PROFESSOR KARLA JENSEN, PH.D.PROFESSOR KARLA JENSEN, PH.D.PROFESSOR TRAVIS JENSEN, M.A.PROFESSOR TRAVIS JENSEN, M.A.Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityNebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, Nebraska USA Lincoln, Nebraska USA

••KarlaKarla••TravisTravis••Case Study of Case Study of our town, our our town, our schoolschool••We are We are ““sowerssowers””

Parade Magazine, Photo

State of Nebraska Photo

State of Nebraska Photo

State of Nebraska Photo

WORTSCHATZWORTSCHATZImmigrant – a person who comes to a country where they were not born in order to settle there (Undocumented student)Refugee – a person outside of his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinionAcculturation – the act of learning about a host culture (their customs, daily norms, traditions, etc.)Assimilation – the process of participating in the cultural customs, daily norms, traditions, etc. of a host culture, while still maintaining one’s native cultural beliefs and practices

(State of Nebraska Office of Refugee Resettlement)

LOCATION OF THE LOCATION OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKASTATE OF NEBRASKA

SIZE OF THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKASTATE OF NEBRASKA

Nebraska = 200,349 km sq.; 9 persons per km2

Germany = 357,021 km sq.; 229 persons per km2

Overall approximate population of both the stateof Nebraska and the city of Hamburg = 1.7 million

Overall population of cattlein Nebraska = 6.64 millionSources:State of NebraskaUnited NationsRangeland Management Photo

National Geographic Photo

WHO IS COMING TO WHO IS COMING TO NEBRASKA?NEBRASKA?

Refugees and Immigrants arrive from:Afghanistan, Bosnia, China, Croatia, Ethiopia,Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Laos, Liberia, Mexico,Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Sierra Leone, Serbia,Somalia, Sudan, Vietnam

Distance from Lincoln to major ports of entry:Los Angeles – 2, 414 kmChicago – 838 kmHouston – 1,416 kmMiami – 2, 669 kmNew York – 2,092 kilometers Source: State of

Nebraska

Office of Refugee Resettlement, Lincoln, NE

Office of Refugee Resettlement, Lincoln, NE

WHY IS LINCOLN DESIGNATED A WHY IS LINCOLN DESIGNATED A ““RESETTLEMENT COMMUNITY?RESETTLEMENT COMMUNITY?””

BENEFICIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR CITY

Central LocationPlentiful JobsAffordable HousingLow Crime RateAccessible Health CareNumerous Agencies

to assist with Assimilation andAcculturation

Effective Education

Source: State of Nebraska

LINCOLN RESIDENTS AS LINCOLN RESIDENTS AS CULTURAL BROKERSCULTURAL BROKERS

THE MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERETHE MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE

Mary Pipher, Ph.D.

CULTURAL BROKERSCULTURAL BROKERSWhat is a Cultural Broker?What kinds of things do Cultural Brokers do?Who can be a Cultural Broker?

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AS CULTURAL BROKERSAS CULTURAL BROKERS

Who are these Cultural Brokers?Family who have acculturatedAny community member with an interest in students, culture, education

In what activities do they participate?English InstructionCareer CounselingAdvocacyTechnology TrainingArts / SportsFriendship

CULTURAL BROKERS CULTURAL BROKERS CULTIVATING SUPPORTCULTIVATING SUPPORT

FORFORLINCOLNLINCOLN’’S NEWCOMERSS NEWCOMERS

Nonprofit AgenciesChurch GroupsFor-profit BusinessesTax-based SupportNeighborhood ProgramsCultural FairsLocal Media

Courtesy Photo

CULTURAL BROKERS CULTURAL BROKERS CULTIVATINGCULTIVATING

ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND MULTICULTURALISMMULTICULTURALISM

FROM KFROM K--12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS 12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE UNIVERSITIESTO THE UNIVERSITIES

Lincoln Public Schools

CHALLENGE OF A MULTICHALLENGE OF A MULTI--LINGUAL, LINGUAL, MULTIMULTI--CULTURAL STUDENT BODYCULTURAL STUDENT BODY

33,000 total students in Lincoln Public Schools (K-12)45 languages spoken by 1,869 English Language Learners41.6 % of ELL students are native Spanish speakers, 17.5 % Vietnamese, 12.2% Arabic, 28.7% other languages

Lincoln Public Schools

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION? GRADUATION?

LIFE AT LINCOLNLIFE AT LINCOLN’’S UNIVERSITIESS UNIVERSITIES

For StudentsFor StudentsResearchCurriculumService Learning

For FacultyFor FacultyContinuing EducationInternational Sabbatical

SUPPORTING UNDOCUMENTED AND REFUGEE SUPPORTING UNDOCUMENTED AND REFUGEE STUDENTS AT LINCOLN UNIVERSITIESSTUDENTS AT LINCOLN UNIVERSITIES

GED Program for Spanish Speaking StudentsCurrent College Students as mentors in the K-12 classroomsAdmissions / RecruitingOrientation and Initial Advising Continued AdvisingAchievement SpecialistStudent Support SystemMulticultural Affairs OfficeWriting and Speaking CenterStudent Groups (IRO / MOSAIC)Tutors and Departmental MentorsNWU’s mission statement / student declarationfaculty declaration / core values

NWU Archive

STUDENTS STUDENTS AS CULTURAL BROKERSAS CULTURAL BROKERS

OrganizationsPresentations in/out of classArt, Music, TheatreSportsPeer TutoringMentorsFriendsNurturing a

welcoming atmosphere

NWU Diversity Office

SUPPORTING FACULTY TO TEACH SUPPORTING FACULTY TO TEACH IN A MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM IN A MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM ––

AND TO BECOME CULTURAL BROKERSAND TO BECOME CULTURAL BROKERSOverall World ViewValue of EducationIndividualism and

CollectivismPerceived roles of men/

women, family membersPerception of age

(students, teachers, authority)Nonverbal

CommunicationLanguage

(Writing, Speaking, Listening)NWU Diversity Office

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONSChallenge and change can create fertile ground for growthCultural brokers nurture learning and sow the seeds of multicultural understanding

NWU Diversity Office

TIME FOR:TIME FOR:QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS,

CLARIFICATIONSCLARIFICATIONS

NWU Diversity Office