Multicultural Centers Research Articles

¡con Ganas! The Experiences of First-Generation Latinx Students at Predominantly White Institutions: Stories of Resilience and Persistence

ABSTRACT Despite the challenges that first-generation Latinx students (FGLS) face during their undergraduate careers at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), they are adapting in several ways and finding strategies to persevere and thrive. Through a narrative inquiry approach and utilizing Resilience Theory and Community Cultural Wealth, as theoretical frameworks, this study focuses on the personal stories of resilience and persistence among FGLS attending a PWI. Ten participants were recruited through a series of guest presentations and mass e-mails sent via multicultural centers and student organizations. From the interviews, two significant themes were uncovered: (a) “¡Sí, se puede!” or “Yes, you can!;” and (b) la comunidad or the community. Implications for practice include resources and interventions PWIs can implement to support FGLS.

High levels of consanguinity in a child from Paquimé, Chihuahua, Mexico

Paquimé (also known as Casas Grandes), situated in northern Chihuahua between Mesoamerican and Ancestral Puebloan groups, was a vibrant multicultural centre during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries AD. Substantial debate surrounds the social organisation of Paquimé's inhabitants. Here, the authors report on the analysis of ancient DNA from a unique child burial beneath a central support post of a room in the House of the Well. They argue that the close genetic relationship of the child's parents, revealed through this analysis, and the special depositional context of the burial reflect one family's attempts to consolidate and legitimise their social standing in this ancient community.

The Perceived Challenges of Anglophone Expatriate Male Spouses Living in South Korea: A Qualitative Case Study

The rapid increase in globalization has changed the social dynamics of many countries around the world. This has especially been the case for the Republic of Korea. In this qualitative case study, the particular challenges of Anglophone expatriate male spouses married to Korean women are explored. Utilizing questionnaires, narrative frames, semi-structured interviews, and researcher field notes, three themes and five subthemes were found. The three main themes are lack of appropriate government support services, limitations due to low Korean proficiency, and issues of power and inequality between the spouses. The subthemes include communication struggles, daily functioning difficulties, lack of decision-making power, and desire for social acceptance and equality. The results indicate that the needs of Anglophone expatriate male spouses have been largely ignored compared to other subgroups of foreign spouses in Korea as most of the services provided by the government through multicultural centers and other government facilities are aimed towards southeast Asian wives of Korean husbands. Thus, this study concludes that current government policies regarding foreign spouses and multicultural families need to be improved to become more inclusive of the needs of all categories of foreign spouses and multicultural families in Korea. This inclusivity will lead towards greater multicultural family sustainability in the future.
 
 Received: 10 October 2022 / Accepted: 26 December 2022 / Published: 5 January 2023

LatAm Fingers Initiative: Challenges and opportunities of launching a multicultural trial in pandemic times

AbstractBackgroundThe Latin American FINGERS initiative gathers 12 countries, including Spanish and Portuguese‐speaking populations. We aim to describe challenges and opportunities related to launching a multi‐country trial during the Covid‐19 pandemic. Identified challenges included. a) To train personnel from the different teams in trial procedures b) To assess the training results c) To provide support regarding the trial set‐up on the different sites.MethodThe challenges were approached with multiple online networking strategies. a) Training was provided online in workgroup meetings led by specialists from the different interventions. Furthermore, because our project includes English, Spanish and Portuguese speakers, the training sessions were recorded, and subtitles in the alternate language were provided. b) To assess training, a web‐based campus with educational sessions and questionnaires with different educational paths for each role in the intervention was set up. Additionally, we created different certifications, and a medal system to reward the training completion was included. c) Two innovative platforms provided support. We created a WhatsApp Chatbot to assist investigators 24/7, automatically answering questions, sending resources required for visits, and reporting difficulties. The Chatbot includes a database system to register adverse events reports and report them immediately to the clinical core. Finally, a LatAm FINGERS Consulting Room was built to provide weekly online sessions led by the executive committee. Members can connect without a prior appointment and discuss any questions.ResultHitherto, 16 in‐vivo online sessions were provided to 203 trainees, 15 multilingual videos summarizing essential aspects of intervention, and six tutorials solving frequent problems were uploaded in the web‐based campus with multiple language subtitles. A total of 93 participants received certification for the trial. 9 meetings have been carried out so far regarding the Consulting Room, and more than 30 conflicts have been solved. Chatbot has answered a mean of 12 daily questions since its implementation.ConclusionWe present successful tools to implement an intervention in multicultural centers separate by more than 10000 km and 5 time zones where travel was banned. Finally, this trial also brought up the opportunity to increase the spirit of the scientific community and strengthen the network ties.

중도입국학생 교육경험에 나타난 한국어교사의 처우 및 인식제고 방안 연구

The purpose of this study is to understand the perception of Korean language education and the treatment of Korean language teachers revealed in Korean language education of midimmigrant students, and to suggest measure to raise awareness of Korean language teacher. To do this, in-depth interviews were conducted with nine Korean language teachers and their cases were analyzed. As a result of the study, they left after only taking classes as a part-time instructor of contract position or was receiving a lecture fee at the service level. Students did not pay much attention to Korean language education and showed an attitude of ignoring Korean teachers. School officials lacked awareness of Korean language education, and teachers were having difficulties because consistent educational materials for mid-immigrant students were not developed. Parents did not communicate well with them, and they lacked the will and practice for Korean language education. The multicultural center officials recognized Korean language education as one of the various projects of the multicultural center, and rather than improving students' competencies, education was just showing off.

The Battle of Belonging: A Study of Contemporary Shillong Poets

The British colonialisation, the partition of India during independence, growing urbanization and increased human mobility led to the growth of migrant settlers belonging to a number of cultural, racial, ethnic and religious groups in the state of Meghalaya, particularly Shillong which is the state’s capital. These factors contributed to the transformation of the city into a multi-cultural centre. However, contradicting this development was the increased desire of the indigenous tribals of the state to exclude and otherise the non-tribal settlers by way of promoting the ‘sons of the soil’ policy. Though in the recent decades, statistics depicts (2011 census) more out-migration with a decreased share of the non-tribal to the state’s population, yet a perceived notion of increased in-migration was fed by the indigenous tribal belonging both to pressure groups and political parties leading to issues of insider-outsider the concept of belonging and un-belonging. Sigmund Freud and Abraham Maslow were the early psychologists who recognized that humans strive to belong. However, it was Roy Baumeister and Mark Leary’s seminal work “The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation” that contributed to the theoretical understandingof belonging. Belongingness in today’s multicultural society has become all the more relevant wherein the questions of belonging and un-belonging and the complex politics of belonging are issues that confront us. This in turn has led to ‘belonging’ emerging as a subject of interest and interrogation across multiple disciplines. The un-belonging felt by the people of the Northeast which results from their being ‘othered’ by their fellow Indian citizens of mainland India has been well documented but there is also a need to study how the same is reversed and how it is enacted and experienced in the context of the Northeast. This paper intends to analyse the select works of contemporary Shillong poets to depict how this otherisation and battle for belonging is enacted and experienced by the non-tribal settlers living in Shillong. In doing so, an attempt will be made to trace the complex working of the politics of belonging and how it manifests itself in present day Shillong.

A Study on Satisfaction and PerceptionReal-time Online Classes for Marriage Immigrants - For learners at the Busan Multicultural Center - Ryu

A Study on Satisfaction and PerceptionReal-time Online Classes for Marriage Immigrants - For learners at the Busan Multicultural Center - Ryu

"Everything was stuck in my inside and I just wanted to get it out": Psychological distress, coping, and help-seeking for young adult Australian Hazaras from refugee backgrounds.

Hazaras form an Afghan ethnic minority group in Australia who arrived as refugees and through humanitarian resettlement schemes over the past three decades. This qualitative study explored psychological distress in a community sample of young adult Hazaras with a refugee background. The aim was to contribute to a more detailed understanding of their mental health, coping, and help-seeking in Australia. Eighteen Hazaras, nine males and nine females aged 18-30 years (M = 22.39, SD = 3.35), in Perth, Melbourne, or Sydney, who had been living in Australia on average 7.17 years (range 1 to 16 years), participated in a semi-structured interview based on Kleinman's explanatory model framework. Participants described mental and physical health as interconnected and their explanatory models for psychological distress focused on their current difficult life experiences as refugees. Findings indicated noteworthy gender differences, with young women reporting less distress associated with adaptation than did young men. Some young people used positive coping strategies in the community, while others engaged with a variety of mental health services. Level of satisfaction with these services varied considerably, with satisfaction highest for services provided by multicultural centers. Generally, respondents were not focused on their past traumas, but more interested in planning for their futures in Australia. Key implications for culturally appropriate training and specialized interventions for use with young adult Hazaras from refugee backgrounds are discussed.

다문화사회 통합을 위한 여가스포츠 활동요인 순위결정

The purpose of this study is to determine and present the Priority Order of leisure sports activity factors for Multicultural Society Integration using Delphi. To achieve the purpose of this study, we will conduct a third Delphi questionnaire for 21 experts including experts of multicultural centers in the Metropolitan City · Province(4 place). And semi-structured open survey of the Delphi investigation was prepared through a pre-examination on the leisure sports policy professors(2) and in-depth interviews with multicultural centers policy expert(1), Metropolitan City · Province center executives(8), and Immigrant Womens(10). The data resulting from the investigation was revised, and opinions were collected using five-point (re-cut) scale. In conclusion, The results of the investigation recommend five policies and twenty pertinent specifics on priority order of leisure sports activity factors for Multicultural Society Integration as described below: First, the current Multicultural leisure sports activity factors is divided into five classes(poicy system, institution discontinuity, social culture, economic, leisure participation leaning), the first importance of the institution discontinuity factor has been recognized.<BR> Second, the first priority order of leisure sports active factor is incentive grant of Multicultural leisure partaker, and time deficit of leisure activity with a member of society is the lowest appeared.

Level of Acculturation and Acculturative Stress Perceived by Asian Immigrant Women Married to South Korean Men.

Married immigrant women experience cultural conflicts due to different values, and customs. This study examined the factors associated with the acculturation and acculturative stress of Asian immigrant women in South Korea. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. A total of 142 participants were recruited from Incheon Multicultural Centers in 2016 using a convenience sampling method. Acculturation and acculturative stress were measured by Suinn-Lew Self-Identity Acculturation Scale and Social Attitudinal Familial Environment. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis. Time since immigration was negatively associated with the level of acculturation, while alcohol consumption (p < .050). Some demographic variables (age, religion, anxiety, and time since immigration) were associated with acculturative stress (p < .050). These findings can help health care providers to increase their awareness and be more sensitive when providing services to these women.

GAME-BASED METHOD IN MULTICULTURAL TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS IN US HIGHER EDUCATION

The aim of the study is to analyze the methods of multicultural training in US higher school. Theoretical research methods have been used as well as pedagogical and historic methods. The stages of formation and development of multicultural education in the USA are the following: stage I – from the 20’s to the first half of the 50’s of the 20th century; stage II – the mid-50’s to the early 80’s; stage III – the beginning of the 80’s to the present day. At present, multicultural education in the USA has the status of state educational policy, which is enshrined in law. National Association for Multicultural Education was established in 1990, later various higher education institutions with multicultural research centers. Multicultural training in higher education includes a variety of learning technologies (problem-based learning, personality-oriented technology, technology of group learning activities, learning technology as research, interactive, information technology, technology of concentrated learning, portfolio technology, etc.), methods (game methods, project method, case method, transition registers, trainings (attributive, intercultural, cultural assimilator), forms (traditional lecture, lecture for two, lecture in the press-conference format, discussion-style seminar, report-format seminar, seminar in the format of extended talk, excursions, tutorials, etc.). Training of specialists for intercultural interaction is carried both in the process of classroom studies, also during practice, independent work, participation in scientific research, various extracurricular professionally-oriented educational activities. Special attention is paid to the analysis of game methods and their important role in multicultural training of teachers, social workers and other specialists.

Non-invasive microanalysis of a written page from the Romanian heritage “The Homiliary of Varlaam (Cazania lui Varlaam)”

The multi-analytical study of historical objects is a complex approach, which can help the restorers to recognize the materials, as well as their state of conservation, facilitating the selection of the appropriate method of conservation and/or restoration. This study concentrates the potential use of non-destructive and non-invasive techniques (optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence, Infrared microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, as well as some methods used to evaluate the general characteristics, such as surface pH and UV photography) in deciphering the long-gone recipes for paper and inks manufacturing from 17th century Transylvania, a multicultural centre of erudition. Beside the information obtained regarding the paper support (surface pH, details regarding the cellulose fibers, as well as potential fillers used for paper manufacturing, and the nature of the stains present on the document), the performed study reveals a very interesting detail regarding the inks used, respectively the use of mixed recipes, including more than a single pigment.

FORMATION OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY MODEL IN THE CONDITIONS OF UNITED TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES OF THE SOUTH OF UKRAINE

Purpose of the article. The analysis of the specificities of formation of the public library model in the conditions of creation of the united territorial communities (UTC) of the South of Ukraine. The methodology of the research is based on the complex of general methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization, and modeling) and approaches (system, socio-communicative, modernization). The scientific novelty of the work is to conducta comprehensive study of the possibility of choosing libraries of Odesa, Kherson, and Mykolayiv a certain profile and their own path of development in the formation of UTC as centers of legal and regional information in the form of centers of public initiatives, socio-communication platforms, multimedia mobile libraries or multicultural centers. Conclusions. Suggestions that are based on the comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed models of reforming the library network are made regarding the development of the optimal model of functioning of public libraries in the South of Ukraine, which provides for the following important elements. Firstly, automation, that is based on the development and implementation of the newest information technologies, which, in turn, activates the material and technical base modernization, organization structure, and the library staff training; providing new services or products. Secondly, renovating the activity and staff management methods. Thirdly, providing stable financing to UTC possibilities, applying marketing and advertising technologies of library activity popularization according to the UTC functioning. Next, saving the valuable stuff resource and technologies in library staff’ work. Then, organizing the UTC public library work as the informative intelligent center, cultural and leisure space, that is discovered on the Chornomorska library example. Finally, the introduction of non-stationary library services on the basis of the Law of Ukraine«On territorial communities’ cooperation». Key words: public libraries, the South of Ukraine, united territorial communities (UTC), modernization,model, profiling.

Resistance Capital: Cultural Activism as a Gateway to College Persistence for Minority and First-Generation Students

This study provides a novel contribution by connecting two sets of literature, school engagement and multicultural university centers, in relation to late adolescent development. The aims of this mixed-method study were to: (a) quantitatively explore the relationship between student perceived cultural leadership experience and support within a multicultural center in relation to school engagement and (b) qualitatively address additional facilitators and barriers. Participants consisted of 134 college students, predominantly identifying as Latino/Hispanic (35.1%), Black/African American (34.3%), or Asian-Pacific Islander (23.9%), and first-generation (60.4%). Qualitative focus groups and a photovoice project engaged a subset of participants ( n = 57, n = 7, respectively). Regression analysis indicated youth voice, supportive staff relationships, and peer support were significant positive predictors of students’ perceived engagement within the multicultural center, however, some but not all of these predictors transferred toward sentiments of school engagement. Qualitative sources elucidated additional factors bolstering student engagement. Social, cultural, and resistance capitals were identified as key protective factors in relation to student perseverance. Findings also indicated institutional barriers against student engagement including a lack of cultural and ethnic representation throughout multiple levels of the university. Implications for expanding conceptions of social capital within late adolescent identity development theory are discussed.

청소년의 이용을 고려한 다문화센터 최적지 선정 모델에 관한 연구 - 대구광역시의 GIS 분석을 중심으로 -

This study was performed to suggest an analysis model searching for an optimized location of a multi-cultural center to support the fair use of multi-cultural facilities. The spatial boundary of this study was Daegu-city. The location data regarding bus-stops, subway stations, and residential areas, and the number of multi-cultural families’ children were used for the analysis. Based on the data refined in Geographic Information System, each node was evaluated as per each variable. The proposed analysis model using the evaluation result was to suggest five candidate spots for architectural planning. The central urban areas with easy access conditions were suggested as the optimized location for the facility. In addition, it is required to establish facilities in areas with a large number of multi-cultural students and the importance of public transportation. The analysis model did not select the area which showed a high populational ratio of multi-cultural children and low transportation accessibility. This area needs support from consignment facilities.

Supporting the social integration of migrant women in South Korea through language services: Roles of marriage migrant interpreters in multicultural family support centre counselling services

ABSTRACT Since the mid-1990s, over 280,000 women, mostly from Asian countries, have settled in South Korea by marrying Korean men, forming so-called ‘multicultural families’. Government-funded multicultural family support centres (MFSCs) play a central role in the implementation of various support programmes for marriage migrant women and multicultural families. MFSC marriage migrant interpreters, who are also marriage migrant women, deliver language services in a wide range of settings. Apart from interpreting and translation work, they perform multiple roles as helpers and mediators, including responding to inquiries from service users and offering basic informal counselling. Based on interviews with marriage migrant interpreters and counselling staff at MFSCs, this paper examines the conflicting perceptions and expectations of marriage migrant interpreters’ role(s) in MFSC counselling settings. Such role confusion creates tension between the role based on the interpreter ethics and the actual enactment in daily practice, and raises further issues of trust and status. This paper argues that the lack of clarity about the occupational identity of marriage migrant interpreters not only jeopardises the professionalisation of community interpreting, but also undermines the empowerment of migrant women, including marriage migrant interpreters.

Highlighting Heritage:

In an effort to reach students in a new way and increase the visibility of library resources and services, a pop-up library program was piloted at the University of Arkansas in collaboration with the University of Arkansas’ Multicultural Center. This article discusses the planning, implementation, and outcomes of the program. The authors also offer changes they would pursue in future pop-up libraries to further enhance student engagement and relationship-building with both student groups and campus organizations.

건강가정다문화가족지원센터의 아버지참여 프로그램 효과 분석

본 연구는 건강가정다문화가족지원센터에서 진행하고 있는 아버지참여 프로그램의 현황과 프로그램 참여 전후 아버지들의 변화를 통해서 프로그램 효과를 분석한 것이다. 자료수집을 위해 전국 건강가정다문화가족지원센터 중 4개 센터 5개 프로그램을 선정하여 사전사후조사를 실시하였고, 대구대학교 생명윤리위원회 연구윤리심의를 받았다. 먼저 아버지참여 프로그램의 전반적인 효과는 자녀와의 관계 개선 측면에서 가장 높았고, 그 다음으로 아버지 정체성 측면에서 효과가 있었다. 둘째, 사전사후조사를 통해 부모자녀간 개방적 의사소통, 가족응집적응력, 부모효능감, 배우자지지도를 측정하고 이를 paired t-test로 분석하여 프로그램의 효과를 검증해 본 결과, 부모효능감이 통계적으로 유의한 수준에서 프로그램 참여 이후 높아졌다. 특히 7-8회기로 진행된 프로그램의 경우 효과가 두드러져, 7회기 이상 다회기로 운영하는 프로그램이 아버지역할지원을 통한 부모효능감 향상에 효과가 있음을 알 수 있다. 본 연구는 정부주도로 이루어지는 아버지프로그램의 현황과 효과를 분석하여, 아버지참여 프로그램 개발의 시사점을 도출했다는 점에서 증거기반정책의 기초자료로써 의미가 있다.

The significance of resilience in mental health promotion of marriage immigrant women: a qualitative study of factors and processes

BackgroundThis study explores a series of processes in which marriage immigrant women achieve positive mental health status after experiencing various marriage- and migrant-related difficulties through the framework of resilience theory. As marriage immigrant women face greater barriers to public health services than non-immigrant women, it is necessary to understand the related factors, process, and context to address these barriers and strengthen available assets.MethodsA qualitative case study design was used with the phenomenological approach. Eleven mental health promotion program managers and 12 marriage immigrant women from who experienced resilience were recruited from four public-funded multicultural community centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, between December 2015 and March 2016. Using data from in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews, the author applied theme analysis informed by the resilience theory in order to identify factors that affect resilience and its development process.ResultsFindings indicated that the process of resilience follows enduring difficulties, collapse of stability, access to professional help, professional and social support, and experience of growth. A combination of the staged process of growth, absence of partner support, children as a driving force for change, the need for economic activity, factors affecting difference in growth: satisfaction levels of women’s need for recognition, respect, and reward, and level of spousal support were identified as factors affecting marriage immigrant women’s resilience.ConclusionsSpouses, children, and economic activity play key roles in resilience in positive and negative ways. The existing information barrier should be addressed at a structural level to improve the mental health of marriage immigrant women, and the optimum time for intervention is suggested within 2 years post-migration. Efforts to build supportive relationships with Korean spouses and meet the women’s needs for recognition, respect, and reward may also help promote these women’s resilience.

People, Place, and Connections: Black Cultural Center Staff as Facilitators of Social Capital

Black cultural centers (BCCs) have served students on college campuses across the country for over 50 years, but empirical research about the benefits they offer Black students, beyond examples referenced in the conceptual and historical literature, remains limited. As the relevance of BCCs has come into question given financial constraints, more diverse student bodies, and a shift to discontinuing race-specific cultural centers in favor of multicultural centers, rigorous studies about their contributions are needed. Through an ethnographic approach, this investigation explores how a BCC site and its staff act as institutional, cultural, and entrepreneurial agents by facilitating the development of social capital among Black undergraduate students. They do this by (a) serving as conduits for campus services that struggle to reach Black undergraduate students, (b) strategically coordinating resources and relationships among Black organizations to meet the needs of the Black community, and (c) collaborating with peer cultural/identity centers to streamline efforts.