No one-waystreet, please!E<strong>du</strong>cation in a multicultural society is becoming more <strong>of</strong> a reality - one that bringswith it many awesome opportunities but certain challenges as well. LCMI researcherJinting Wu is interested in studying the experience <strong>of</strong> Chinese immigrants in <strong>Luxembourg</strong>and the Netherlands. How do Chinese children here experience school,in what ways are they forced to adapt, what are some <strong>of</strong> the difficulties, how dothey contribute to the classroom and the school? These are only a few <strong>of</strong> the manyquestions that have piqued the interest <strong>of</strong> e<strong>du</strong>cational anthropologist Jinting Wu.Dr. Wu has seen quite a lot <strong>of</strong> the world.Since the Fall <strong>of</strong> <strong>2012</strong>, she works as a postdocat the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Luxembourg</strong>’s LCMIresearch unit. Prior to this, she earned herPh.D. degree at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Wisconsin,Madison, her Master’s in Boston, Massachusetts,majority dominates while the minority isrequired to assimilate,” explains Wu. Theresult: much <strong>of</strong> the knowledge is lost, a trueexchange and associated victory for everyoneare relegated to the position <strong>of</strong> wishfulthinking - even in the e<strong>du</strong>cational system.and her Bachelor’s in Shanghai,China. Jinting Wu’s academic career hasbeen dedicated to an important topic -one that is rapidly gathering momentum:e<strong>du</strong>cation in a multicultural world that ischaracterized by rapid social changes andThe latter provides the researcher with herfocus: “The goal <strong>of</strong> my latest project is toexamine how children <strong>of</strong> Chinese immigrantsmaster their e<strong>du</strong>cation in the <strong>Luxembourg</strong>ianand Dutch school systems.”mobility. As part <strong>of</strong>There are severalher dissertation, JintingWu studied the„The word multiculturalismis ambiguousreasons for this. “Forone, the number <strong>of</strong>school system in aChinese immigrantsand <strong>of</strong>ten has a negativerural part <strong>of</strong> China,to <strong>Luxembourg</strong> andwhich is becoming underpinning.“ the Netherlands ismore and more dominatedLCMI researcher Jinting Wu growing steadily;by tourism andthey are becominglabor migration. Now, in <strong>Luxembourg</strong>, sheis taking the topic to the next, global level:What is the Chinese immigrants’ experience<strong>of</strong> the Western European e<strong>du</strong>cationalsystem in a multicultural setting, specificallyin <strong>Luxembourg</strong> and the Netherlands?an increasingly more important immigrantgroup. For another, they are getting a lot <strong>of</strong>public attention because <strong>of</strong> their positiveattitude towards e<strong>du</strong>cation.” In this context,it becomes important to look at howChinese children and youths adjust to thelocal school system, adapt to it, enrich it -“The word multiculturalism is ambiguousand <strong>of</strong>ten has a negative underpinning,”and at the ways in which both sides couldpotentially benefit from each other.explains Dr. Wu. On the one hand, there isthe hope, especially in Western cultures,that immigration will intro<strong>du</strong>ce not only anew workforce but also cultural impulsesthat will help make the country more colorfuland dynamic. “But <strong>of</strong>ten enough, theterm also makes clear that there does exista cultural hierarchy in which the culturalAn anthropologist by trade, Jinting Wu’spreferred method <strong>of</strong> study is called participantobservation. “I basically follow familiesand their school age children aroundin their daily lives. My goal is to observeand document their experience in and out<strong>of</strong> the school - but also, what the school’sexperience is <strong>of</strong> the children and theirfamilies.” For this to work, the contact withthe schools and the families had to firstbe established. Here, the LCMI setting iscoming in handy because the research unitalready had a number <strong>of</strong> successful collaborationswith the local schools.However, Jinting Wu is also hoping to useanother venue, one the Chinese have intro<strong>du</strong>cedto Europe: ancillary schools thatmeet on the weekends. According to JintingWu, these types <strong>of</strong> schools were first setup decades ago, when Chinese immigrants6
What is the Chinese immigrants’ experience<strong>of</strong> the Western European e<strong>du</strong>cational systemin a multicultural setting, specifically in <strong>Luxembourg</strong>and the Netherlands?LCMI researcher Jinting Wuwere still mostly employed in restaurants.“It was really important to the parentsthat their kids should have an exceptionale<strong>du</strong>cation and career opportunities theythemselves never had. Which is why theygot together and paid Chinese teachers toinstruct their kids on the weekends.” Lateron, successful business people and eventhe Chinese government became importantsources <strong>of</strong> funding for these schools.In addition, the schools have another,identity-forming function - as a meetingplace where people get together, exchangeideas, and cultivate common traditions. It isthrough these ancillary schools that JintingWu is hoping to get in contact with familieswho would be willing to welcome her intotheir school and family life.Jinting Wu is keen on finding out what thelife <strong>of</strong> Chinese kids, their families, theirteachers and classmates looks like, theways in which they influence each other, andwhat the differences are between <strong>Luxembourg</strong>and the Netherlands. “My field workwill take time, because I have to observepeople in their lives and then document itafterwards for purposes <strong>of</strong> analysis.” But Wuis certain that she will get good returns onher investment. “It is my sincere hope that Iwill be making some contribution to raisingawareness about multiculturalism as a form<strong>of</strong> partnership, in which everyone knows fullwell that they can benefit from one another.As opposed to a one-way street, in which, inorder to belong, one group is forced to giveup its identity.”7
- Page 1: FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE,
- Page 4 and 5: IntroductionPublic awards, granted
- Page 8 and 9: Rankings conceal morethan they reve
- Page 15 and 16: Multilingualism in Education and So
- Page 17 and 18: Research Field:History and Theoryof
- Page 19 and 20: History and Theory of Education and
- Page 21 and 22: History and Theory of Education and
- Page 23 and 24: Professionalization of actors in ed
- Page 25 and 26: Professionalization of actors in ed
- Page 27 and 28: ourg in early Marchand a follow-up
- Page 29 and 30: Nations represented at LCMILCMI Fig
- Page 31 and 32: Projects funded by other funding ag
- Page 33 and 34: Klapproth, F., Glock, S., Böhmer,
- Page 35 and 36: Priem, K., König, G. M., Casale, R
- Page 37 and 38: Université du LuxembourgLCMILangua
Change language