Family
Families supported the wishes of their children and encouraged them to do well in school
and to work as young adults. The family members
of all participants expressed the desire to see
their children happy as the top priority. Families
acknowledged that there were more opportunities
for their children to obtain an education in the
U.S., especially in consideration of the participant's visual impairment. Many participants reported that their families had no expectations of
them at all. Education of family members about
life after school is over is essential. Teachers
must teach the family about having high expectations and giving their children choices. This will
help young adults develop independence and self
-determination skills.
Goals for the Future
All but two of the participants lived with their
family or relatives. The two participants without
family lived with friends from their cultural group.
All participants expressed their desire to work but
said they had no pressing need to work as they
were supported financially by others. Their desire
to gain employment was due to boredom, rather
than necessity. However, they all had an intrinsic
desire to be independent. This independence was
not defined by living on their own or away from
their family; rather, it was independence in life
skills and personal management. For instance,
getting their own apartment wasn't a goal, but being able to cook, shop, and take care of their personal hygiene was a priority.
Conclusion
All of the participants had rich and interesting stories of how they entered the United States
and their process of acculturation. Of interest is
that the needs of CLD students with visual impairments are not much different those who are not
from a CLD background, but it is important to
note that the issues may be more complex. Find-
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