| Residents of the Dominican Republic, especially the | | | | the Dominican Republic, education is not a priority, |
| impoverished ones, have long viewed the United | | | | as it is with the wealthy families there. Though |
| States and especially New York City as a land of | | | | early schooling is free for children, it is seen as a |
| limitless wealth. All you have to do is live there for | | | | costly endeavor for families just trying to make |
| a few years, and you too will be wealthy. This | | | | ends meet. Clothing for school, meals, school |
| erroneous vision was fostered in the 1980s with | | | | supplies, books, and transportation are luxuries for |
| the crack epidemic centered in Washington | | | | such families. According to the World Bank, 13 |
| Heights, an area located north of New York City | | | | percent of children ages 7-14 work outside the |
| and predominantly populated by Dominican | | | | home, rather than attend school. According to |
| immigrants. Thousands of dollars in cash were | | | | Unicef, 16 percent of children ages 10-17 are |
| sent back to the families, who still lived in the | | | | illiterate. Usually, one or both parents have little or |
| Dominican Republic. Though the days of easy | | | | no education, due to less long-term educational |
| money have passed, the Dominican poor still | | | | exposure for children of poorer families. Is it any |
| believe that, if only family member can reach the | | | | wonder they may resent the mandatory law for |
| U.S. and remain for a few years, he or she could | | | | their children to attend the New York City |
| bring the entire family remaining in the Dominican | | | | schools? Though cultural differences present a |
| Republic out of poverty. Thus, the Dominican | | | | major obstacle, language is the biggest difficulty |
| Republic is the largest exporter of immigrants to | | | | for these immigrant children in the New York City |
| the New York City schools. Dominican immigrants | | | | schools. According to Robert Mercedes, Principal |
| now comprise ten percent of the 1.1 million | | | | of Middle School 390 in the Bronx and President |
| students in the New York City schools. These | | | | of the Association of Dominican-American |
| young New York City schools immigrants face | | | | Supervisors and Administrators, Dominican children |
| particularly difficult problems as they attempt to | | | | arrive at the New York City schools lacking the |
| acclimate into American society. They face the | | | | basic native-language skills of the Dominican |
| pressures to integrate at school, while facing the | | | | Republic. This makes transitioning them into the |
| pressures to remain the same at home. Parents | | | | English language even more difficult. They feel like |
| too face challenges with the New York City | | | | outsiders in the New York City schools. They are |
| schools. The first problem is culture shock. In the | | | | in a language and cultural isolation. They are |
| Dominican Republic, children always must defer to | | | | generally dumped into bilingual classes at |
| their elders and hold their tongues, having no way | | | | low-income schools, and feel more of a burden to |
| to express their own feelings or opinions. In | | | | the New York City schools than an equal to the |
| contrast, children quickly learn in the New York | | | | other students. The victim mentality takes over |
| City schools that American children are vital | | | | for many of these youth, who separate |
| members of society, like any adult. They realize | | | | themselves into close-knit ethnic groups. They are |
| that adults care what they think. They become | | | | especially vulnerable to street gang recruitment, |
| more outspoken both at school and at home, | | | | which pervades the areas around the ghetto-like |
| finding the social freedoms compelling and | | | | atmosphere of some of the New York City |
| liberating. Parents feel themselves losing control of | | | | schools they attend. On one side, the New York |
| their children, who are shedding their cultural | | | | City schools are a haven of new opportunities for |
| restrictions. They view New York City schools | | | | the Dominican children and their parents. Yet, |
| children as arrogant and flamboyant, with no | | | | these same opportunities can be the downfall of |
| respect for their elders. Such contrasting | | | | the immigrant family values and the children, as |
| expectations between children and parents cause | | | | well. It is a dual-edged sword, afflicted with |
| stress at home. Of course, many parents blame | | | | stressful difficulties and insurmountable obstacles |
| the New York City schools for their children | | | | for many. |
| adopting these attributes, where they did not | | | | Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, |
| wish to send their children anyway. The Dominican | | | | providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public |
| immigrant home environment is not always | | | | and private K-12 schools. |
| conducive to learning. For impoverished families in | | | | |