Viet Nam and El Salvador
Ethnograhic Study
Diana Torpey
Ron Bowditch
Bev Turnbaugh
Pam Romine
The
Vietnam Community
in the Bay Area
Resources:
Asian Americans for Community Involvement. www.aaci.org
Knowledge of Immigrant Nationalities of Santa Clara County (KIN)
– Vietnam. www.immigrantinfo.org/KIN/vietnam.htm
De Bonis, S. (1995). Children of the enemy: Oral histories of
Vietnamese Americans and their mothers
McKee, J. (2000). Ethnicity in contemporary America
California Department of Education. www.cde.ca.gov
Immigration to the United States
 1975 - Fall of
Saigon
 1978 – Fleeing
persecution
 1987 –
Homecoming
Act
 Continued
immigration
 2000 Census
Vietnamese Demographics
 79 % still speak Vietnamese as their first
language
 Majority have completed 10 or more years of
school
59%
10 - 12
27%
41%
12 - 15
15 - 16
17%
15%
Other
Vietnamese Demographics (cont.)
Income Groups
Religion
Distinctive Social Traits
Family and Community are more
important than individual interests
Value education
Patriarchal
Veneration of ancestors
Education and Resources
 www.aaci.org
– Youth services for after school
– Health care
– Law alliance
– Immigration alliance
 www.irc.org
– International rescue committee
– Refugee resettlement
 www.siren-bayarea.org
– Immigrant rights services
– Education network
Education and Resources (cont.)
52% from television
65% from home
computer
68% from radio
76% from Vietnamese
newspapers
El Salvador
Resources:
California Department of Education. www.cde.ca.gov
Carecen. http://carecensf.org/en/
Cordova, C. (2005). The Salvadoran Americans
Immigrant Info.Org. http://immigrantinfo.org/index.html
U.S. Department of Education. http://www.ed.gov/
Immigration
•1982 – Height of El Salvadoran civil war
•1986 – Amnesty Law
•1990 – Lawsuit against INS
•Accurate numbers impossible to obtain
Salvadoran Demographics
 Ethnicity
1%
9%
Mestizo
AmerIndian
European White
90%
 Low levels of formal schooling
Education
29%
21%
50%
13 or more
7 - 12 years
1 - 6 years
 Average 4.7 household members
 50% have a non-family member in the
house
Salvadoran Demographics (cont.)
Income Groups
– 70% live on less than $30,000/year
– Better educated illiegal immigrants
cannot get jobs commensurate with
their education
Religious Affiliation
– Predominantly Roman Catholic
– Progressive Protestant sects as well
Distinctive Social Traits
Deep distrust and fear of
governmental agencies
Known for being hard workers
Casual about time
Patriarchal
Education and Resources
 Central American Resource Center
– Los Angeles, CA
– San Francisco, CA
Spanish television, radio, and
newspapers
Religious organizations
CalWorks
 Elrescata
– Provide legal, educational, and
community economic development
 Underground network
Teacher Strategies for
Vietnamese and Salvadoran
Immigrant students
Resources:
Kottler, E. & Kottler, J. (2002). Children with Limited English: Teaching
Strategies for the Regular Classroom
Campbell, L. & Campbell, B. (2008). Mindful Learning:101 Proven
Strategies for Student and Teacher Success
Cary, Stephen (2007). Working with English Language Learners: Answers
to Teachers’ Top Ten Questions
Strategies
Become a functional expert in their
backgrounds and history
- Reach out to family and community
Communicate a constructive
attitude and open classroom
- Be aware of non-verbal communication
- Pair with “Peer Buddy”
Get to know the language
- Pick a “language teacher” for the week
Strategies (cont.)
Communicate with pictures
- Incorporate books into curriculum
Celebrate and teach their native
holidays and festivals
- Host a “taste tour”