I Hope You Get Deported: An Immigrant Child’s Perspective

OUTTAKE

During my sabbatical experience, I conducted research at an Italian school located in a predominantly blue-collar neighborhood that hosted more than 1,000 elementary school students from more than 40 nationalities. One of the key goals of my study was to understand how to best serve and support underprivileged students. During this time, I worked with fourth-grade students by providing supplemental instruction and academic support while conducting interviews and observations. These frequent interactions led to familiarity and trust that grew quickly throughout the semester. I likened this phenomenon to the “cool aunt” who spends time with her nieces and nephews and plays with them. There were varied needs in this school where poverty was the norm for most children. Due to recent family migrations, linguistic differences were also common. In this context, the school district had fully embraced an “all hands on deck” philosophy in which everyone was welcome and ready to step up and help.