1 E’ Palante Que Vamo!: Transnational Education in the United States and in the Dominican Republic Ambar Paulino

2 Transnationalism What is it?

3 Existing Research Transnationalism en La Republica  “The word migrant evokes images of a permanent rupture, of the uprooted, and the abandonment of old patterns and the painful learning of a new language and culture. Now, a new kind of migrating and population is emerging, composed of those whose networks, activities, and patterns of life encompass both their host and home societies” (Schiller et. Al, 1992)  “Structural and social rejection by both U.S. and Dominican Society has forced migrants in New York City to form a distinctive bi-national social world that accommodates both but does not assimilate either.” (Candelario, 2007)

4 Existing Research Respect of Culture at Home and in Schools  Deep understanding of language knowledge and culture is linked relatively closely to community identity and allegiance to the idea of “alla” (Dicker, 2008)/(Toribio, 2000)  “The identities of transnational children are linked to language because their lives require them to have a command of two languages” (Dicker, Susan; 2008)

5 Research Question How has transnational education affected immigrant families from the Dominican Republic?

6 Significance  Population of Dominicans in the United States make up a substantial amount of the immigrant body  Dominicans also constitute the largest represented immigrant group in New York City Public Schools  This group of students are considered an “overlooked and underserved” percentage of the American student population(Ruiz-de-Velasco and Fix, 2000)

7 Thesis  Quality of education in the Dominican Republic is relatively poor compared to U.S. standards

8 Thesis  Quality of education in the Dominican Republic is relatively low compared to U.S. standards  There is a hierarchy even within this system

9 Thesis  Quality of education in the Dominican Republic is relatively low compared to U.S. standards  There is a hierarchy even within this system  Families “flee” to the United States wanting to achieve the “American Dream”

10 Thesis  Quality of education in the Dominican Republic is relatively low compared to U.S. standards  There is a hierarchy even within this system  Families “flee” to the United States wanting to achieve the “American Dream”  New York City Public Schools are not well equipped to receive and provide immigrant families with the proper support to succeed

11 Thesis  Quality of education in the Dominican Republic is relatively low compared to U.S. standards  There is a hierarchy even within this system  Families “flee” to the United States wanting to achieve the “American Dream”  New York City Public Schools are not well equipped to receive and provide immigrant families with the proper support to succeed  Experiences differ by gender due to “cultural expectations”

12 Methods  Twelve one-on-one interviews  Participants gathered using a “sampling snowball method”  Interviews conducted in Spanish or English based on participant’s preference  “Boletin Estadistico, Años Lectivo; ’09-’10, ‘10-’11, ‘11-’12, ’12-’13 (MINERD)  UNESCO Institute for Statistics: Data Centre (Education/Literacy Reports: 2013-2014)

13 Participants Name of StudentAge Migrated School Attended in D.R.School Attended in U.S. Lucinda Guerrero (F)2112Institucion de Los Milagros- SalcedoI.S. 123/Abreu Dominican High School Analis Rodriguez (F)208/11Esc. Publica San Jose- Santo Domingo Tomm Hall/Natural Sciences High School/City College Cristal Martinez (F)2112Esc. Publica Jose Arroyo- SalcedoTomm Hall/Abreu Dominican High School Marleny Sanchez (F)2116Institucion Jose Peña-Santo DomingoAbreu Dominican High School Sajomy Sanchez (M)1813Institucion Jose Peña- Santo DomingoBetances Dominican Middle School/GED not completed- G.W. H.S. Sammi Diaz (M)1915Esc. Publica Villa TapiaJuan Pablo Duarte Public High School Wilmer Diaz (M)2117Esc. Publica Villa TapiaJuan Pablo Duarte High School Kenny Santana (M)2216Esc. Publica de Villa MellaJuan Pablo Duarte High School

14 Participants  Four parents interviewed (Parents of four of the interviewees)  Carmen  Eduvirgen  Paola  Sandra  Names and information of schools attended all changed for privacy purposes

15 Findings: Flawed Educational System  When asked about their earliest memory as a student in the Dominican Republic, majority of interviewees described a classroom which lacked resources  Cramped classrooms, teachers were unhelpful, school itself lacked resources  School Structure  Tandas Matunino (7:30AM-12:30PM) y Vespertino (2:30-7:30)  Not expected to stay in school if parents did not enforce it “Ella me volvia loca. Yo ni se como yo tuve en esa escuela. Ella era egoista, y hasta nos dijo un dia que no le pagaban suficiente para ella estar ahi. Desde ese momento, yo pense, Que hago aqui?” (Sammi)

16 Findings: Flawed Educational System UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Country Educational Profile

17 Findings: Assimilating into A New Culture and Classroom  All (8) participants experienced a negative transition into the United States

18 Findings: Assimilating into A New Culture and Classroom  All (8) participants experienced a negative transition into the United States  Parents also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the transition process worked in New York City Schools

19 Findings: Assimilating into A New Culture and Classroom  All (8) participants experienced a negative transition into the United States  Parents also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the transition process worked in New York City Schools  “Yo tuve que visitar por lo menos cuatro escuelas con Sajomy y Marleny antes que me ayudara alguien sin prisa. Yo hasta le dije a mi sobrina que nos accompañaran porque la escuela primara que visite no tenia ayudantes que hablaran español. Una morena hasta me grito una vez, “MAMI NO ESPAÑOL, INGLES POR FAVOR”. No entiendo como la mayoria de la escuelas en este vecindario son niños y niñas de raza hispana, y nadie en la escuela habla Español.”

20 Findings: Assimilating into A New Culture and Classroom  All (8) participants experienced a negative transition into the United States  Parents also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the transition process worked in New York City Schools  “Yo tuve que visitar por lo menos quatro escuelas con Sajomy y Marleny antes que me ayudara alguien sin prisa. Yo hasta le dije a mi sobrina que nos accompañaran porque la primara escuela que visite no tenia ayuda que hablaran español. Una morena hasta me grito una vez, “MAMI NO ESPAÑOL, INGLES POR FAVOR”. No entiendo como la mayoria de la escuelas en este vecindario son niños y niñas de raza hispana, y nadie en la escuela hablan Eespañol.”  System is not set in place to provide support for students who are under a transition process

21 Findings: Assimilating into A New Culture and Classroom  All (8) participants experienced a negative transition into the United States  Parents also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the transition process worked in New York City Schools  “Yo tuve que visitar por lo menos quatro escuelas con Sajomy y Marleny antes que me ayudara alguien sin prisa. Yo hasta le dije a mi sobrina que nos accompañaran porque la primara escuela que visite no tenia ayuda que hablaran español. Una morena hasta me grito una vez, “MAMI NO ESPAÑOL, INGLES POR FAVOR”. No entiendo como la mayoria de la escuelas en este vecindario son niños y niñas de raza hispana, y nadie en la escuela hablan Eespañol.”  System is not set in place to provide support for students who are under a transition process

22 Findings: Assimilating into A New Culture and Classroom  Participants were dissatisfied with the fact that there were no teachers of “color” in the classrooms  Major problem in today’s schools are rooted in the fact that curriculum and teaching practices do not reflect the diversity of incoming population of immigrant students

23 Findings: Gender Expectations  Traditional Dominican values challenged in New York City classrooms  Young men interviewed were surprised that they were asked “to participate, pay attention, and ask for help when necessary” (Kenny)  Two Young men also expressed feeling uncomfortable having male teachers

24 Future Research & Final Thoughts  Due to quality of education in the Dominican Republic immigrant students have a harder time assimilating to New York City classrooms where everything is heavily structured  Not accustomed to individualized method of learning  Not accustomed to extended school days; are discouraged from doing the work  Resources for parents are limited and not accommodating

25 Future Research & Final Thoughts To Consider  Measure effectiveness of afterschool programs designed specifically to help families transition into New York City Schools  Opportunity for Teachers/Faculty to interact with parents with a mediator  Extra ESL/ELL tutoring for students  Looking into the Interactions/Relationships between immigrant population and First Generation Dominican-American children

26 Thank You Professor Rachel Leventhal-Weiner, Senior Presenters, My Peer Reviewer Alex Conaway, Ashira Anderson, Professor Dyrness, Dominican Studies Institute at City College of New York

27 E’ Palante Que Vamo!: Transnational Education in the United States and in the Dominican Republic Ambar Paulino

28 APPENDIX A.1: Interview Guide ORIGINS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC What is your earliest memory about being a student in the Dominican Republic? While in the Dominican Republic did you attend a Private/Parochial institution or a Public School? a. Which one? b. Describe the academic environment of the school, if possible? Can you Describe some of the academic curriculum consisted of while you were in school in the Dominican Republic? Were you required to take certain courses (language, sciences, religion) while attending school in the Dominican Republic? a. Can you describe what some of the academic requirements of those courses were? What is the major difference between attending school (Any grade level) in the Dominican Republic and the United States based on your experiences? Are there any particular practices/traditions you recall your school did while you were enrolled? TRANSITIONING TO THE UNITED STATES At what age did you emigrate from the Dominican Republic to the United States? Were you placed into an ESL class or an English-speaking classroom? Do you recall having to take certain tests to be placed into a certain grade level? What was the hardest part about transitioning from the Dominican Republic to the United States in school? Can you describe the types of support schools provided to you and your family while transitioning? (I.e. counselor, English language classes, etc.)

29 APPENDIX A.2: Interview Guide REFLECTIONS Looking back, what do you think was the hardest part about being a student who emigrated from the Dominican Republic? Do you wish there were more support provided by the school in the United States? If so, then what? What did you miss the most about being a student in the Dominican Republic? How have educational opportunities changed in the United States and Dominican Republic since you’ve moved? BACKGROUND QUESTIONS (if not answered above) How long did you live in the Dominican Republic prior to moving to the United States? Where in the Dominican Republic did you live in? (El Cibao, Santo Domingo, etc.) What schools did you and/or your children attend in the Dominican Republic/United States?

30 APPENDIX C: Participation in Education 2003200420052006200720082009201020112012 Out of School Children Total 164,311225,447204,326221,247144,75 8 186,72 0 67,582101,475113,09 2 136,5 67 Female 95,892105,11794,74198,84266,08286,97257,37365,24462,36772,75 9 Male 68,419120,330109,585122,40578,67699,74810,20936,23150,72563,80 8 Out of School Adolescents Total --34,14036,636---39,99230,35746,97842,30035,85934,46 2 Female --16,52217,223---17,22312,77924,28823,68819,41119,31 4 Male --17,61822,769---22,76917,57822,69018,61216,44815,14 8 UNESCO IFS; Dominican Republic Report; Pulled December 1 st, 2014

31 APPENDIX C: Education Expenditures Government Expenditure on Education 2003200420052006200720082009201020112012 As % of GDP1.9-- 2.2-- 2.2 As % of total Government Expenditure 10.8-- 12.6-- 10.8 Government Expenditure per student (in PPP$) Primary Education --261.2444--711.4603.4610.5695.1712.5925.7 Secondary Education --188.3317.4--320.4528.4614621.9676.2848.9 Tertiary Education -- UNESCO IFS; Dominican Republic Report; Pulled December 1 st, 2014

32 APPENDIX D: Educational Annex UNESCO IFS; Dominican Republic Report; Pulled December 1 st, 2014

33 APPENDIX E: Number of Educational Centers Organized by Region/Sector (Public, Private, Semi- Private Oficina Nacional de Estadistica; RD

34 APPENDIX F: 7 Problems of Education 1.En primer lugar, la educación no logra captar el talento humano necesario, para incorporar entre sus filas a los mejores educadores y técnicos de cada generación. 2.En segundo lugar, los estudiantes dominicanos no alcanzan los niveles de logro esperado. 3.En tercer lugar, persisten problemas de acceso para la primera infancia y los jóvenes. 4.En cuarto lugar, las propuestas curriculares de la educación media en sus diferentes modalidades y, en particular, aquella vinculada al nivel técnico, no genera los conocimientos y competencias que son demandadas por el mercado de trabajo. 5.En quinto lugar. La pertinencia de contenidos y metodologías educativas no adecuadas a los tiempos actuales. 6.Los problemas de eficiencia de la gestión en la educación pública a nivel central, evidencian espacios significativos de posibles mejoras. 7.Persiste en el sistema educativo una fragmentación excesiva, tanto a nivel preuniversitario como a nivel general de la educación dominicana. “EDUCA- Memorias; 25 Años”

35 APPENDIX G: Population of School Session Students by Age, Sex and Session (Nivel Inicial) Ministerio de Educacion; Republica Dominicana 09-10

36 APPENDIX H: Population of School Session Students by Age, Sex and Session (Nivel Basico) Ministerio de Educacion; Republica Dominicana 09-10

37 APPENDIX I: Population of School Session Students by Age, Sex and Session (Nivel Medio) Ministerio de Educacion; Republica Dominicana 09-10

38 APPENDIX J: Median Scores on a Scale of 0-30; National Exams (Spanish, Math, Social Studies and Natural Sciences) Ministerio de Educacion; Republica Dominicana 09-10 Organized by subject,and grade