Immigration and Afterschool

The harsh rhetoric surrounding immigration and the aggressive policies of this Presidential Administration has been very hard on the youth and communities we serve in afterschool. The Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) Project has published several blog posts on this issue, including guest blog posts by youth and practitioners working to address these issues with young people. Below, we call your attention to several of these important posts. -------------- "I am not an illegal alien. I am not a terrorist nor lazy. And I am, most definitely, not uneducated." My name is Angie. In my infant years I didn't know who my mother was, for she had immigrated to the United States after I was born, leaving me and my brother under my grandmother’s wing. READ MORE --------------- Supporting Immigrant Families School officials report anxieties have reached new heights since Donald Trump’s inauguration, with possible consequences on young people’s ability to focus on school work, the willingness of parents to attend school events, or even to bring their children to school. READ MORE ------------ Practitioners Speak Out: Serving the Needs of Immigrant Youth Be aware of the joking and poking that happens in schools. Create a close to zero tolerance space for immigration jokes. For many students, it is not a joke. Also, be aware of the conclusions many undocumented students are coming up with through their time in the educational system. Residents and undocumented students with undocumented parents might conclude that higher education is not an option for them. READ MORE ------------ Collateral Damage: New Immigration Policies and Education in California California is home to the largest undocumented population in the country. Approximately 250,000 undocumented children are enrolled in California schools and an average of four students per classroom throughout the state have an undocumented parent. “Mixed status” children, children who have legal status but their parents do not, are as susceptible to the ramifications of enforcement as their undocumented peers. READ MORE ------------ Family Separation and Childhood Trauma In expanded learning programs, we are seeking to learn the effects of childhood trauma and design programs that integrate trauma informed practice. Thus, we were horrified by the Trump Administration’s practice of “zero tolerance” which inflicts trauma on children and youth. READ MORE ------------ Subscribe to our Learning in Afterschool & Summer (LIAS) Blog