10 “I Like Everything but Air-Condition”: How Refugee Children React to the American Way of Life

Peter is eleven now and a terrible problem in class. He walks out of the room, or even leaves school, whenever he feels like it; he doesn’t do any homework. From time to time he beats up other children in school and fights with his teacher. He certainly was no «model child» when he came over to this country from France three years ago, but these difficulties started only a year ago, after an incident in his former school. It was an incident rather rare enough in our New York City schools and yet highly illustrative and instructive in relation to many behaviour problems of refugee or immigrant children. Peter’s class was preparing for the next school assembly in which one of the members of the class was to carry the flag from the rear of the assembly room to the front and another was to lead the group in recitation of the allegiance to the flag. Peter wanted to have one of the two parts in the ceremony, but the teacher, who liked Peter but forgot herself for the moment, said to him: “Oh no, Peter, you still have an accent.” Peter flew into a terrible temper tantrum. He threw his books at the teacher, spit into her face and ran away from class. The next day Peter fought with the teacher and the pupils, starting with the one carrying the flag, and ever since then he has been a problem in school and at home. Principal and teacher have tried to help him. Peter changed classes and even schools, but so far in vain.