Welcoming Families From Around the World

 

YEMEN

(www.worldatlas.com) 

 

 

 

North and South Yemen united as a country in 1990 to avoid fighting over oil that had been discovered along their borders. Yemen’s capital is Sana’a (North Yemen) with the economic capital referred to as Aden (South Yemen). Yemenis are ethnically Arabs and they speak Arabic (Countries and their Cultures, 2013). People are mostly farmers or herders. Then industry employs only 5% of the work force. Yemen has a very young population with more than 50% under the age of 15.

Being a little savvier about Yemen’s economic resources, I would ask the family from which of the 6 zones they come from and what jobs they held. Did the mother work in education or in health care as I read those were women’s jobs. Also, knowing from which cultural and economic zone they family originates would give clues on the type of house they lived in, their potential dialect, and cultural habits. When the family comes in, I (a woman may initiate a handshake) would greet the family with a light handshake and offer the choice to sit on the cushions along the wall or at the table.

With the goal of preparing to welcome a family from Yemen, I would feverishly uncover Yemen’s surface culture, an easy way to start peeling off the different layers of what constitutes a country’s culture. Music, food, and spirituality come to mind right away. Then, I would learn what the custom is regarding greeting and good-byes, and inquire on the education system in Yemen.

 

                                                             Sana'a

 

Song of Sana'a

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdHbypelaJQ

"The "Song of Sana’a" was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the Director-General on 7 November 2003. A preparatoryassistance of US$ 20,000 was granted to the Permanent Delegation of Yemen by theUNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust for the Preservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage in view of establishing a candidature file and an action plan (UNESCO,  2011)

Reference

UNESCO. (2011). Key Facts and Figures on Yemen/UNESCO Cooperation. Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/eri/cp/factsheets/YEM_facts_figures.pdf

Yemenite Sacred Chants

http://www.allmusic.com/album/les-chantres-yemenites-sacred-songs-from-sanaa-mw0000588342

Yemenite Songs by Ofra Haza
Sample her songs on the following website
http://www.allmusic.com/album/yemenite-songs-mw0000196994
"Ofra Haza's death on February 23, 2000, at the age of 41 deprived the world of a lovely woman, a great vocalist, and a fearless cultural advocate. Fifty Gates of Wisdom, her 1985 album of boldly reimagined traditional Yemenite songs, brought her international fame, and decades later, it retains its ability to delight and inspire. The set list consists of secular tunes plus examples of a festive devotional style called diwan, which is common to all Oriental Jewish communities and can be sung in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Arabic. Each group has specific traditions, but the Yemeni variant is especially remarkable for its poetry, much of which was written by rabbis as far back as the 17th century. Most diwan consist of three separate sections: the a cappella nashid (prelude), the shira (singing), during which celebrants bang on copper trays, empty gasoline cans, or whatever else is handy, and a postlude called the hallel, or song of praise. The unusual percussion accompaniment came into use following the destruction of the Temple, when Jews were forbidden to play conventional musical instruments, and also as a result of periodic oppression by Muslim fundamentalists. In Haza's hands, these sinuous tunes are further spiced up by drum machines and synthesizers, pumping out the hypnotic dance beats that catapulted the album onto dancefloors throughout the world. It important to remember that this recording long predated the flood of world/techno fusions that have since overwhelmed the marketplace. Transglobal Underground, Afro-Celt Sound System, and Scandinavian groups like Garmarna all owe Haza a debt of gratitude. But despite the historic electronic flourishes, it is the siren-like charm of the singer's voice that creates the most indelible impression" (allmusic, 2013).
Reference
allmusic. (2013). Ofra Haza. Yemenite Songs. Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.allmusic.com/album/yemenite-songs-mw0000196994

Continuing with food, the following blog written by Dr. Lamya Almas was a lot of fun perusing because it offers an amazing array of Yemeni recipes mostly inspired by the blogger’s mother:  http://yemeniyah.com/about/. Since I love Middle Eastern food, I may even scout out for a local Yemenite restaurant and try out my newly acquired knowledge about Yemeni food and ask for a Mutabaqiah Yemeni which is a sort of egg calzone. Lentils, peas, and rice are staple foods. Since generosity and hospitality are shown by making and serving coffee, I will make sure to have coffee and learn how to make it in a satisfactory traditional way.

After learning about music and food, I learned that Yemen’s main religion is Islam. There are two main groups of Muslims namely Sunni and Shi’a. I expect that the new family is Muslim, although they could also belong to one of the smaller Jewish, Christian, or Hindu groups.

Developing more familiarity with the country of Yemen will help me show the family that I am ready to work collaboratively so their children succeed in school. Since their children will bring their home culture to class and go home with the newly created class culture, it is important that parents and educators support children in their “creative transformation of culture” (Smidt, 2006). In the initial contact with the family, carefully listening to the family’s story will bring invaluable information on how to best serve the child. After the initial conversation, learning about the family’s cultural approach on education, asking them if they know about the U.S. educational system, what they like or what simply would not be appropriate for their children. As the educator, knowing how I can best support children in their learning and acknowledge students’ accomplishments even if they differ from the school dominant culture (Smidt, 2006).  In other words, I will inquire about the “physical and social settings of children, the culturally regulated customs and practices, and beliefs or ethno-theories of parents” (Smidt, 2006). Finally, children’s cultures define my curriculum.
References
Countries and Their Cultures. (2013).Yemen. Retrieved from: http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Yemen.html
Smidt, S., (2006). The Developing Child in the 21 st. Century: A Global Perspective on Child Development. Routledge.