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Rationale: The Hispanic
presence in the United States and in the Twin Cities has become a phenomenon
that cannot be ignored by any one in our culture. It is estimated that
by the end of the next decade that the largest minority in our country
will consist of people of Hispanic roots. The Ascension Parish in North
Minneapolis has existed in a culturally divers climate for more than
a century. Since the late 1960's, the cultural mix and the racial and
ethnic composition of the area has been changing rapidly. The parish
now faces new challenges related to idetifying its parishioneres and
their new needs and expectations. A recent survey showed that a large
percentage of the parish's new parishioners are Hispanic. Although the
Spansih mass is the best attended of all the services that Ascension
offers, it was discovered that only a small percentage of the Hispanics
who attend the Sunday service actually reside in the same area code
as the parish and are not registered as active parishioners.
Our service goal will
be to help Ascension Parish determine the needs of this new group of
parishioners as the parish attempts to provide them with spiritual,
emotional, psychological, and physical help.
***Click
Here for a History of the Parish and the Area It Serves (PDF format)
This
is a mandatory component of the course. Please plan to participate fully
in all events related to the project.
What
will you derive from the Service Experience? I can only speak
for the academic goals I want you to accomplish.
-Relate
that information to themes discussed and read in the Hispanic Presence
segment of the course
-Learn of
aspects of the immigrant situation in Minnesota and on the local level
-Learn of the
value, presence and contributions of Hispanic culture in US mainstream
culture
-Gain experience
using Spanish for real-life needs
-Contribute to
the parish's abiity to service Hispanics
How
will you accomplish these project goals?
-Interview
parish administrators, teachers, and staff about their goals for accomodating
Hispanics in their parish, their expectations, perceived results, and/or
limitations to their achieving thier goals
-Interviews
Hispanics (Youth group, adults) about their expectations, impressions
of life as an immigrant and parishioner at Ascension
-Interview
Hispanics about what it is like to be an immigrnat in the US, specifically
in Minnesota:
*When and where have thy felt the most/ least accepted/welcome
-Interview
Hispanics concerning what they would like to see Ascension parish be
like in the future-does it include them?
-In-class
participation as a teacher aide (as designated by the teacher(s)
Relating
the Experience to the Course
-We
will devise questions that teams of students will administer to Hispanic
parishioners at the parish (probably in groups of three students)
-Visit
the Sunday-Spanish mass, Youth Group, Children's Sunday group, Sunday
Prayer Group before doing the interviews. SUNDAY
MASS IN SPANISH: 11:30 a.m.
-Orientation
by Dr. Ellen Kennedy, head of the Ascension Project, about general concepts
and expectaitons on February 14 in class.
-You
will take a pre-and post-test of your attitudes related to service projects
adn social issues.
The
PRE-test will be administered on FEBRUARY 14 in class. PLEASE Make
every effort to be there.
-We will
attempt to include questions regarding these immigrants' views of life
in the U.S. compared to life in their counrty of origin.
-Incorporate
in discussions what you have learned related to the Hispanic in the
US
-Interviews
with social service agencies (CLUES, Catholic Charities, Luther Social
Serivces) that deal with Hispanic immigrants regularly to get a first-hand
view of what these people go through to be in our country
-Write
a 2+ page paper presenting the results of the interviews you carried
out during the experience that relatse that information to the theme
of the Hispanic presence in the US (100 points)
-Team
presentation: sets of students will present their pooled insights and
analyses gained from the responses, interviews, and experiences while
at the Adams Immersion school. You may introduce other research in this
presentation. Doing so is highly encouraged. (50 points)
-Possible
sharing with other participants in the Ascension Project at the end
of the semester, at the parish and/or on campus
Mandatory
Attendance: MAY 6, 12:00 - 1:30. Final Event at
Ascension Parish.to
bring together the work completed by the groups that participated during
spring semester.
When
will you engage in this Service Experience?
We will
prepare for, and engage in the project all during the semester. The
unit to wihcih it relates is the Hispanic Presence in the U.S. When
we engage the project depends heavliy on the availabiilty of interviewees
and space at the parish. We need to be flexibel in this mater. Please
be patient.
Preparation
-We will
have mandatory training through the Tutor/Mentoring program at UST.
The center will provide tips on how to be a good tutor/mentor. Do's
and Don'ts, etc.
-We will
visit the Ascension Parish (mandatory) l as a group before you actually
go there to participate in the experience.
-We will
develop the questions that you will use to gather information for our
discussions and the paper you will produce.
-We will
gather schedule information to provide to the person in charge of such
matters at the parish. Please check your schedules early on (now) so
that you make room for this mandatory participation. Some of you may
have to make special scheduling arrangements for after-school hours,
but most of your interviews wil be on Saturdays and Sundays. You must
be available for the other students in your group to prepare for the
presentation you will make to the rest of the class.
-All students
are to be in groups of 2 or 3 and with a cell phone if at all possible.
-Transportation
to and from the parish is the responsibility of the student. Regular
bus routes run near the parish**.
**Carpools
are your safest and surest bet. Any student who provides transportation
for another student must provide proof of insurance prior to the experience.
They also must sign an insurance waiver that I will provide.
DIRECTIONS
TO ASCENSION PARISH FROM UST
Take
94W through Mpls. After the Lowery Hill Tunnel and the Basilica of St.
Mayr, exit at the Broadway Ave./Washington Ave exit. At the lights at
the top of the ramp, turn left (N) onto Washington Ave. Stay in the
left lane. At the next light, turn left (W) onto Broadway Ave, Continue
through 3 sets of lights and past the Target store.Turn left on Bryant
Ave. Go one block, through a stop sign, and the church is on the right.
Parking is on the street or in the lot across from the church.
RELATED EVENTS OF INTEREST:
EXTRA CREDIT COMES TO MIND!! :)
| Febraury 10 |
Coleman McCarthy |
7:00 p.m.
free (details later)
OEC |
| February/March:
date TBA |
To Kill a Mockingbird |
Great American
History theatre: free
Recommend:
Sunday, February 23 at 2:00 |
| Feb. 6-April 29 |
Almost Home and Archiving Memories |
Frederick Weisman Museum and Elmer L. Anderson Library Archives,
U. of Minnesota (ask for details) |
| March 11 |
The Laramie Project |
Foley Theatre (free). Details to come |
| March 15 |
Beaded Prayers Workshop |
1:00 - 3:30 at Ascension Parish (free) |
| April 4 |
Eugene Pogany: "In My Brother's Image: Two Brothers Separated
by Faith after the Holocaust" |
Temple Israel, 7:30, free
Ask for directions |
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