How do the experiences of immigrants shape how they are in the classroom?

It is easy for people to believe that the only differences for immigrant students is language.  Mostly because it is the normally the most noticeable and heavily impacting for students.  How could it not?  Families coming to this country, who speak a different language struggle from the moment education is mentioned.  How do they register their children in school when they are unable to speak or read the language?  How do they go to parents nights or sign permission slips without being able to speak and read English?  Since this is such a stumbling block, people forget all the other experiences that immigrates have, that truly shape the students sitting in the desks in front of us.   

The community I currently live in has a high population of people from the "DR" or Dominican Republic.  Not so different from here right?  The DR has some cities and based structure, come on its not like it is Africa or the Rainforest, right?  Once they learn a little English, these children should have nothing standing in their way....wrong.  In 2010 the DR's educational system was ranked lowest in Central America.  These students are living mainly in villages with one room school houses.  Many of which are taught by Peace Cor volunteers or other volunteers aids from all over the world.  Children living in villiages are attending schools in one room, dirt floor buildings.  No only that, but many leave school at an early age to help support their families.  Something that a large population of Americans have no ideas about or will ever have to experiences.  It is is not the law in every country that children must stay in school until they are 16.  Take a second....picture that.  Now picture a child moving here to Massachusetts where we have one of the best educational systems in the country.....and we expect them to live up to our standards right away with nothing standing in their way.  With parents whom many of which only have a middle school education, to the standards of the Dominican Republic.

In the United States, when election years come around education is always one of the hot topics.  It is something people talk about often and government supports fully (in one manner or another).  People forget that this is not the case for much of the world.  Many immigrants moving into this country do not hold the value to education that we do and for no fault of their own.  We are lucky and blessed to live in a country and society that values and puts great importance into our children and educational system.  This is not the case in every other country in the world.  And with that said, you can't change people over night.  You can not force immigrant to adopt our language and culture over night.  You can not make immigrants forget about how they were raised and spent much of their life....and change their values just because "we say so" or rather because "we think so".