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Deculturization in schools

Angella Barrett

Human Science, University of Nebraska

CYAF-805-992-1208

Dr. Sheree Moser

November 8, 2020
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Deculturization in schools

Dionne, not her real name, is a sophomore student at a high school in Georgia. She and

her family migrated from Jamaica two years ago. Abibi, not her real name, is from Nigeria; she

is also a sophomore at this high school. These two students are immigrants, and they struggle to

maintain their culture in the school. Both students express that they hate that they have to give up

their accent and embrace the American accent. The students further said that American students

like to discriminate against immigrant students. Research shows that Xenophobia causes stress

for immigrant children (Pumariega & Rothe, 2010). The students explained that they embrace

the American accent because they fear bullying or being considered strange.

Juan and Li Chi, not their real names, are also students at the same school. Juan is from

Mexico, and he believes that since the school has a large percentage of Hispanic students, they

should serve Hispanic meals in the Cafeteria. Li Chi also believes that the school only shaves

American foods on the menu, which is unfair to students from other parts of the world. By only

serving American foods on the menu, the school engages in Xenophobia. Pumariega & Roth

(2010) opines that Xenophobia may occur as social discrimination.

According to Bergerson (2015), these students experience deculturization, which

devalues their social and cultural capital experiences. Deculturization can come in many shapes,

and, in the cases mentioned earlier, the students do not get the chance to express their culture.

The students' experience is what the classic theories of assimilation refer to as cultural

subtraction (Lash, 2018), which is a process of stripping away immigrants' culture and replacing

it with the American culture.

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With the changing population in America, schools need to be culturally sensitive. We

often hear that America is a melting pot and that all cultures contribute to the American

experience. If that is the case, then why not embrace the students' cultures in our schools? How

can schools help immigrants adjust to their culture while maintaining pride in their heritage and

country of origin?
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References

Bergerson, D. (2015, May 28). Reflecting on Deculturization in Schools. Young Teachers

Collective. https://youngteacherscollective.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/reflecting-on-

deculturization-in-schools/

Cristina L. Lash. (2018). Making Americans: Schooling, Diversity, and Assimilation in the

twenty-First Century. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social

Sciences, 4(5), 99. https://doi.org/10.7758/rsf.2018.4.5.05

Pumariega, A. J., & Rothe, E. (2010). Leaving no children or families outside: The challenges of

immigration. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 80(4), 505–515.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01053.x