Cultural Resources
Cultural Competencies
The Provider's Guide to Understanding Minority, Immigrant, and Refugee populations offers information on avoiding stereotypes and the process of cultural adaptation experienced by 7 ethnic and/or regional groups from around the world.
Cultural Orientation Resource Center (Center for Applied Linguistics) - The COR site provides information on US Resettlement, the US Refugee Program, Overseas resettlement preparation. The site also provides publications and profiles of different ethnic groups and resources for working with refugees.
- Refugees from Burundi - The US has agreed to resettle a group of refugees from Burundi who have been living in camps in Tanzania since 1972. Read about this population in the Center for Applied Linguistics' Cultural Orientation Resource Center's Backgrounder.
- Refugees from Burma – Kent County has recently welcomed Burmese refugees into many of our schools. Find out more about this population through the Center for Applied Linguistics’ Culture Profile. Chin Language Information
- Refugees from Bhutan - Refugees from Bhutan and Nepal are expected to arrive in Michigan during the 08/09 school year. Read more about these populations from the Center for Applied Linguistics' Backgrounder. Addendum to Bhutanese Profile
- Refugees from Eritrea - the Kunama refugees have been living in Ethiopia since they fled Eritrea - read the backgrounder from CAL.
- Refugees from Iraq - Michigan is receiving Iraqi refugees on a regular basis. While most settle in the Dearborn area, some families are resettling in Kent County. Read more about these families in the CAL Backgrounder.
Cross-Cultural Competencies flip book: Kent ISD's resource can be used to prepare students to live, learn, and work in a global community.
Other Resources
Global News - website with links to current events/issues in all parts of the world
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has brochures available in 16 languages on a wide variety of topics such as: communicable disease, domestic violence, health care, hygiene, maternal and child health, nutrition related diseases, respiratory diseases, and women's health.
