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Teni Atalabi Osundeko
As a fresh immigrant to the
US
, I arrived armed with a graduate degree and tons of
zeal to work. I found myself working as a substitute teacher in the
school district of a large city. On this fateful day, my assignment led
me to an alternative school, a fanciful name for a warehouse for
children with behavior problems. Within five minutes of being in the
classroom, I knew I was in for the experience of a life time. Suffice
to say, at the end of that day, I had gained some insight into the
destination to which many of my students were headed. It was a place I
would not wish on anyone. Many things caught my attention i.e. the
negative behaviors, the foul language, the hopelessness that pervaded
the environment, and the very low expectation from the teachers.
However, one thing that stood out clearly was the fact that an
overwhelming majority of the children were black males.
Black males in the
USA
are associated with a bunch of negative indicators
including: high mortality rates, high stress levels, lowest life
expectations, higher levels of health problems, high unemployment,
elevated levels of homicide, soaring levels of incarceration, and very
low college enrollment. Blacks make up about 13% of the population, but
make up 44% of jailhouse inmates. The latest figures from the Justice
Department shows that 10.4% of black males ages between 25 and 29 years
old are in jail, compared to 1.2% of whites and 2.4% of Hispanics of
the same age group. There are more black males in US prisons than in
colleges. Is it any surprise that black males in
America
have been repeatedly described as an endangered species?
You may wonder what has this to do with the Nigerian. Quite a bit, I believe. The
United States
remains the number one destination of many Nigerian
immigrants. Nigerian families that are packing up to relocate to the
States and those who already reside there need to be aware of how the
odds may be stacked against their sons.
This
article specifically focuses on black boys for many reasons.
Historically, sons were the family heirs in many African cultures. Sons
stood for continuity of the family name. In contemporary times,
patriarchy remains a staple in many parts of the African continent.
Males still hold the bulk of economic and social power universally.
Therefore anything that particularly endangers black boys should be of
interest to Africans. For the purpose of this article, Black males in
the
US
are categorized into three groups, namely African Americans, Africans and
Caribbean
. Each group is unique in its own right.
Despite
differences in cultural background, nationality and ethnicity, Black
boys are often lumped together by the staff of many of the institutions
that serve them. Included are law enforcement officers of the notorious
‘Driving While Black’ fame, educators who funnel black males into
special education classes and guidance counselors who see budding
sportsmanship instead of academic potential in black males. Some of
these individuals do not take the time to differentiate between black
boys. The evidence shows that while African American males are
overrepresented in jails, special education programs and in some other
negative sectors of the American life, other black boys are also at
similar risk by default.
Nigerian wannabe
US
immigrants or current residents should not take
solace in the belief that their sons are immune to these threats.
Nigerian parents should seek to educate themselves on what issues may
affect their sons and how they can minimize the chances of their sons
becoming part of the negative statistics?
Conversations
with many Africans and African Americans parents show that black boys
enter a critical phase at about 12 years old. At this age many are in
middle school and are no longer viewed as cute and cuddly. Often times,
black boys become target practice for some of their classmates who
delight in name calling, especially racially charged derogatory names.
The victim may resort to self defense when efforts to get help from the
school fails. This response by black boys often gets the prompt
attention of school authorities. Disciplinary counseling may be offered
as well as the label “aggressive male”. Black parents who don’t step up
at this early stage and work closely with their son may see a gradual
transformation take place in their child. The young boy may become very
angry, irritable, depressed and withdrawn.
Another
area of concern is the effect of low academic expectations on black
boys. Complex multidimensional issues affect black males’ educational
experiences. Perhaps due to the negative racial stereotypes that are
pervasive in the
US
, some within the educational sector have pretty low
expectations of black children. Such children are not challenged
academically. In fact, African American males over represented in
special education programs. The statistics show that black children are
three times more likely to be labeled as retarded or sent to special
educational programs than white kids. A child can be assigned to a
special education program as a result of any of the following: specific
learning disability, emotional instability, health impairment, and
mental retardation. Of these criteria, only mental retardation has an
objective test, the other three are subjective, depending on the
evaluator.
Busy
or uninvolved Nigerian parents who are slow in offering homegrown
intervention may miss the boat. Black boys who are perceived as
aggressive and low in achievement may find them selves onboard a train
that does not lead to a happy place. A chain of events can be started
by the school as a response to these children. These may includes team
meetings, behavior referrals and evaluations, wrap around services,
outpatient or inpatient mental health treatment, partial hospital
programs, residential treatment facilities, out of home placements,
alternative schools and the use of psychotropic medications. In some
cases these are necessary solutions, but in other cases these are
inappropriate and avoidable.
It
is important for parents to be aware of this subtle but real issue.
Here are a few real life examples. A Nigerian acquaintance of mine in
his early forties has turned prematurely grey. He ascribed this to
ongoing battles with the school district over his son and what he
perceives as deliberate negative and racist practices aimed at
undermining his child’s wellbeing. Several years ago, an African
American mother told me “don’t let them turn your son into an emotional
cripple” At the time, my son was just 3years old, but I asked more
questions and tried to glean more from this lady. She wasn’t combative
or obnoxious; she just took a stand to protect her two sons based on
her experiences. More recently a Nigerian friend who has an MBA and her
husband who is a medical doctor told me how they had to pull their son
out of his regular school and home-school him as a protective measure
from an incessant barrage of racially motivated negative actions from
school authorities. This decision dented their finances due to the loss
of the wife’s income as she stayed home to teach their son. But she was
willing to make that sacrifice as she stated that no amount of money
can compensate for a son ruined by an unhealthy system.
Nigerian
parents who desire to raise emotionally healthy, socially viable and
academically successful sons in this difficult environment, need to do
a variety of things. First, be aware of what your son is dealing with
at school and in the community. Second, develop and maintain strong and
consistent communication with your son. Spend quality time with him and
get him to talk about his experiences and feelings. Third, have high
expectations for your son and let him know that. This does not mean
pressure your son to become a brain surgeon against his wish or
capabilities. Rather let him know that he can go far and that he will
have your support always. Fourth, motivate your son to succeed by
providing positive black male role models. Finally, encourage your son
to be proud of his racial and gender identity. Verbalize to your son
that his nationality, his ethnicity, his race, his family and cultural
background are positive things and he has every reason to be proud of
who he is and who he is going to become. It is in the interest of the
entire human race that black males in the
US
lose the dubious honor of being an endangered species
and live their lives to the fullest, free of roadblocks and hindrances.
Nigerian American young males face unique challenges and their parents
need to be adequately equipped to help them overcome these problems.
Dr Osundeko is a mother, author and clinician. She writes from the
USA
.
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Posted by Robot| 02.11.2006 05:49