Culture Connect, Inc. offers a mentoring program for Go-Betweener children and adolescents (including international children and adolescents who have been adopted by native-born American parents). In the mentoring program we match Go-Betweener young adult mentors with Go-Betweener children and adolescent mentees of the same (or similar) language, culture, and country-of-origin/ancestry.
While Bernadette Ludwig, Co-Founder of Culture Connect, Inc. was visiting Ellis Island in New York, she was drawn to the part of the exhibit that depicts the life of immigrant children. One of the plaques called these children – “The Go-Betweens.”
Immigrant children walked a fine line between two opposing cultures. On one side were their parents and centuries of ethnic tradition; on the other, new foreign ways. Young enough to learn English quickly and adjust to American customs, immigrant children often served as their parents’ translators and envoy to the new world. Jacob A. Riis called them “go-betweens,” shuttling back and forth like emissaries, carrying messages to doctors, landlords or shopkeepers for their non-English speaking parents.
Just as immigrant children of previous centuries were going between cultures and languages, today’s immigrant children are dealing with the same situation. Culture Connect, Inc.’s Mentoring Program provides support and guidance to young immigrant/refugee/asylees children.
Research indicates that the population of Go-Betweener children/adolescents is at great risk for “downward assimilation” into poor school performance, drug and violent activities, as well as psychological problems and poverty. However, studies also show that having a mentor or good role model makes a positive difference during the difficult developmental transition, and helps improve self-esteem.
Culture Connect, Inc. works closely with representatives from Metro Atlanta schools and refugee agencies to identify immigrant/refugee/asylee children and adolescents for these programs, to train Go-Betweener young adult mentors, and to provide cultural competency training to school counselors and psychotherapists who volunteer to facilitate support groups for children and adolescents.
Definitions:
Go-Betweener = 1.5 or 2nd generation immigrant/refugee/asylee
1.5 Generation = born in another country and immigrated to the USA as a child or adolescent
2nd Generation = born in the United States to parents who immigrated from another country
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