Preparing for the Journey

I recently met with some of our Whatcom Latino team and allies to find out what they would like to know from my trip and what questions they would like me to ask while I am visiting programs in the SW.  They also helped me focus on creating the questions that I want to use in my interviews and visits.

Front row left to right: Janae Hodge, Bellingham Schools, Christina Ortiz, Fortaleciendo Familias (FF) facilitator, Sylvia Mendoza, Nooksack Valley Schools, FF facilitator and FF coordinator, Isabel Meaker, Bellingham Schools and FF facilitator and recruiter extraordinaire.
Back row: Sharece Steinkamp, Bellingham Schools, Manuel Padilla, FF facilitator and fathering advocate.

Here are a few of the questions they came up with and I edited for the purpose of my interviews:

For program staff and allies:

How do parents and programs deal with the fear of deportation/detention?  What do think could be done that is not? 

How do you talk to kids about immigration and the risks associated with it?

How do you talk to parents about drugs, alcohol, sex?  Internet safety? Bullying?

How do you talk to youth about the above issues?

How do you involve fathers?  How do you make it more interesting for fathers?

What are some models that we can use to support kids and families where they are at?  How can we best bring families to the resources?

With which programs/agencies/schools etc  do you collaborate to reach the families?

What do you see as the key protective factors for early school years: 5-10 and how you are addressing them?

What are the results of your programs and how are you measuring them?

And here are a few of the questions I created for scholars:

Tell me about your research and what you are finding that would have implications for serving immigrant populations.

What are the key issues around immigration that you think need to be understood in order to be effective in a community based program with Latino families?

If you were asked to address a group of community professionals that may have limited knowledge of what recent Latino immigrants are experiencing, what topics would you speak to?  Can you give me an elevator speech version of your top two or three points?

And two last questions - these are for parents:

What are your dreams and wishes for your children and your family?

What is the biggest challenge for you?  For your children?

If you are reading this and you would like to comment on these questions or have one of your own, please let me know via e-mail or FB or some other channel.  I do not believe I have turned on the comment function on this blog.  You could always try.  

One of the greatest privileges of the sabbatical is having the time to think through and to pack not just material things for the journey but also the tools to make the learning experience as rich as possible.

Thanks for reading!