Amazing Grace - Kozol
"Depression is common among children in Mott Haven. Many cry a great deal but cannot explain exactly why. Fear and anxiety are common. Many cannot sleep."
This quote reminded me of a paper I read last semester about children who live in poverty. The paper talked about how poverty affected a child's mental health. There was a study done on one certain child whose parents were struggling and even though the child was not aware of his parent's situation, he felt the effects of it.
"There are children in the poorest, most abandoned places who, despite the miseries and poisons that the world has pumped into their jives, seem, when you first meet
them, to be cheerful anyway."
Sometimes I wonder if the kids actually know what is going on around them. If they have grown up in this living situation then they are probably used to it all and they might not questions how bad it is. If it is all you know, then you don't know you're missing out on something else.
"On a hot night like tonight, everyone is there outside on the stoop because nobody has a fan. You know it's dangerous to do it but you got to go outside. You either go outside and take your chance or else you roast inside your house."
I know that I come from a privileged place because this is something I couldn't have even dreamt something like this. I can't imagine being scared to leave your own house, even just to sit on the step outside. I can't imagine not having a fan and clearly really needing one and not going and buying one.
I know this is a real reach but I am reminded of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The kids live in very close dirty conditions but there are also homes close by that are very rich and well off. While this is a movie, this is also a reality.
I know that I come from a privileged place because this is something I couldn't have even dreamt something like this. I can't imagine being scared to leave your own house, even just to sit on the step outside. I can't imagine not having a fan and clearly really needing one and not going and buying one.
I know this is a real reach but I am reminded of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. The kids live in very close dirty conditions but there are also homes close by that are very rich and well off. While this is a movie, this is also a reality.
This is a picture from an article on Business Insider titled "Drone photos of Mumbai reveal the places where extreme poverty meets extreme wealth."
There is also a good video on Youtube that talks about this sort of thing. If you have ten minutes it's a good watch.
Yes, and children in Mott Haven are resourceful survivors who have a lot of skills, experiences, and knowledge. They also have deep relationships with their families, church communities, and neighbors. How if at all do schools recognize this deep knowledge, community relationships, and resourcefulness?
ReplyDeleteAbout your last comment, I agree. The children only know what their life is like and what their surroundings are, they know nothing else. Until they are adults and see outside their world that's when they will realize what their situation was like.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad, yet true, that these kids are so used to their situations and probably do not even know what they are missing out on.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who grew up sometimes on the lower middle class end as a child I knew without knowing. I just knew not to ask for something I didn't need, I knew that a field trip at school was going to cause tension because we didn't really have the money to spare, its a weir feeling knowing, you don't understand why but you just know not to ask.
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