Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio and had the honor of meeting the director right after. I was SO inspired by the film. The documentary really showed that it often takes a lot of time for any "success" or progress to be seen or felt. While there may not seem like a lot of progress is being made, the efforts from people (like Rosella Celmi for example) and small organizations (like the parent association at the elementary school) are making a difference. The documentary showed how important perseverance and persistence is. In the process of accomplishing anything there will be times when you'll be let down and times when you will really, really struggle. Things may seem impossible but this orchestra (an orchestra made up of immigrants from all over the world) now makes music for all to hear.

It was a really wonderful day! I of course ended it with some delicious gelato! The perfect ending to a day in Rome, Italy!

-Megan Valencia

Marissa: September 2

So today was a very busy and interesting day.

First we had a check in session to see what everyone did over the weekend, this is always nice because I think it’s fun to hear what others did and enjoyed. We then went into the Frames of Reference Exercise. I have done this exercise in 2 other education based courses at UW Bothell. I think the more I do them the more I want to say and the more I understand my true lenses. Having been raised middle-upper class, in a catholic (nearly all white) school, and living in an all white neighborhood for the majority of my life has definitely impacted who I am today. Nearly every aspect of the list given today to refer to had had some impact on me. I hate that we were timed because once you get going it’s hard to stay focused for such a large subject, and really cover everything. I feel like no one got a full picture of anyone, but it was good to get a least a small picture.

Then next we went to The Save the Children place and we talked to Angela. She was very helpful and seemed very passionate about her job. We basically learned all about immigrant minor unaccompanied children coming into Italy and what the Save the Children Foundation tries to provide for them. They tell them their rights and the proper procedures to stick to to secure their rights and their place in Italy. It was interesting when she described the medical procedure the doctors do to determine a child’s age (within 2 years). I also found it interesting that some of the youths lie about their age because they think it is better to be older and that they will have more opportunity. I really liked the Doctors Without Borders video even though it was kind of hard to watch. The conditions these immigrants are living in are sad and disgusting. I was shocked to see how different the southern part of Italy is compared to what I have seen in the north. Prior to school starting I traveled with my mom and we drove from Rome to Venice and from Venice to Cinque Terre and from Cinque Terre to Florence and Pisa and then back to Rome and I never saw anywhere that looked as bad as where those immigrants were living. I really liked how Angela talked about how there are laws like the one about only being in a center for up to 20 days but how that never happens and some stay for up to 3 months.

After that we went back to class after a short break and talked about our group experience talking with an immigrant. It was cool interesting to hear a lot of similarities in the immigrants stories, like how a lot of them left their children in their country of origin because they don’t like the Italian system. It was also good because a lot of what we saw demonstrated was in the readings like the reading about the difference between coming to Italy as an Albanian and coming to Italy as a Pole, and the different way they are treated. Also how 2 groups talked to a Filipino and found out nearly exactly what was said in the reading, that the Italians like them and they are normally domestic workers.

Then we had a speaker, Leonardo Carocci. He seemed like a really nice guy, but his humor at times was lost in translation. I think Social Mediation as he explained it is a great way to take problems on head on. I like how he kept going back to the fact that you have to be truly in the community to understand what’s going on and help it. He made some great points and I just wish we could have understood his jokes. He seemed like a great speaker.

week of september 1st

As some of you noticed from yesterday's, Monday, September 1st's blog, I am asking students to write blogs for each day, aswell, so everyone gets a sense of the students' perspectives and travels. 

This past weekend, students had long weekends.  Some used these weekends to go out of town, to Venice, Cinqueterre etc. Others did intense tours of Rome, including climbing the 500 plus steps of St. Peter's and others relaxing after weeks of travel.

Today we were back with a tour de force visit to Save the Children where Angela Oriti spoke about minors' rights and what was happening in detention centers all over Italy, especially in Lampedusa.  So currently, all immigrants who come in an undocumented way are put into detention centers even if they are unaccompanied minors.  A number of them are asked and given different tests to ascertain their age. Angela spoke of the terrible accomodations they are provided, as well as the lack of information many of them have.  This is the first year that NGOs have been allowed to come into these detention centers.  Unaccompanied minors are then transferred to other centers in Southern Italy where there are very few resources and efforts are made to provide them with guardians. If these guardians are not found and when they are 18, they are repatriated.  In fact, the EU now does not allow for undocumented immigrants from one EU nation to go to another (even those that are denied asylum status in one country) and they are forced to go back home.  Angela, like Jami last week, spoke about the very small number of people who seek asylum in Italy and the even smaller number that are granted asylum.  After talking to us about the detention centers and minors' rights at these centers, she showed us a very sombering video shot by Doctors without Borders in the agricultural lands of the South where a number of immigrants are being exploited and the squalid living conditions they are living in, for many of them worse than their experiences in their own countries.  It is very difficult to come to terms with Italy's laws around immigration. Now, immigrants according to the legal framework, need to show that they are offered jobs even before them come into the country - Angela was pointing how ridiculous this was since employers in any country would not hire people before meeting them.  This has become a way of exploiting people since now even a larger number are here as undocumented - this has allowed different industries, especially the agricultural industry, to take advantage of these people and offer them extremely low wages. 

On a personal level, this has been a great learning experience for me but very depressing since I see the conditions in Italy as deteriorating for immigrants. A number of people who are dedicated to their rights and we are meeting along the way give us some home but overall it is a difficult time with the current political situation. 

Maia: Monday, September 1

So this was the last day of our four-day weekend, and I just stayed in Rome and explored. On Friday I explored by myself; I rode the busses around town and saw a bunch of sites. I got to see some new parts of town (Piazza del Popolo and the northern part of town), and it was interesting to see who got off and on at different stops. It kind of reminded me of Seattle, because the ethnic and age composition of the both the passengers and the passerby varied depending on where we were.

Saturday Anjali and I did some shopping by our apartment in the Trastevere area and we went out to a Korean restaurant near our apartment with Megan (Monday I had Chinese with a bunch of people). Then on Sunday, Megan, Sterling, and I went to the Sunday flea market, Porta Portese. We also went to a park near our place, and visited churches in Trastevere, the historic center, and by the river. While I've been able to get by with English and little to no Italian, I definitely noticed my lack of Italian at the market and when Megan and I were trying to find our way back.

Today we figured out where some more delicious gelaterias and cafes are. My favorite gelaterias so far are Gelato a la Scala (by our apartment) and Giolitti (by the Pantheon/Piazza Navona), and my favorite cafes are Tazza d'Oro and Cafe St Eustachio. Manmeet, Brukab and I also attended a lecture on an international arms dealer and how he got off the hook in Italy. While he is somewhat of a special case, we thought it was ironic that an internationally-known criminal could get off while many regular immigrants have severe difficulties even getting permission to enter the country.