A ‘culturally unsafe’ space? The Somali experience of Christchurch secondary schools

Abstract

School should be a 'culturally safe' place, particularly for those students in Christchurch who challenge the city's reputation as a culturally homogeneous space and are thus frequently open to discrimination. A case study focusing on Somali refugee adolescents highlights that Christchurch's secondary schools -like those elsewhere in New Zealandare not a culturally safe, certain space for all students but rather spatially reconstruct inequalities of gender, class and ethnicity. Yet, Somali students are not passive victims, for they have actively renegotiated these spaces within their schools with varying degrees of success.

‘Remembering’ Absent and Recent Pasts Through Photographs: Young Eritrean Women in New Zealand

“…In contrast to previous research highlighting obstacles to educational achievement and a sense of belonging at school (Brough et al, 2003;Humpage, 2009), participants only referred obliquely to negative experiences and tended to use the Photovoice methodology to reflect on the more positive aspects of their school lives. Discussing the photograph below (Photo 12), Participant C stated: "That's my school … That's the hall-students, we were doing assembly, that's our last day of school".…”

“…While this quote suggests a sense of responsibility to her parents, she also highlights significant parental expectations of educational success (see Humpage, 2009). Once again, invoking memories of the past led this participant to imagine a future that was grounded in New Zealand and, importantly, might be a means for overcoming collective past trauma and suffering.…”

“…In the process of learning the coffee-making ritual, this three-year resident of New Zealand not only learned an important Eritrean tradition, but also gave her mother the opportunity to be an 'expert' and 'teacher', roles often challenged in a resettlement context where refugee parents may struggle with the host language and new ways of life more than their children (Berry et al, 2006;Humpage, 2009). …”

“…Experiences of displacement, political violence and upheaval are nonetheless a powerful and enduring part of the lived experiences of those of refugee background, no matter which immigration pathway was taken. Previous research has identified the significant hurdles faced by refugees as they make New Zealand 'home' (see, for example, Bloom, O'Donovan, & Udahemuka, 2013;Humpage, 2009).…”

The Lives, Aspirations, and Needs of Refugee and Immigrant Students With Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) in a Secondary Newcomer Program

“…The implication of these findings is that refugees in urban schools in the United States also struggle with both academic and social difficulties because of their lower levels of formal education. For example, Khmer in Australia (Boua, 1990) and Somalis in New Zealand (Humpage, 1999) who arrived with little formal education and no literacy in their first language had greater difficulties than their immigrant counterparts who had prior formal education. Watkins, Razee, and Richters (2012) also described in their research with Karen refugee women in Australia that the “number one” difficulty that affected their well-being was difficulty with English language proficiency.…”