African Refugee Parents' Voices on Their Children's American Schooling

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Sociopolitics of Parenting and Schooling

Abstract

Although the U.S. is one of the top countries for accepting and supporting refugees (UNCHR, 2018), little is known about how these resettled parents view their children’s schooling in this country. This paper applied ethnographic and interview methods to analyze the voices from 16 African Refugee parents whose children attend schools in a Midwest city. Anchored on the theory of equality of opportunity and equality of outcome as well as theory of inclusion, the findings demonstrate that these parents need more information regarding American schooling, school structures and function. Consequently, the paper argues that the voices of African refugee parents should be considered by school districts where they reside to promote the school involvement of these parents in the U.S.

Author

• Rui Niu-Cooper, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids