MJUSD fosters cultural connections
Oct. 25—To establish better communication between the district and the diverse community it serves, Marysville Joint Unified School District is organizing a series of meetings to better reach its Hmong, Native American and Hispanic families.
Likewise, the district has founded cultural clubs and activities for students in these groups to better connect with their peers and family members.
According to Director of English Learners and Student Supports Héctor González, the district organized its first Hmong community dinner in June after many Hmong families said that there wasn't enough cultural or clerical outreach from school officials.
After a series of meetings, Marysville Joint Unified identified different ways to ensure that the district effectively communicates with all of its Hmong families, such as calling households and delivering notices verbally as many families speak Hmong but can't read it.
On June 7, the district organized its first Hmong dinner to create a direct line of communication with families and share information on district programs and services and receive feedback, Superintendent Fal Asrani said previously.
"We thought what better way to connect with our Hmong families than to invite them, have dinner and talk about how we can improve our communications. But beyond that, it was also for us to bring the message of what we're doing at Marysville Joint Unified School District, so that they are well informed," González said.
District officials held a second community dinner on Oct. 5 due to the positive response from the first event. This second meeting allowed district staff to share new programs and developments with Hmong families, González said.
During the first meeting, many families also shared concerns that their children were disconnected from their culture and asked the district to pursue an after-school Hmong language and culture class. According to González, the program was made possible through the Expanded Learning Opportunities program as well as parent volunteers.
The Hmong language and culture program is currently offered at Linda Elementary School, Cedar Lane Elementary School and Yuba Gardens Intermediate School. Marysville Joint Unified is also in the beginning stages of starting a Hmong cultural program for high school students, González said.
"We're doing presentations on culture, on food, on dressing style, history of Laos and what happened to the Hmong people," González said. "The children are now learning to speak Hmong, and the value of this is what the grandparents told me. They said that they can't communicate with their grandchildren because they don't speak Hmong and the grandparents don't speak English. Now there's a way to bridge that gap between them."
District officials are currently planning similar community dinners for its Native American and Hispanic families as a next step in connecting with all members of the community. On Nov. 9, Marysville Joint Unified will host a dinner to honor Indigenous elders, students and faculty.
"We want to celebrate what these students are doing and call attention to them and these key teachers. It's a dinner to show our Native American students that we need to honor our elders. They're important, they're a part of our lives and we want to make sure they always feel loved," González said. "It's a great way for the district to connect with our Native American families and the different tribes that we have here. ... It's a time to break bread, meet each other and talk to each other."
Students will make different crafts prior to the event and present them to an older family or community member to honor them at the dinner. Asrani will also be present to hear from Native families and find ways to enhance their students' educational experience.
Marysville Joint Unified's Native American Education program has organized elder potlucks in the past and continues to foster creative and practical knowledge with its students based on Native traditions.
Pat Bennett, supervisor for the American Indian Education Program, previously said that the program frequently incorporates traditional ecological knowledge in all of its activities, which affirms both traditional and modern relationships with plants, animals and people across different generations.
While the district doesn't currently have a cultural program for its Hispanic and Latino students, staff members are looking into ways to bring their culture forward in their education, González said. A community dinner for Hispanic families will most likely be scheduled early next year.
"It would be to hear what concerns they have, suggestions they have, needs they may have. ... Breaking bread and sitting with folks whom we may gain new insight to improve our communications and our Latino families as well," González said.
