E' Palante Que Vamo!: Transnational Education in the United States and in the Dominican Republic
This research project is designed to tell the stories and experiences of Dominican immigrant students living in New York City. For decades, immigration and educational policies in both the Dominican Republic and the United States have been widely discussed and criticized by scholars and members of this compelling community. Over the span of five decades, members of this community have engaged in a massive migration from the Dominican Republic into the United States. The study sheds light on the phenomenon of transnationalism on the lives of Dominican immigrant students, and the way that it shapes their educational experiences in schools across New York City. Through their reflections, I provide evidence that the idea of the American dream is virtually non-existent for members of this community. Additionally, Dominican immigrants all show a deep desire to return “home,” despite the educational and personal opportunities offered in the United States.
Dominicanas entre La Gran Manzana y Quisqueya: Family, Schooling, and Language Learning in a Transnational Context
Drawing from a one-year qualitative research study, this article explores the transnational lives and experiences of three young women and their little sisters in New York with close ties to the Dominican Republic. Using ethnographic research methods—life history interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and document analysis, I examine how transnationalism shapes immigrant Dominican families, from the perspective of adolescents in particular. I also share findings from the schooling experiences of the transnational youth in both the Dominican Republic and the U.S. However, the most compelling findings address language learning that takes place in and out of formal educational settings. Here, findings point to the injustices and ironies bilingual immigrant youth withstand in their Spanish-as-a-foreign-language classes. The insights of the youth point to immediate policy recommendations that could improve the U.S. schooling experiences of transnational Dominicans.
D'une application pratique des indices bio-météorologiques
Abstract The purpose of the author is to determine statistically in what part of Switzerland maize could be cultivated with certain chance of rentability. The author gives first the method he used for determining the biometeorological index of four species of maize which were selected by the Swiss agronomical research stations. He has considered two possibilities for the growing period: ( a ) raising-ripening (l'approche globale); ( b ) raising-flowering, flowering-ripening (l'approche fractionee). From the biometeorological index, he calculated retrospectively the ripening time of these four species in the years 1901–1965. Assuming a priori that maize should be harvested before October 15th at the latest, he calculated, for a number of meteorological stations, the relative number of years when such conditions were fulfilled. Dividing the country in regions of similar mesoclimates and sorting these stations per region, it is possible to average the maximum altitude where maize can ripen at least 7, 8, 9 and 10 times within 10 years. Finally, taking into account the exposure and ground slope, he draws maps of the theoretically possible extension area, which maps are more reliable and detailed than the ones derived from actual means.