GRSJ224/ImmigrantYouthChallenges

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Youth Immigrant Challenges

Children face various challenges and pains during their journey through childhood and adolescence. Immigrant children and children of immigrants face these challenges as well, however they are burdened with the intense challenges of culture variance and lack of acceptance in their settling communities. Adolescence can be an extremely difficult time, and when it is coupled with the emotions of settlement it can prove to be even more intense. They must attempt to integrate into their new living conditions, while still dealing with issues that all adolescents face. Ultimately, the stressors that immigrants and their families face in institutions such as the education system make them vulnerable to social, emotional and academic issues that contribute to a troubled sense of identity.

Education

The westernized education system is structured in such a way that allows native english speakers with a westernized sense of culture to succeed. Children who do not share the language of their host country, such as Canada have difficulties with academic performance. Often, children pick up conversationalist aspects of the language but have difficulties with cognitive concepts that rely on it. The educational system encompasses the values and customs of the place in which it is taught, often lacking a diverse perspective in the curriculums. Additionally, teachers and educational professionals are not adequately trained to understand the circumstances that affect the immigrants academic and personal life. If given the resources and taught different approaches to academia, teachers would be better equipped to assist immigrant children with academic success. Due to the frustration of the child they can experience academic failure and an overall sense of low self esteem. Academic failure early in the child's life can create a cycle of disadvantages. That child may enter the labour market with little to no education, and may be forced into low paying or dangerous jobs.

Identity

Creating a healthy sense of identity during the period of adolescence is important for all, however it is a daunting and difficult tasks for immigrants and children of immigrants. Immigrants and their children are torn between the attempt to keep cultural roots from their home countries and the desire to be accepted and fit in with their new settling homes. Children in school are exposed to teachers and peers that foster a lack of acceptance of the child's differences. The more distinct and different the child's culture is, the more intense the feeling of difference is felt. While trying to fit into their peer groups and communities as a whole, children are frequently forced to discard the cultures of their homes or of their parents. Children are reluctant to reveal their cultural backgrounds because they fear discrimination and ridicule. However, even when children abandon their cultures and attempt to fit in with their western peers they are still bullied and face discriminatory actions. This leaves immigrant youth in a confusing situation, because they cannot form identities with either of their supposed homes.

Assimilation

In Canada, the state prides itself on being a multicultural nation called a cultural mosaic which implies the acceptance of different cultures. However immigrants are still challenged with injustices and discrimination regularly. Canada does not like to define its actions as attempts of assimilation, but they frequently appear as so. Assimilation forces individuals to give up their values, customs and beliefs in order to become a part of the mainstream culture. The pressure at school to assimilate into new culture is generally fueled with the need to blend in and appear likable to peers. By blending in, the children drop their previous cultures.