Educating The African Newcomer Student in Western New York

The education of refugee and immigrant students is complex due to various factors that are critical and sometimes competing. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a forum through which scholars from several African nations can discuss key issues surrounding the African refugee and immigrant new-comer student within a historical perspective of the contemporary migration of Africans. This chapter explains the pull and push factors, and examines the nature of challenges and their impact on the overall educational experiences of the African immigrant and refugee children (and their families) in the Western New York region with emphasis on: a) historical perspective of the contemporary migration of Africans, particularly for refugee and immigrant children, b) the complexities of factors in educating them, and c) the possibilities that lay ahead. Drawing from recent research, conference and workshop surveys, and data based on on-going work by the African Educational Alliance in Buffalo-New York, the authors will highlight findings and raise questions for insights into the challenges and the collaborative effort to support the African child’s education. The discussion draws from in-depth interviews, document analysis, and critical personal narratives.