When Mrs. Brown was working with Peley and Raji for Columbus Day, she asked Peley if she was born in Cambodia. Peley was very indignant, and insisted that she was born in the United States. I can't help wondering why that was. Was it because she knew all her classmates (as far as I'm aware) were born in the U.S. and she hated to be singled out (even if the only other classmate there was Raji)? Or was it something that her parents stressed to her? The way things are set up in the U.S. and social attitudes, Americans stress the assimulation into our culture. After all how many times (mostly on t.v.) does someone say things like "Speak American." (which I admit worries me about the general populace sometimes because you know there are actual people without scripts who say things like that.) Peley's parents could have picked up on this attitude and somehow stressed to Peley that she's an American, she was born here.
Also throughout the whole chapter I kept thinking that these holidays would have been a great way and time for Mrs. Starr to ask the children what holidays they celebrate with their families and introduced these holidays to the other children.
One last thing. The birthday spanking... do you think that's something that is still done in the school today? What do you think people's attitudes would be toward it?
Susan
The pretend spanking, even with a pillow...seemed so weird to me. It was never done in my elementary level education and I believe it would be strange to see at this day and age! I am glad you brought that up because I think it's out of place and inappropriate.
ReplyDeleteWhat I have seen done, are birthday crowns and special treats brought in as well as all students signing a birthday card....no spanking!
The spanking wasn't something I was even aware of or did until I reached college. I totally agree, I think it (while with the best intentions), was too much.
ReplyDeleteSomething I think we need to remember about people who immigrate to the USA, they often come here because of opportunity/freedom. I think Peley's parents wanted her to feel she was an American through and through. Children in kindergarten often have a hard time thinking of themselves as multiple heritages, something I feel relates to the Preoperational stage in Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development.