Samantha King

Multicultural Parent Event

Introduction
I am planning a multicultural parent event because a large family
from Cuba just moved into a house across the street from the center.
They are considering sending their four-year-old daughter, Maria, to the
center because it is so close to them. I reached out to them about
sending Maria to my center and told them I would be happy to have
her. The mother told me that Maria is usually very active, kind, and
funny. However, the move from Cuba to America has made her upset
since she had many friends back home. She also explained they were
nervous because they are not fluent English speakers, especially Maria
since they speak nothing but Spanish at home. I reassured her that I
would take whatever precautions necessary to ensure their child had a
strong foundation in education and would also feel represented in the
classroom. I also explained to the mother that there is one student
from Guatemala in our center. We work with him every day to help him
learn English and watch as he makes friends with everyone. I told her
that we will do the very same thing for Maria, and I looked forward to
seeing that active, kind, and funny girl come alive in our center.

Research
The United States is no doubt the melting pot of many cultures, both
socially and ethnically. One of the fastest growing cultures in the US in
the Hispanic group. According to the journal, Communicating with
Hispanic Parents of Children with and without Disabilities, this growing
population of Hispanic families and children is affecting professionals-
especially teachers. Teachers are more encouraged than ever to have
linguistic competence. Language is one of, if not the biggest barriers
between Hispanic parents and educators. Partnership between parents
is key to providing a positive learning experience in a childs life. If
there is a language barrier between the two, how can the child fully
benefit? A teachers first challenge to making their classroom more
open to Hispanic children and families is to become as linguistically
competent as possible.
 Samantha King

According to the journal, Couples Cultural Values, Shared

Parenting, and Family Emotional Environment Within Mexican American
Families, Hispanic families view childcare as a shared task .We find in
many cultures that the responsibility for raising a child is heavily laid
on the mothers shoulders alone. However, in Cuban culture, raising a
child depends on two parents who share the job equally. This means
that men are just involved in their childs life as the mother would be in
most cultures. This information is very important for an educator
because we dont need to just schedule events like Mothers Tea
Party. Instead, we should create events that invite the fathers, and
other family members. Hispanic families value their extended family
just as much as their nuclear family. For this reason, it is important to
involve every member as they are a large part of the childs life.

Plan for Event: Celebracin de Familia

I will invite parents by personally talking to them and also by
sending them an invitation. The invitation will show them that I have
taken the time to research their culture because I provided the
information in Spanish and in English. In the invitation, I will also add a
picture of our class holding up the flag of Cuba. To encourage them to
come, I will provide a translator as well as refreshments and activities
that are found in their culture to show they are represented in our
classroom. I will make sure I have asked the family if they have any
allergies so I can make food they all can eat. I will also have two
different time periods for the orientation, that way the family can
chose the best time for them.
The classroom will be decorated in Cuban culture which will
include many colors, musical instruments, and include their flag on the
family board in the classroom. I have learned from my research that
Cubans love to play dominos and baseball. I will add those items into
the dramatic play center, along with several outfits they wear. We will
have several different activities scheduled such as Patriotic Painting
and Family Story Book Making. The activity, Patriotic Painting, gives
the parents and children a chance to paint their home flag and explain
what it means to them. This allows the family to speak about their
home country and also gives them the chance to hear about other
countries as well. The other activity, Family Story Book Making, allows
the children and parents to make a book together that describes their
 Samantha King

home life, schedules, and values! Both these activities are related to
the familys culture because art is highly valued in Cuba as well as
family and togetherness.
For the refreshments, I will provide finger foods from different parts of
the country including Cuban Sliders that is a popular recipe from Cuba.
I will provide a recipe card for each finger food I have made, and also
give the family a blank one to fill out so they can share one of their
favorite Cuban recipes! Along with the blank recipe cards, the parents
will be given a Parent Handbook that includes: teacher information,
contact information, classroom schedule, monthly calendar, mission
statement, and parent involvement. I will have this Parent Handbook
printed in Spanish and English for the family. To conclude the event, I
will allow time for the family to voice any suggestions, questions, or
concerns. They will be given a contact sheet and a questionnaire they
will fill out and give back to me. As they are leaving, I will thank them
for coming to the event and let them know I would be honored for their
daughter to enroll at our program.

Evaluation and Follow Up

To evaluate the success of the event, I will give the parents a
couple of days to think about their decision, then call them to see if
they are still interested in sending their child to the center. I will not
push them to make a decision though, because it is my job to respect
the family and support their decisions for their childs life. This event
was specially created for the Cuban family since they felt like they
would not really belong anywhere. Even if they did not send Maria to
the center, I would continue to have Multicultural Nights for Families
such as Culture Crockpot Cook-Off that would encourage them and
other families to come!

Parent Questionnaire
The following is a questionnaire I would ask the family to fill out to help
them find an area they could help in as well as things I could learn from
them.
1. Childs Name or Name you wish he/she go
by:______________________
 Samantha King

2. Parents Name: ______________________________________

3. Best Form of Contact:
Phone:___________________
Email:____________________
Personal Note:_____________

4. List any allergies your child

has:____________________________________
5. What are your childs interests?
____________________________________
6. What upsets your child?__________________________________________
7. What is your strengths/ hobbies?
___________________________________
8. What improvements would you like to see in our center?
_______________
9. What is a short term goal for your child?
_____________________________
10. What is a long term goal for your child?
______________________________
11. Is there anything else I should know about your child,
yourself, or your family?
________________________________________________________
12. Comments, questions,
concerns:___________________________________

Reflection
I selected this culture because the area I live in has a large
population of Hispanic individuals and families. This culture is most
likely the one I will see the most and I want to be prepared and know
how to reach them respectfully and effectively. It is so important that
we are in touch with other cultures as teachers and caregivers because
it enables us to make our classroom/center welcoming to any child who
walks through the door. Knowing different cultures also opens our eyes
to the different parenting styles and routines that we need to know.
Our children need to feel and know that we respect their culture and
we will work to represent that in our classroom. Most importantly,
teachers and caregivers need to remember that we do not understand
everything. We need to partner with the families to help the child
achieve and we can learn about their culture and background in the
 Samantha King

process by having a positive, reciprocal relationship. I look forward to

planning a parent event in the near future at the center I am in
currently. I will use all I have learned from this assignment to invite
families from other cultures and show they are represented.
 Samantha King

Works Cited
Columna, Luis, Terry A. Senne, and Rebecca Lytle.
"Communicating with Hispanic Parents of Children with and without
Disabilities." Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, vol. 80,
no. 4, 2009., pp. 48-54 Research
Library, https://libproxy.volstate.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/215755308?
accountid=14861.

Sotomayor-Peterson, Marcela, et al. "Couples' Cultural Values,

Shared Parenting, and Family Emotional Climate within Mexican
American Families." Family process, vol. 51, no. 2, 2012., pp. 218-
33 Research Library, https://libproxy.volstate.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1285243513?
accountid=14861.