Dozens of Washington, D.C. area educators had a unique opportunity to work with experts on immigration law and African migration at the American Immigration Law Foundation's (AILF's) fifth annual Teachers' Symposium on Saturday, February 9. The event, which was funded in part by Wachovia, was organized for educators in an effort to help them teach the importance of America's immigration heritage more effectively.

Teachers from D.C., Maryland and Virginia discussed issues of immigrant culture, community, and identity as well as general lessons plans for their classroom work. Educators were given numerous books, such as In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience (National Geographic, 2005) and other accessible resources to aid in the understanding of the historical and important role immigration plays in our diverse society. The symposium included overviews of immigration, refugee, and asylum law; a presentation on African immigrant communities in the Washington, D.C. area; a presentation by the founder of the Lost Boys of the Sudan Foundation ; a discussion of community outreach projects to help students better understand local immigrants' lives in the U.S. and in their native lands and a discussion on the complexity of living in the United States as an "other" led by two area African immigrant students from D.C. Public School's Cardozo High, Freddie Possian and Marie-Louise Ngu-Mbock, who both represented the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation.

"The presentation caused me to rethink my perspectives on the immigrant experience," a teacher said. "I also learned about potential U.S. legislation and its possible impact on my students."

Guest speakers included Dr. Diana Baird N'Diaye, Cultural Heritage Specialist at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage at the Smithsonian Institution; Mary Williams, founder of The Lost Boys of the Sudan Foundation and author of Brothers in Hope; Eleanor Pelta, a long-time immigration attorney and a member of the American Immigration Law Association (AILA); Sylvia Pelta, a veteran teacher who worked with Philadelphia Public Schools for 36 years; Kristen Rogers, a teacher at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy in D.C.; and Joshua Perlman, an expert on African immigration to Spain and a teacher in Asheville, NC.

AGENDA

9:30 a.m. Registration
Meet and Greet. Attendees will signed in, received a tote bag filled with more than $300 worth of books and teaching materials and meet with other educators.

10:00 a.m. Introduction to the American Immigration Law Foundation
An AILF representative gave a brief background of AILF's history and multi-faceted programming-including background on the Curriculum Center, Immigration Policy Center (IPC), Legal Action Center (LAC) and the Exchange Visitors Program (EVP).

10:20 a.m. Immigration Law Review with Eleanor Pelta
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) member and attorney, Eleanor Pelta, discussed immigration law and history from immigration restrictions in colonial times up to the Department of Homeland Security and pending immigration legislation.

See AILF's Law Overview Powerpoint Presentation

11:25 a.m. Diana Baird N'Diaye
Cultural Heritage Specialist/Curator at the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Dr. Diana Baird N'Diaye gave a presentation on the African Immigrant Experience in the Washington, D.C. area. N'Diaye's presentation included information on how African immigrants build and bridge communities in D.C. and a user-friendly walk-through of teaching materials including books and Smithsonian website "Global Sounds."

See Dr. Diana Baird N'Diaye's Powerpoint Presentation

12:25 p.m. Lunch with author Mary Williams
Children's book author and founder of the Lost Boys of Sudan Foundation, Mary Williams spoke on how she became involved with the Lost Boys of Sudan and what led to her book, Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan.

See Mary Williams' Powerpoint Presentation

1:25 p.m. Diana Baird N'Diaye/AIRF
Dr. N'Diaye continued her presentation with a Cultural Markers Exercise that teachers can replicate in their classrooms, a discussion on the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation as well as a Q & A session. Participants of the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation also offered a short synopsis of their organization and a Q & A session.

2:25 p.m. Joshua Perlman
High school teacher, Joshua Perlman, tackled the issue of immigration, refugee and asylum curricula in the classroom. Perlman discussed why this curricula belongs in the classroom, but how to successfully implement these lessons with creative planning and activities.

See Joshua Perlman's Powerpoint Presentation

3:05 p.m. Sylvia Pelta
Veteran teacher, Sylvia Pelta will gave an informative "how to" on immigration/migration lesson planning as well as a presentation on children's immigration literature and other book lists.

See Sylvia Pelta's 2008 Bibliography List

3:45 p.m. Kristin Rogers
A middle school teacher at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy, Kristen Rogers demonstrated how easy it is for teachers to get their students involved in community activism through creative planning. Rogers also discussed how to educate communities by educating students and how much difference can be made by getting involved.

Check out the Immigration and Activism website Kristin made with her students.

See Kristin Rogers' Powerpoint Presentation

GUEST SPEAKERS' BIO

Diana Baird N'Diaye
Diana Baird N'Diaye's research interests and specialties lie in the areas of African and African Diaspora folklife and ethnicity, ethno-aesthetics and design, material culture, disability culture, cultural representation, heritage education, and cultural policy. She has curated Smithsonian Folklife Festival programs and exhibitions on Senegal, Maroon communities, African immigrant culture, Bermuda, and Haiti. She also coordinated program components for the Silk Road and Mali Festivals. She recently directed the Smithsonian's participation in the South African National Cultural Heritage Training and Technology Program, a collaborative training program in participatory heritage research for South Africa in partnership with Michigan State University, the Chicago Historical Society, and several South African cultural institutions. She has served on the Executive Board of the American Folklore Society and the advisory boards of several cultural and humanities institutions. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and visual studies from The Union Institute.

Eleanor Pelta
With an A.B. from Princeton University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, Eleanor Pelta is managing director of Morgan Lewis Resources and a partner in the Labor and Employment Law Practice. In 2006, Ms. Pelta was named one of the leading U.S. lawyers for employment law by Chambers USA, based on the views of clients, peers and other industry professionals. Chambers notes that clients appreciate that Ms. Pelta, a national leader in the immigration bar, "remembers every individual and knows their story." According to one client, "her biggest strength is that she really cares," while another praised her as "a tremendous resource, whose level of service is outstanding."

Sylvia Pelta
Sylvia is a retired teacher who worked with Philadelphia Public Schools for 36 years. Pelta, who studied English and art history at Temple University and has a Masters Degree in education, worked as a classroom teacher, gifted education teacher and has taught at many different grade levels. In 2001, she was the Ruth Wright Hayre Philadelphia Teacher of the Year. She is also the Director of Education for the Philadelphia Institute for the Arts in Education.

Joshua Perlman
Joshua Perlman was born in Los Angeles, grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and got his bachelor's degree in English and history at Columbia University in New York. Josh began to take a particular interest in immigration during his first year out of college, as he lived and worked in the largely Turkish immigrant neighborhoods of Berlin. He went on to work as a community organizer in Latino neighborhoods in Denver and to research African migration to the south of Spain. Joshua's Master's Degree from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service was focused on immigration and education, and he completed the Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies through Georgetown's Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM.) Joshua has published policy papers, interviews, art criticism, poetry and a CD of original songs. Joshua currently teaches world history to 10th graders in Asheville, North Carolina.

Kristen Rogers
Kristin Rogers received a bachelor's degree in International Affairs from Georgia Tech and a master's in Middle/High School Social Studies Education from Georgia State University. She is also coaching Middle School Girls' Basketball this year.

Mary Williams
Mary Williams has lived throughout the United States and Africa. She has held positions with several humanitarian organizations, including the International Rescue Committee and UNESCO. In 2000, Williams met some of the Lost Boys of Sudan who had relocated to the United States. She was so moved by their story that she created The Lost Boys Foundation, dedicated to raising awareness about these young men and organizing resources to help them. Williams lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

SYMPOSIUM BOOKS & TEACHING RESOURCES

BOOKS:

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams (Author), R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator).

Check out the Classroom Guide to accompany Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan.

How We Are Smart by W. Nikola-Lisa (Author), Sean Qualls (Illustrator)

The African American Story by Joy Masoff

In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience by Schomburg Center For Research, Howard Dodson, Sylviane A. Diouf

TEACHING RESOURCES:

The American Dream Experience - A DVD series teaching students about the history of immigration and the contributions of successful immigrants in American history.

Immigration: The Changing Face of America - This feature presentation links educators to primary sources from the Library of Congress' online collecions. These Web resources can make history come alive for students!

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage - The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research and educational unit of the Smithsonian Institution promoting the understanding and continuity of diverse, contemporary grassroots cultures in the United States and around the world.

African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation (AIRF) - The "Catching Up" Project assists African refugee students advance at their own pace - both educationally, and in their cultural adjustment - through individualized tutoring and mentoring. See AIRF's Calendar for event schedules and learn how you can get involved.

Immigration & Activism Classroom Website - Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy teacher, Kristin Rogers put together a website created as a form of media activism to educate the Chavez community about the issue of immigration. .

Sylvia Pelta's DC Symposium Bibliography - Experienced teacher, Sylvia Pelta has compiled a list of immigration focused books that work well with literature based lesson plans.

Africa Access Africana Book Buddies Club - Africa Access sponsors Africana Book Buddies Clubs in cooperation with the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association. The clubs promote reading and expand American perspectives on Africa.