Sociocultural Distinctiveness

I usually arrive at Early Morning Elementary School a half hour to forty-five minutes before I start tutoring. While I am waiting out in my car, I prepare my usual plain bagel with cream cheese from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. As I enjoy my breakfast, several buses enter the school parking lot to drop off many of the students. I watch the children leave the bus and run past my car, smiling and laughing with their friends. When I first began this service learning experience, something struck me about these students. I recognized that a majority of the students appeared to be either African American or Hispanic. I remember only seeing a few white children among the crowd of students. Upon entering my kindergarten classroom, I found that the ethnic qualities of the students were not much different than those of the children leaving the buses.

In addition to a few white children and two Asian children, most of the students are either African American or Hispanic. In terms of my small tutoring group made up of six students, five of the six children fall into the two major ethnicities; the exception is one white boy named Benjamin. I found that the same characteristics could be applied to the first grade classroom in which I also work. Of the five students I tutor, three are Hispanic, one is African American, and one is white. The data on the Infoworks website supported my observations concerning the students' ethnicities. Of the students attending Early Morning Elementary School between 2007 and 2008, 66% were Hispanic and 23% were African American. The percentages of Asian and white students were only 8% and 4% respectively.

The primary language spoken within both classrooms is English. Many of the students that I have had the opportunity to talk with are able to understand and speak effectively with English. However, that does not mean other languages are not used. In my kindergarten classroom, the teacher has an assistant named Ms. Gloria, who is a Hispanic woman. She will speak Spanish to certain students when talking to them or giving them commands. According to the 2007 to 2008 Infoworks data, 55% of students were not receiving any kind of language education, 43% were receiving ESL education, and 2% were bilingual.

I think these statistics illustrate that the students within the kindergarten classroom as well as the small group I work with in first grade have a lot to offer in terms of cultural capital. In terms of the kindergarten, while the African American and Hispanic children together make up the two major ethnicities present within the school, they do come from different households and have different experiences. They can share elements of their cultures with the few children who are Asian and white. I believe this exchange of culture can happen in the other direction. Although there are only two Asian students present in the kindergarten, they bring something much different to the classroom. Their languages, customs, and beliefs are something new and unfamiliar to a majority of the other students. I believe the white children can also contribute to the mix of cultures within the classroom, and at the same time, benefit from being in the presence of such different cultures. During one of my visits, I overheard a Hispanic child say to Kim, one of the two Asian children, "My mom says you're Chinese. Are you?" Children are curious about the differences of their peers. Such a mix of cultures provides the children with opportunities to learn about their peers and ultimately, their community and society, and to grow.

I think the linguistic composition of the school can also improve the children. Although there is a large amount of children who speak English, there is also a large amount of students that are in ESL. Language is an important element of culture and identity. It is something that gives an individual the ability to speak and connect them with their heritage. Language can also provide a barrier. It is difficult and frustrating to not be understood. I believe children in ESL will benefit from their English speaking peers. This exposure will enhance their learning and abilities. The children who can speak English can also benefit from their peers that speak another language. In a society where there are many different people with different cultures, knowledge of a second language can be a helpful asset. If this knowledge is developed and a child becomes fluent in more than one language, they may have more oppurunities when, for instance, applying for jobs.

Many of the students I have worked with express great pride in who they are and love to share their culture with others. I feel that if students are proud and confident of their culture, they will be more likely to stand up for themselves and be active in society. With my group of first graders, I will usually talk with them or let them draw on their papers after we have completed various activities. The children usually write silly words or draw pictures. However, the Hispanic children will sometimes draw flags from their country of origin. When they are done, they will show their illustrations to me and the rest of the group, and they will explain what they have drawn and how it is important to them.