Essays on the Cultural and Educational Difticulties Experienced by the Settled Out Migrant Chicano Child and Case Study

Abstract

Each culture teaches its offspring so as to prepare them for adult lite within that culture. The values of each segment or subculture of the society of the U.S. are those necessary for adult lite in that subculture. Belonging to such a segment is the migrant worker family, and more specifically the Chicano, or Mexican American, migrant. The Mexican American seems to have retained his cultural autonomy and has assimilated into the Anglo society at a pace that is slow compared with most other ethnic groups. This may be because many Chicanos live in Chicano neighborhoods. It may also be because of the mobile migrant lite style that does not let these people become part of any established community. This isolated traction of our population has kept to itself because of its mobility and retained the values they have learned from those they migrated with. The Migrant Chicano who has been recently settled out of the migrant stream comes across a new type of person in his new lifestyle, belonging to another segment of U.S. society. This is especially true if the Chicano settles out in an area such as Kalamazoo where there is no Chicano Barrio to which Chicano may be draw. These people experience ·a cultural clash and an interruption of accustomed social patterns of behavior. The novel situation is very confusing to the child who finds that the patterns of meaningful behavior within the school do not correspond to bis learned behavior patterns. He is not familiar with what action will initiate what response. For example, in the new school situation, what is expected by the teachers is not produced by the Chicano because there is no pattern of action-response familiar to the child at school. He can thus become a failure in school, academically and/or socially. Many behavior problems or a negative self concept may arise from this·clash. I have observed, this in tutorial sessions.