Currently, there are approximately 80 million immigrants in the U.S. (Zong " Batalova, 2017). Among the immigrants' population, according to the U.S. Department of Education (2014), of the school-age children, over 25.1 million people are deemed Limited English Proficient (Zong " Jeanne, 2015). Besides, over 17.4 million children reside in a household with one or more immigrant parent (Zong " Balatova Jeanne, 2015). Additionally, the Department records indicate that there were more than 840,000 immigrant children in U.S. schools in 2014. The clear repercussions of these statistics are that the U.S. systems have to prepare and respond to the immigrant's students’ needs. Inasmuch as the needs of these students vary based on the country of origin, the individual school in which they were learning and geographic region they are situated, there are common factors and encounters that we can deduce from to examine how to provide a conducive transition environment for immigrant students.
As a result Influx of immigrants in schools, U.S. school is doomed to change. Consequently, the question that we should be asking is, “What is the future of U.S school culture?” With the evolving and varied ethnic school population, necessitation for early language intervention is presented. The school systems are or will be forced to carry out early language training that will benefit students regardless of their origin; something that is actually being observed due to changing immigration policies. For instance, in Los Angeles district, there are schools whose 67% of the total school population is of Latino thus calling for the use of bilingual education program instead of English-only classes. It is clear that educators have to make the system level for the natives and immigrants (Williams, 2018).
It is essential for educators to understand the cultural diversities, practices, and values of immigrants. Educators should also ensure that immigrant students understand U.S. school norms and practices; this will create cultural harmony among the students. Besides, educators have a responsibility of coming up with programs that respect students; cultural origin while building upon them developmentally.
References
Williams, C. (2018, January). America's Future Culture. Retrieved from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute: http://teachersinstitute.yale.edu/curriculum/units/1999/3/99.03.10.x.html
Zong, J., " Balatova Jeanne. (2015, March 12). Frequently requested statistics on immigrants and immigration in the United States. Retrieved from Immigration Policy Institute: http://www.migrationpolicy.org
Zong, J., " Jeanne, B. (2017, March 8). Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States. Retrieved from Migration Policy Institute: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states
