Por Nuestros Hijos, Padres Inmigrantes Organizados/For Our Children, Immigrant Parents Organizing

This video examines a recent organizing campaign taken on by Juntos and immigrant parents to increase the number of interpeters and services to immigrant students and parents in the Philadelphia School District. The video is part of Our City Our Voices, a joint program of the Media Mobilizing Project and Juntos.
 
We stand with many other organizations fighting for the best education for our children. We have been fighting for the last three or four years, as many people in Philadelphia know, due to the fact that no one wanted to assume responsibility for our problems within the schools of South Philadelphia. With the help of JUNTOS/Casa de los Soles we have visited with many families in their homes and engaged them in a parent committee which meets regularly with teachers, principals, the regional superintendent and School District officials so that our voices may be heard. We recently had a public action where we presented various demands to School District officials, the most urgent concerning the employment of more bilingual assistants, known as BCAsfor ten South Philadelphia schools which had limited numbers of Spanish-language staff.  Some of these schools had a translator once a week and other schools had no translator at all. Due to this, there was little communication between [Spanish-speaking] parents and teachers. After December 2008 the School District did in fact hire more bilingual personal in these schools and placed translators for more days. This has given parents the opportunity to express themselves and their concerns and problems, and opened a space for important communication. We continue struggling as there is much to do on the theme of education. Through this process we [immigrant] parents have learned how to relate to school authorities. We have also learned that we have rights and that we need to know what they are in order to help our children succeed.
- Martha Lara, Parent Leader- JUNTOS/Casa de los Soles
Southwark School

click for full image

click for full image