Creating Student Relationships through Culturally Responsive Teaching

By Keba R. Cairo

Abstract

Families from all over the world leave their homeland, their lifestyle, their culture, and everything they’ve ever known to come to the United States of America, also known as the land of opportunity. America is often depicted as a “melting pot” because of the number of families of multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural backgrounds migrating into one place. These families want to give their children an upper hand, a fighting chance, an advantage in life. Immigrant parents are faced with navigating new laws, systems, and cultural differences, but they consider those sacrifices worth it for the opportunities they bring to their children. However, the children of these immigrant families face their own obstacles as they enter a school system that is insensitive to their migration journey, where they encounter students who ostracize them, and where language barriers or their accents prevent them from being understood. Although the U.S. school system is becoming increasingly diverse and multicultural, the education curriculum has not been updated to reflect and incorporate a culturally responsive and sustaining education.

Keywords: student needs, multicultural education, cultural relevance, student diversity, educational environment