A Sample of SIIC: July 16, 2011

C. What Is My Homeland Now? Refugee and Immigrant Experience in the U.S.
Tanya Mead

Through the rich accounts of immigrants and refugees, this workshop will take a close look at the acculturation experience in the U.S. We will discuss a framework for various forms of adaptation, draw on films and guest speakers, and examine what contributes to positive and negative acculturation experiences. We will explore how immigrants approach assimilation, integration, marginalization, and separation. The session will also focus on the U.S. as a host culture and discuss various adaptive strategies that might be implemented to promote further integration and positive acculturation.


Tanya Mead has worked with newly arrived refugee and immigrant populations in Portland, Oregon, for over 18 years. As a full-time faculty member of the Education Department at Portland Community College, she currently teaches educators about cultural and language issues, using intercultural frameworks. She has a Master of Arts in Intercultural Relations from Antioch University, McGregor School.