Latino Students - Resources & Info

• Global Migration and the New Latino South. Slides of a report from the NC Office of Latino/Hispanic Affairs.

• Bridging Spanish language barriers in Southern Schools. A series of articles about Latino students in NC schools. Sections include (1) Background of Latino students, (2) Connecting with Latino students, (3) Policies for immigrant transfer students, and (4) Curriculum for Latinos.

• El Centro Hispano has a branch in Carrboro Plaza.

Karen and Burmese Students - Resources & Info

• Refugee Community Partnership based in Chapel Hill/Carrboro

• Refugee Support Center, housed in Carolina Apartments in Carrboro

• Karen History and Culture, Karen Organization of Minnesota

• Cultural Orientation Resource Center: Refugees from Burma

• Information about Myanmar (Burma), BBC News

• The Story of Three Farmers, a short documentary created by the Youth Collaborative of Transplanting Traditions Community Farm

• Video for Learning about Refugees from Burma, by the Cultural Orientation Resource Center

• Karen News - Journalists who live and work in Karen communities.

Videos about Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence: What Does It Mean For Educators? - From the NEA

What is Global Competence? - Why our students need Global Education

Cultural Gaffes Beyond Your Borders - Peace Corps training video

Cultural Gaffes At Home and Abroad - Peace Corps training video

Culture Shock

Culture shock is the feeling of discomfort and disorientation that a person feels when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life. Going through culture shock has predictable stages, similar to the way grief has stages. Typically a person who is new to a country or a region within a country (for example, moving from a small town to a big city or vice versa) goes through this process of acculturation:

1. Honeymoon stage: Everything is exciting, novel and charming. Differences are incomprehensible but fascinating. Tourists never pass this stage because they’re in the mindset of “just visiting.”

2. Frustration stage: The novelty has worn off. One finds people’s behavior unpredictable and annoying and the host culture distasteful. It’s common to feel anxious, to withdraw, and show hostility toward the people. Having to do everything in an unfamiliar way, and often in a new language, is mentally and physically exhausting.

3. Adjustment/integration stage: One gets used to the host culture, develops everyday routines, and knows what to expect in most situations. Life settles into a “new normal.”

4. Acceptance/mastery stage: Enjoys living in the culture and functions well in it. Prefers some aspects of the host culture to his/her own. May adopt some perspectives and behaviors from the host culture, creating a self-tailored blend of the original and new cultures.