Among studies of International students at predominantly white institutions of higher education in the United States, very few have focused on African students in particular. Most of those that exist have drawbacks, ranging from difficulties in interpreting the data, to inconsistencies in the experiences of those studied. A majority were carried out by means of questionnaire and none by qualitative method of inquiry. This study examines the experiences and coping strategies employed by African students at predominantly white institutions of higher education in the United States, focusing on institutions in Western Massachusetts. Factors considered include pre-entry orientation, adaptation and assimilation, re-entry, issues of adaptability and adjustment problems. Other areas considered include social and academic issues, relationships, college environment, academic achievements and what strategies are being employed by African students to cope with their new educational environment. This study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. An in-depth interviewing methodology using a modified interview guide adapted from J. M. Celona (1982) was used to explore the experiences and the coping strategies of 10 non-randomly chosen African students. A pretested survey questionnaire instrument that drew on J. M. Davies et al. (1961) was administered to African students identified through both formal and informal channels in the target institutions. The findings of this study reveal that African students experience expectation and adjustment difficulties upon arrival in the United States because of inadequate predeparture orientation in their home countries and inadequate help when here. African students, driven to achieve despite hardship often seek out admission to U.S. institutions on their own. The African students' urge to succeed academically is motivated by the sense of "multiple accountability" to self, family, friends and even their larger community. African students encounter discrimination on campus, feel isolated and are not socially connected to native students. African students make minimal use of the resources on campus. Coping strategies employed by these students include studying and working harder to overcome academic problems and/or deficiencies, trial and error, risk taking and seeking help from campus officials, faculty, fellow Africans and other foreign students and even strangers. This study concludes the following: (1) that a more comprehensive orientation to American culture and to campus life in particular should be provided for African students upon their arrival. More specifically: that an orientation program that introduces African students to the physical environment, registration procedures, academic policies, housing, counseling, health services, visa requirements and Immigration and Naturalization Services regulations, financial matters and social and intercultural activities should be provided. (2) that an African be involved in the management and administration of African students affairs so as to assure cultural sensitivity. (3) finally that a sense of community be provided for these African students by the Afticans in the area and African Students Association.

The problem. Teachers have been given responsibility for providing the academic, social and vocational education necessary for students to function as whole and healthy citizens in society. In the United States, public schooling has stood at the center of viable democratic processes. This study examines the extent to which one large, urban school district with a multicultural population, provides multicultural educational opportunities to classroom teachers. Scope of study. The primary questions this study seeks to address include: (1) What multicultural staff development opportunities are available to teachers in the District of Columbia school system? (2) Are teachers given release times to participate in multicultural staff development training? (3) What incentives are provided to encourage teachers to participate in multicultural staff development training? and (4) What resources have been made available to assist teachers with training and development in multicultural education? Chapter one outlines the statement and background of the research topic and research questions. The significance of the study and study's assumptions and limitations are described. In addition, definitions of the key terms used in the study are provided. Chapter two provides a review of the literature on multicultural education. Research on teacher education and staff development and multicultural curriculum development is also reviewed. Chapter three outlines the research design. This includes a description of the data collection and analysis procedure, the population of the study and the methodology used in the data analysis. Chapter four presents the study's findings and chapter five provides a summary of the conclusions, implications and recommendations of the study. Method. A six-point Likert type scale questionnaire consisting of 27 items was designed to measure four categories related to multicultural education training and development opportunities for middle school teachers in three randomly selected middle schools. Subsequently, a total of 57 out of 65 respondents returned questionnaires. In conclusion, an overall review of the qualitative data reveals the level and frequency of participation of middle school classroom teachers within three randomly selected middle schools in multicultural staff development activities. Further, the analysis of the data will serve as a guide for subsequent planning with system-wide training.

Barely a quarter century in this country, the Hmong are among the newest Americans. Since 1975, when United States' troops pulled out of Laos, more than 170,000 Hmong refugees and their children have adopted this as their new land, settling primarily in the cities of California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Products of an agrarian economy and a clan-centered, historically preliterate, homogeneous, insulated culture, they arrived in American airports ill-equipped to deal with a capitalistic, technological, industrial, heterogeneous, media-saturated culture. Overnight, their world had changed. They had to meld two contrasting worlds if they were to become part of their adopted country. As the children of refugees, Hmong teenagers have had the intensified challenge of responding to cultural change as they are learning how to be part of American youth subculture and school communities. Because of their cultural heritage, Hmong students may have learned to perceive and approach tasks differently than their non-Hmong classmates, using cognitive processes supported in their families but not reinforced in American schools. In families, they have learned primarily through observation and demonstration, cooperative problem-solving strategies, deductive reasoning, and reliance on contextual cues for meaning. Their approach to learning has been characterized by extrinsic motivation, sensitivity to others, and social responsiveness. In the daily transition from home to school, they confront the standards and expectations sanctioned in most high schools: that students will learn primarily through lecture and print materials, individual problem-solving strategies, inductive reasoning, and reliance on analysis and logic; and that students will be intrinsically motivated and desire personal recognition. The confrontation between different modes of learning and cultural values sanctioned by the Hmong and American worlds poses challenges for Hmong high school students and for educators who assist them in learning. This study identifies cultural values and practices, examines cognitive approaches to learning, and describes instructional practices judged to be effective by educators and/or students in promoting learning in Hmong high school students. It suggests practical improvements individual schools, as socializing institutions, may pursue in working with Hmong students reconciling culturally influenced modes of learning with longstanding American educational practices.

This dissertation reports findings from a study of the social interactions of second graders as they engaged in daily periods of classroom free play. The purposes of the study were: (a) to examine how students used oral language and literacy practices to construct social identities and status relationships; and (b) to analyze how these everyday literacy practices and peer relations on the local level of the classroom were linked to broader, macrolevel social relations. The study focused on a group of children—consisting primarily of working-class Latina and African American girls—who played regularly in a play office that was set up in the comer of a Spanish-immersion classroom within an urban elementary school. Data collection included thirty-one hours of audio and videotape. Analysis consisted of thematic analysis fieldnotes, taped data, and students’ written artifacts, and microanalysis of key peer-play events. The microethnographic analysis combined Fairclough’s (1989; 1992) approach to critical discourse analysis with Bloome and Egan-Robertson’s (1993) framework for analyzing intertextuality as a social construction. The findings show that children used literacy practices, and formed complex play identities and relationships, which drew upon multiple discourses, including domestic family life, the adult workplace, the peer group, and romantic love. The results of the study were ambiguous and contradictory: girls defined themselves as strong females in their interactions with boys and in their fantasy play as ‘bosses’ of their own ‘companies’. However, their conceptions of being ‘boss’ were closely bound to performing clerical tasks and child care. Girls both sustained and resisted traditional love ideologies in the contradictory ways that they appropriated popular-culture texts. The results of the study indicate that peer-play literacy practices and social interactions are not politically neutral, but rather are deeply connected with how children form identities, status relationships, and ideologies of gender and class. Social theories of discourse need to develop more dynamic terms for adequately describing the complex, ambiguous, and contradictory processes in which subjectivities and relationships are constructed in children’s everyday peer play.

This dissertation provides an ethnographic account of a popular education-fieldwork project carried on with a group of Puerto Rican women (puertorriqueñas ) residing in a small Western Massachusetts city. The project, intended to examine the processes of individual and collective identity formation, affirmation, and representation in the context of the diaspora, was conducted from November, 1995 through June, 1997. At a theoretical level, this dissertation manages to contextualize the macro-structural approaches prevalent in the literature on nondominant identities produced within both postcolonial scholarship and Cultural Studies in Communication. Its focus on the experiences and histories of the diasporic puertorriqueña allows this work to engage with the complex debates on identity and nationality that have enthralled generations of scholars and critics committed to inscribing Puerto Ricans as a distinct pueblo (people) despite their lacking a nation-state; and to challenge the de-gendered character of the national fictions that have been written by Puerto Rican intellectual and political elites during the past two centuries. By wedding ethnographic fieldwork to popular education—defined as a political praxis that entails both reflection upon the world and concerted action toward transforming it (Freire, 1974)—this investigation renders a program of scholarly research capable of redistributing the privilege of education and cultural interpretation, via fostering reciprocal collaborations between the researcher and those conventionally thought of as her “research subjects.” Las Luchadoras, as the (puertorriqueñas) on whom this work is based came to name themselves, provide a portentous example of how research participants can become themselves researchers of their own culture and histories, thus turning the fieldwork process into a forum for effecting social transformations. Finally, at an ethical and political level, this dissertation discusses the usefulness of testimonial practice—the collective process of eliciting, listening to and responding to oral histories—as a means for challenging and subverting the colonizing dichotomies of traditional ethnographic methods, namely: observer/observed, reader/writer, self/other. In so doing, it provides a model for both generating popular histories that advance a rooted understanding of the intersections of class, gender, capitalist and colonial ideologies, and for making academic work accountable to marginalized group’s own struggles for political enfranchisement and self-representation.

Spain has had a significant influence on the Americas since Christopher Columbus landed at Hispañola in 1492, sailing in a Spanish ship with a Spanish crew. That event began a period of conquest that left Spain in control of much of Latin America and dominant in the territory that would become much of the southwestern and western United States. Much has been written about the conquistadors and explorers who came to the “New World,” but after this period there is little mention of Spanish immigrants in the United States. This country experienced a period of mass immigration during the end of the 19th century and the first quarter of this century. Spaniards were among them, but accounts of this immigration rarely mention this fact. Several thousand Spaniards immigrated to West Virginia, drawn primarily by jobs in the coal mines. However, this story is virtually unknown because no one has documented it, like so much of America's past that is ignored in the “official history” of the country. This study fills a gap in knowledge about Spaniards who came to West Virginia while addressing the broader question of who is included and who is excluded in our history. The study employed oral history interviews and a review of documents and records to explore and document the experiences of the Spanish immigrants. It found that Spaniards immigrated primarily from the southern region of Andalucia and the northern regions of Galicia and Asturias. They left Spain for economic, political and social reasons and many lived in other countries and states before settling in West Virginia. Most labored in the coal mines, struggled in their day-to-day lives and experienced the sting of prejudice. They maintained their culture in many ways, including language, food ways and by starting a Spanish club in 1938, the Ateneo Español. The study suggests ideas on how the stories of the Spanish immigrants can be used to make a social studies class more multicultural through oral history. It also includes a survey of social studies educators and an analysis of textbooks.

Professions and careers related to science and mathematics lack representation of minorities. Within these underrepresented minority populations there is no other group more affected than Latina women and girls. Women in general, are still underrepresented in many areas of our society. While women's roles are changing in today's society, most changes encourage the participation of more White/Anglo women in traditionally male roles. Latina women are still more disadvantaged than White women. There is no doubt that education is significant in increasing the participation of minorities in the fields of science and mathematics, especially for minority girls (Oakes, 1990; Rodriguez, 1993). This study explored the interests, life experiences, characteristics and motivations of Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who are successful in science and mathematics high school courses. The study identifies factors that can influence the interest of Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin in science and mathematics career choices. This research is significant and relevant to educators and policy makers, especially to science and mathematics educators. The research is primarily descriptive and exploratory. It explores the social characteristics of Latina girls and professional women who have been successful in science and mathematics high school courses. The research offers the reader a visit to the participants' homes with descriptions and the opportunity to explore the thoughts and life experiences of Latina girls, their mothers and young Latina professionals of Puerto Rican origin. This research reveals the common characteristics of successful students found in the Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who where interviewed. Creating a portrait of Latina girls of Puerto Rican origin who are successful in science and mathematics high school courses in one of the school districts of western Massachusetts. The research findings reveal that teacher relationships, family expectations, mother's support, mother - daughter relationship, cultural pride, talent recognition, the girls' perception of teachers and school and the girls strong desire to change their economic situation contribute to their success in school regardless of their low socio-economic backgrounds.

This qualitative research inquiry explores the development of intergroup relationships across race and ethnicity in a college classroom. The study describes the conditions that support the development of positive intergroup contact among members of racially and ethnically diverse groups and identifies the factors that impede intergroup relationships. College faculty are searching for effective ways to work with diverse racial and ethnic populations in college classrooms and for interventions when faced with challenging intergroup dynamics. Issues of differential status among students often impact their ability to develop intergroup relationships. The literature in the field of intergroup relations lacks an analysis of social inequality to balance the literature on intergroup difference. This study positions intergroup relations within a framework of social justice education that acknowledges issues of inequality as well as difference. Focus groups were the primary methodological tool for this study, complemented by additional data sets drawn from field notes and student writing that was used as confirming data. The constant comparative analysis approach was useful for the emergent style of the data, as patterns and themes guided the process of analysis. Five significant themes emerged from student reports regarding their perceptions and experiences with racial and ethnic difference. Distinctions between the responses of White students and Students of Color reflected the impact of different lived experiences and perspectives shared by their racial and ethnic differences. Allport's Contact Hypothesis (1954), particularly his emphasis on equal status roles, was used as one of the frameworks for analysis, supplemented by social justice theory. The findings in this study suggest that equal status roles cannot be achieved between members of unequal social groups in a classroom but that positive intergroup relationships among students are achievable by the presence of a number of other environmental factors. Participants identified conditions in the classroom setting and the role of the teacher as enabling factors that supported their ability to develop intergroup relationships. Educators can enhance the learning outcomes for their students when attention is given to the diverse racial and ethnic identities in the classroom population and the development of relationships among students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions held by inner city, low-income, 12th grade, Black males of their educational experiences. The study was conducted using a qualitative, phenomenological in-depth interview methodology. The study sample consisted of 9 inner city, low-income Black males from 5 different high schools in Western Massachusetts. Data was collected using audiotape and field notes. There were nine major themes that emerged from the study data. These themes were labeling; differential racial treatment; importance of teachers who care; connection with Black teachers; family influences; the degree of motivation; the role of anger and conflict; the role of sports; and the influence of Black male role models. Key findings from this study suggest that Black males are motivated to achieve academically when specific factors are in place including parents who demonstrate positive, consistent, interaction and feedback promoting academic engagement; school personnel that demonstrate an ability to relate to cultural, racial and community backgrounds of students, school personnel that demonstrate a capacity to care and support the personal and academic needs of Black males; and self directed academic behaviors and positive peer influences that motivated participants towards higher academic levels and high school graduation. Other findings identified were specific obstacles and supports for the participants' academic achievement. These include factors such as family influences and lack of positive male role models. Additionally, racism, racial labeling and racial double standards in schools fostered hostile educational environments that negatively affected the participants' opportunities for academic success and resulted in a decrease in academic motivation and lower academic achievement levels. The results of this study will provide a resource to parents, educators, policymakers, researchers, and populations with similar demographics who seek an increased understanding of the factors affecting the academic achievement of inner city, low-income, 12th grade, Black males.

This dissertation is a two-fold project. The first half is a methodological examination of how memoirs can be used as instruments of historical understanding. The second half applies this methodology to the study of several memoirs written about life in the American south in the first half of the twentieth century. Memoir is a peculiar genre which straddles the disciplines of literature and history. Currently the field of autobiography studies is dominated by literary critics. However, there is nothing inherent about the genre dictating that this should be the case. This dissertation analyzes memoirs from a historical perspective. I argue that insights drawn from life writing have the potential to greatly enhance our historical understanding. I broach several topics including the problem of defining autobiography, the disciplinary proprietorship of the memoir, the relationship between history and theory, and the linkages between the historical study of memoirs and interdisciplinary conversations about historical memory. I describe the nature of historical reality, arguing that the individual thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and misperceptions of each historical agent are constitutive of the historical reality of a particular moment. Memoirs capture the entire universe as it appeared from one acknowledged perspective. Furthermore, skilled, creative writers are especially adept at capturing the complexity of a past moment. Authors of literary memoirs draw on the aesthetic power of literary language and on literary devices such as metaphor and irony to powerfully portray particular historical moments. I apply these ideas to an examination of memoirs about life in the segregated American south. I analyze memoirs written by African Americans, by whites, by men, by women, and by individuals with various political points of views. I find these accounts bear certain similarities to one another but are often strikingly at odds. Different ideas about the psychological impact of segregation, dissimilar characterizations of the black community, and contrary descriptions of the same moment and the same geographical space reveal that there is no singular Jim Crow experience. Historical reality is multifaceted, and the complexities of individual experiences are best captured in artfully constructed literary memoirs.