ABSTRACT

… the child may attempt to blend in and be like his or her peers; the child may assimilate and act as if the past never existed, denying his or her cultural self. If he or she can be helped by teachers to embrace both worlds, an integrated sense of self can develop and the child can make strides forward. If there is no intervention, either by teachers, other adults, or peers, the child may feel hopelessly shut off from his past and/or become stuck at that level. This stage is crucial; the child, can either be guided to integrate his or her cultural self or be left alone to discard it, only to try to regain it in later life.