The aspect of Chapter five that I believe that I am most clear on is Intercultural Competence. Our text states that
"interculturally effective people have three qualities in common: 1. they are able to
manage the psychological stress that accompanies most intercultural interactions;
2. they are able to communicate effectively across cultures - verbally as well as
nonverbally; and 3. they are able to develop and maintain new and essential interpersonal
relationships (Brislin and Yoshida, 1994)." (Cushner and McClelland)
The diverse culture that I come in contact with the most is the Chin culture. There is a large population of Chin Refugees in the Lewisville area that have fled Burma (Myanmar) under threat of intimidation, persecution and death. The Chin people are considered Asylees because:
"1. Ethnic Persecution. The Chin are a persecuted ethnic minority people group. The
ruling military junta are Burmer.
2. Religion Persecution. The Chin are 98% Christian. The Burmer military is a violent
variant of Buddhism.
3. Political Persecution. Chin were seen as threats by the Buddhist military junta who
rules the country because they supported Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy
candidate in the 1990 general election, which she won handily." (lewisvillechin.org)
The Chin population is increasing in Lewisville due to the job market and placement by the United States Citizen Immigration Service (lewisvillechin.org). When they arrive in America they have little to no education, no English, and no money to begin their new life. This is where Intercultural Competence comes into play as very important role in our relationship with these incredible people.
In this blog I have tabbed the three commonalities of an intercultural competent person/society. Under each of these tabs you will find links and photographs of the Chin people in Lewisville as they receive help for the psychological stresses of being asylees, learn and receive help to communicate effectively in their new home and finally how the Chin people and the people of Lewisville develop and maintain interpersonal relationships. To help manage stress with intercultural interactions the Chin people have been aided by the community as well as the schools. There are several churches who connect with the Chin people in order to help them read and fill out important paper work, there are social/media sites that help locate jobs, furnishings and educational opportunities and Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) promotes English Language Learning in a safe environment as well as supplies homes with food and encourages district wide education and information on the Chin population's struggles and triumphs. Under the Effective Communication tab there are links to information on how LISD helps both teachers and the Chin people learn ways to better communicate with each other and websites that link to social feeds that keep people informed and knowledgeable about what is going on in Lewisville and the Chin community. Under the third tab you will find information and photographs on how our community and the Chin people are creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships. The sites include information on the Chin people and why they have come to this area, giving a background and insight into their culture. There are also sites where the Lewisville community can connect with Chin families, creating a bound of kinship between the two cultures.
I believe that it is critical to form Intercultural Competence within the classroom as well as in the community. The Chin people are just one of a multitude of diverse cultures in Lewisville and I am pleased that my district and my community are striving to help establish the Chin people into their new homes, equip them with tools to communicate and thrive in their new communities and to engage the Chin people to create relationships with the people and organizations of Lewisville (lewisvillechin.org).
