Document Type
Open Access Capstone
Publication Date
2002
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to describe Russian-speaking immigrant school students’ experiences in the United States and to explore issues of self-identification and the adaptive strategies associated with schooling. The case may shed some light on complex problems of clashes in cultural values, how the might influence the choice of adaptive strategies and efforts to excel in academia. The study of the case will not be limited by school environment; rather it will explore the issues and problems of students’ acculturation in a broader context that will include community, family, socioeconomic, cultural and historical factors.
The case study deals with religious refugees from the Soviet Union that is why the questions of religious affiliation and what role religion plays in the life of this particular community will permeate throughout the paper. The study will consider whether it is possible for immigrant youth to keep the religious heritage of their families and community and at the same time be successfully engaged in the process of adaptation to the US culture; what could be major constraints here.
Pages
1-34
Included in
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons