Case in Point: Meet Moussa

Not Moussa

Moussa is a 19 year old from Ivory Coast, who recently came here after his mother worked for years in a braid shop until she could bring her children here one by one.  He arrived here last month and speaks only French and Dioula, the dialect spoken in his town.

Living in West Philadelphia, he will be required to attend one of the neighborhood high schools and let me tell you, they both leave a lot to be desired.

In Ivory Coast, he went as far as the 11th grade, but will be required to begin in the 9th grade here, the grade where everyone else will be 14, while he is basically a grown man, walking the same hallways as children.

I spoke to one of my colleagues about the situation, a woman who immigrated from Haiti decades ago.  I told her I was concerned about how Moussa will fare in high school and especially concerned about how the other kids will treat him, considering he can't speak the language and he looks and acts different than everyone else.  She told me that its very hard for children coming here from other countries and that most of the kids end up fighting in response to the merciless bullying they experience. Many children also report discrimination from their teachers who assume they are less intelligent than other students, making many of the children feel "invisible" in school.

The experience of immigration in and of itself has been shown to have negative impacts on children.  When that experience is coupled with discrimination and bullying, the child can experience negative outcomes that last into adulthood.

What can we do?

For now, I'll do my best to help Moussa and his family with the process of applying to school and ensuring that he is placed where his needs will be met AND that his school officials are aware of what he might be facing there.  I'll also refer the family to a welcoming group for people from his country, where he can interact with people his age who have adjusted to being in the US.  I'll do my part to the best of my ability, but I'm concerned that its just not enough.