STRENGTHENING INTERGENERATIONAL BONDS IN IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES - METLIFE FOUNDATION - GENERATIONS UNITED
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Strengthening
Intergenerational
Bonds In
Immigrant
And Refugee
Communities
A publication of
The Intergenerational Center
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
Supported by
MetLife Foundation
Acknowledgements We would like to express our appreciation to our community partners who invested a great deal of time and energy into the development of programs that fostered meaningful intergenerational connections. In partic- ular, we would like to thank Rorng Sorn, Sarun Chan, and Chanphy Heng from the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia; Nancy Nguyen and Quynh Tran from Boat People SOS, Pamela Cantero and Cor- alito Albares from El Centro de Accion Social, and Saeed Fahia and Fatima Hussein from the Confederation of Somali Community of Minnesota. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to MetLife Foundation for their generous support and their commitment to using intergenerational strategies for promoting healthy aging in diverse communities. The Intergenerational Center At Temple University Created in 1979, the Intergenerational Center at Temple University brings generations together to address critical community concerns and promotes lifelong civic engagement. As an international leader in the inter- generational field, the Center: • develops innovative intergenerational program models and initiatives that foster cross-age rela- tionships and meet community needs; • builds the capacity of organizations, institutions, government agencies and funders to utilize intergenerational approaches to enhance their effectiveness; and • conducts evaluation and research that identifies promising practices and generates new knowl- edge. Rather than focusing on just one issue, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of intentionally using an intergenerational lens to confront many of the pressing challenges that face individuals, families and com- munities. Our programs, both national and local in scope, engage culturally, economically and age diverse populations in a spectrum of civic roles that support children and youth, help caregiving families, foster im- migrant integration, and build community capacity. The Center’s national training and technical assistance services have helped thousands of non-profit organizations, foundations, and government agencies infuse intergenerational strategies into their programs and services and promote opportunities for lifelong civic engagement. In 2011 Center was awarded the inaugural Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence and the Migration Policy Institute’s E Pluribus Unum Award for promoting immigrant integration. For more information on the Intergenerational Center, go to www.templeigc.org
Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds
In Immigrant And Refugee Communities
Written by
Hitomi Yoshida, M.S.Ed. with Nancy Henkin, Ph.D. and
Patience Lehrman, M.S.ED, M.A.OD and EMBA
Made possible by a grant from MetLife Foundation
A publication of
The Intergenerational Center
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
1700 North Broad, Suite 412
Philadelphia, PA 19122
www.templeigc.org
© 2013
Table of Contents
I. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
II. Background Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
III. Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cambodian Association Of
Greater Philadelphia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Boat People SOS—Delaware Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
El Centro De Acción Social—Pasedena, CA. . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Confederation Of Somali Community Of Minnesota. . . . . 28
IV. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4
I. Introduction
Recent research suggests that there is a growing were provided to four ethnic-based community or-
schism between generations in many immigrant and ganizations: the Cambodian Association of Greater
refugee families. Language barriers and conflicting Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. (Cambodian), BP-
demands on each generation make it challenging to SOS-Delaware Valley, Camden, NJ. (Vietnamese),
maintain meaningful intergenerational relationships. Confederation of Somali Communities in Minnesota,
Many elders feel a sense of disappointment that the MN. (East African) and El Centro de Acción Social,
level of cross-generational interaction within their Pasadena, CA. (Mexican), to implement culturally
families is superficial and yearn for opportunities to appropriate intergenerational programming. Each
transmit their culture and experiences to younger site brought together young people and elders from
generations. New strategies for helping immigrant their community to engage in a series of activities to
and refugee elders maintain a sense of purpose and promote mutual trust and learning. Sharing stories
share their cultural knowledge are critical. Engaging of resiliency- the ability to overcome adversity-was
elders in intergenerational activities outside their family a key strategy used by all sites to promote un-
units is one way to address this generational divide. derstanding and connection across ages. Techni-
With support from MetLife Foundation, the Intergen- cal assistance was provided to pilot sites by staff
erational Center at Temple University worked with from Project SHINE, the Intergenerational Center’s
four ethnic community-based organizations to imple- national initiative that mobilizes college students
ment an initiative entitled Strengthening Intergenera- to help immigrant and refugee elders prepare for
tional Bonds in Immigrant and Refugee Communities. citizenship, acquire health literacy skills, and engage
in meaningful civic roles.
The overall goals of the initiative were to: 1) promote
healthy aging in refugee and immigrant communi- This report presents four case studies that highlight
ties by developing programming designed to build recruitment strategies, key intergenerational activi-
meaningful relationships among non-familial youth ties, challenges, and outcomes for fostering inter-
and older adults; and 2) to increase the capacity of generational connections. The report concludes with
ethnic-based community organizations to strength- a summary of promising practices, benefits, and
en intergenerational connectedness. Seed grants recommendations for practitioners.
5
II. Background Research
Prior to this initiative, the Temple University In- nificant role in strengthening generational bonds.
tergenerational Center conducted research on Recommendations from this research included: 1)
healthy aging and intergenerational relationships in Creating safe spaces to bring generations together
immigrant and refugee families (http://templeigc. to build mutual respect and explore commonalities
org/resources/research). Findings suggest that im- and differences; 2) Developing creative ways to
migrant and refugee families exhibit both a schism generate cross-age discussions despite language
between generations and an ability to adapt to differences; 3) Creating formal programs for un-
traditional practices in the American socio-cultural related older adults and youth to provide support
context. Varying levels of intergenerational tension and interact with each other; and 4) Developing
due to differing expectations, values, and beliefs facilitation skills of community leaders to build their
can lead to feelings of despair among elders who capacity to foster positive and mutually beneficial
view strong family ties and the success of younger intergenerational relationships. The study also
generations as key components of healthy ag- suggested that opportunities for ongoing interac-
ing. Recognizing the challenges of working within tion between generations can foster the develop-
family structures, this study suggests that ethnic ment of kin-like relationships and reduce feelings
community-based organizations could play a sig- of isolation.
6
III. Case Studies
CAMBODIAN ASSOCIATION country. According to the Census, approximately
OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA 11,000 Cambodian-Americans reside in the Phila-
delphia region, though local estimates are closer to
LEGACY PROJECT: 20,000. Although the Cambodian refugees in Phila-
delphia appreciate the opportunity to start a new
life in a democratic society, they continue to strug-
Youth and Elders Unite as a gle socio-economically. Lack of health care access,
Collective Voice for the Community poor school conditions and an expanding gen-
eration gap are major challenges in the commu-
“The intergenerational project has been transfor-
nity (Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians,
mative…..It has proven that the organization can
2004). According to the Cambodian Association
shift its approach to work with youth and elders.
of Greater Philadelphia, generational disconnect
Program participants became our own leaders.”
stems from different levels of acculturation among
generations. Ways of expressing discipline, support
— Rorng Sorn, Executive Director, Cambodian
and affection frequently result in conflict between
Association of Greater Philadelphia
parents, grandparents and their children. The youth
who are raised in a Western environment often do
not understand how Cambodian elders and par-
Background Information ents show their love and care through discipline.
Grandparents and parents who have experienced
Cambodian Community in Philadelphia severe trauma in Cambodia have a hard time
The genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime in the empathizing with the younger generation’s daily
mid-1970’s created a mass exodus of Cambodian struggles as teenagers in an urban environment.
people. Between 1979 and 1985, over 130,000
Cambodians were resettled in the United States The Cambodia Association of Greater
after several years of hiding in the jungle and living Philadelphia (CAGP):
in refugee camps in Thailand. Today, Pennsylvania Founded in 1979, the mission of the Cambodian
has the fourth largest Cambodian population in the Association of Greater Philadelphia is to improve
7
the quality of life of Cambodian-Americans through ed that they wanted to understand the life of their
direct service, advocacy and cultural education children and grandchildren.
(http://cagp.org/). CAGP launched the Legacy
project in January, 2011 with a mini grant from The desire for connection was not enough to per-
Khmer Health Advocates based in Connecticut suade high school students who have competing
to promote healthy life styles through food and priorities in their lives to participate. Mr. Sarun Chan,
intergenerational engagement. CAGP worked with the Associate Director of CAGP states, “When
the Intergenerational Center at Temple University working with youth, it is very important to give them
and other CAGP partners to expand the scope of a clear understanding of what we are doing and why
the Legacy Project in the second year by focusing we are doing it. They understood that this is an effort
more intentionally on the building of in-depth cross- to help both generations understand each other’s
generational relationships. Project activities included lives and struggles. Most importantly, we will have
story-sharing, a joint advocacy trip to Washington an ending event which showcases a community
D.C. and the creation of a photo-story exhibition of timeline through stories and photos from seniors
the Cambodian journey to the United States and youth. They understood that the final product
was going to be presented to educate about our
collective experiences to the general public. It is not
about old folks, it is about the overall issues in the
Recruitment Strategies community.”
CAGP drew upon the long term relationships it Throughout the project, CAGP maintained a core
had built through its senior and youth programs to group of 15 to 20 elders and 15 to 20 youth. Par-
successfully recruit participants. Due to their trust ticipants range from 14 to 79 year of age; 45 were
of the organization, many youth and elders agreed female and 15 were male. Once the advocacy trip
to join the intergenerational project without hesita- to Washington DC in March was announced to
tion. Nevertheless, the organization had to tailor its the community, it attracted more participation and
recruitment message for each age group. a total of 60 elders and youth participated in the
program at least once.
For elders, the staff communicated that this was an
opportunity to share their wisdom and experiences.
Ms. Chanphy Heng, the Health Program Director,
believes that the sense of appreciation and obliga- Intergenerational Activities
tion elders have for CAGP motivated seniors to
join the activities. She reported, “Khmer elders are Creating a safe space for youth and elders to
loyal. We have helped them through our services learn from their experience
for years…They may not have financial means to After elder and youth groups met separately to
contribute back, but they wanted to offer whatever learn about the project, CAGP facilitated a joint
resources and time they have for us.” Elders re- “meet and greet” session. At this occasion, a fun
ported that they saw their participation as a way to ice-breaker game, a formal project orientation
‘give back’ to the services that their children and and a joint discussion regarding their challenges
grandchildren have received from the organiza- and strengths were facilitated in both English and
tion. One elder noted, “The Association helped my Khmer (elders’ native language). Youth reported
child a lot. My daughter is now doing well and she that many Cambodian elders were neglected, felt
finished college. Participating in this program is like isolated, and faced severe economic hardships.
contributing back to CAGP.” Some seniors indicat- Elders learned that Cambodian youth were bullied
8
at school and that many lacked financial and emo- in Cambodia and the refugee camps with younger
tional support from their parents. A sense of mutual generations. According to Mr. Chan, there is a
respect and empathy emerged during this event. sense of trepidation to ask about the war and the
refugee camp even if young people live with their
Story Sharing grandparents and/or older parents. He comment-
After a few months of activities that helped create a ed, “Elders feel they do not want to burden young
safe space for seniors and youth to interact, CAGP generations with their dark and depressing stories,
hosted a cross-generational photo and story shar- because they know we already have a lot of stress
ing session. Elders were asked to bring their old in our lives.” Ms. Rorng Sorn, the Executive Direc-
photographs from Cambodia or from the refugee tor of CAGP believes that it is very important to
camp. Young people brought photographs of their create a space for elders to tell their stories through
families. They formed small groups consisting of a this project. “We gave a message, ‘it is safe to
few youth and elders and shared the stories behind tell your stories, and we are willing to listen.’ Then
the photographs through bilingual interpretation. when they share they have SO MUCH to share.”
Mr. Peter Pin, a renowned professional photogra-
pher documenting the Cambodian diaspora, joined
from New York to capture their interactions and Intergenerational Advocacy
took elders’ portraits for his project. CAGP created a cross-generational group of
people who were committed to telling their stories
Overall, the photo and story sharing experience on behalf of their community. They partnered with
facilitated in-depth understanding of Cambodian SEARAC (Southeast Asia Resource Action Center),
history and generated many questions among a DC-based national organization that advances
youth. One elder shared a photo of herself at the the interests of Southeast Asian communities, to
camp with a large identification number plate. She involve youth and elders in advocacy efforts (http://
explained that the photo legitimized her refugee www.searac.org/). SEARAC staff members facili-
status and served as an ID for receiving food. Nu- tated advocacy training for the Legacy Project par-
merous signatures on the back of this old photo- ticipants. Both elders and youth reflected on their
graph indicated that camp officials had to sign the current struggles and identified key issues they
ID each time food assistance was provided. wanted to discuss with representatives in D.C. As
a result of this training, specific themes and speak-
For many elders, this was the first time they had ers were identified for an advocacy trip.
openly shared stories of their difficult experiences
9
At the end of March, more than sixty Legacy mem- Impact on youth
bers took a day trip to Washington D.C. to meet Mr. Chan, the Associate Director and youth pro-
with staff at the White House Initiative on Asian- gram organizer, has always believed that the
Americans and Pacific Islanders, the Asian Con- CAGP’s youth program offers something that
gressional Caucus on Aging, Health and the Office schools do not provide. Given that so many Cam-
of U.S. Representative Robert Brady1. Elders and bodian American youth struggle with their cul-
youth together presented compelling testimonials tural identity and yearn for a sense of belonging,
to the decision makers. With their confidence built CAGP “prepares youth for their internal journey
through intergenerational storytelling and advo- for their life.” Mr. Chan believes that elders’ stories
cacy training, they became a powerful voice for the answered questions that their parents never an-
community. A youth participant who presented her swered due to lack of time, trust and their knowl-
testimonial expressed a sense of accomplishment, edge about Cambodia. Elders’ stores affirmed
“We achieved the same goal together.” To Ms. youth’s cultural heritage, resiliency and “filled in
Heng, who has worked with Cambodian seniors, their identity void.” Mr. Chan stresses that the way
this was a big accomplishment. “Elders did not youth think about their engagement with CAGP
grow up in the environment that ordinary people has changed. “They are already thinking about a
can speak up their rights for the government. They program that benefits not only them but their fam-
were very nervous but we provided a lot of assur- ily and community overall. They are thinking more
ance and encouragement. For them to be out in collectively.” One youth participant articulated her
Washington D.C. to voice their opinions with youth determination to help elderly. “I learned that elders
was an incredible accomplishment.” are mostly invisible in the community.” She believes
that young people can contribute to the community
Elders and youth have become an intergenerational by “just listening to them, being there for them.”
team of leaders. CAGP is currently tying together
all the accomplishments from the project by or- Impact on elders
ganizing an exhibition of the Cambodian refugee’s Providing a safe space for Cambodian elders to
journey. Collaborating with a local art gallery and share stories of struggle and resiliency with young-
Mr. Peter Pin, a renowned Cambodian American er generations suggests the need to develop differ-
photographer dedicating to document the Cambo- ent mental health interventions. Many Cambodian
dian diaspora, the elderly and youth project partici- Americans feel a cultural disconnect with western
pants will showcase their collaborative work. Along mental health services in the U.S. According to Ms.
with their rare photos from Cambodia, the camp, Sorn, “Three decades of trauma (that our elders
and today’s life in urban Philadelphia, they will pres- often carry) requires a wide range of mental health
ent powerful stories of the Cambodian commu- approaches. The traditional western intervention is
nity’s struggles and resiliency. not the only way to address mental health issues
in our community.” For elders, being listened to by
Outcomes youth and recognized for their strengths enhances
their mental health. “They had struggles but how
CAGP’s efforts to promote intergenerational bond- have they overcome? Now we use the concept
ing have had positive outcomes for youth, elders of resiliency with our clients — instead of pity, the
and the organization. The following section de- focus on what they have overcome and accom-
scribes key impacts on each group. plished. That helps them heal.”
Ms. Heng believed, “this project gave elders a
1. The trip to Washington D.C. was made possible by the support of the sense of pride. They think young generations are
Department of Behavioral Health/Intellectual Disability services (DBH/IDS).
10more educated and often shy away from sharing Impact on the organization
their wisdom. Now they feel that young people Ms. Rorng Sorn, the Executive Director of CAGP,
want to know their life…Even if they do not have a highlighted the shifts in approaches they have
degree, money, or education, they have so much made in their intergenerational work. “I want to
to pass on.” Elderly participants felt that they moti- enhance our programming in innovative ways by
vated young people to strive for better lives and not asking, ‘what types of programming do we see
to take their educational opportunities for granted. in the future? Our programs should no longer be
They also expressed that they now see the young about serving youth and elderly. We want to involve
generations as resources who can ‘guide them,’ them and empower them.” According to Ms. Sorn,
“because they know more about the way of life the intergenerational project has been “transforma-
here.” They believe that young generations can tive.” It has proven that the organization can shift
help elders navigate the American health and social its approach to work with its community members.
service system with their bicultural and language She stresses, “program participants became our
skills. “Even though they are young, they can be own leaders. We were not providing activities for
my teacher. Young people can be knowledgeable them. They have become active ambassadors for
and that is something I learned (from the project.)” our mission.” Ms. Sorn now sees all of her commu-
They also felt that the program contributed to their nity members as resources and leaders regardless
health. “Coming here and interacting with one of their age, education level and language ability.
another makes me happy…..if you stay home, feel CAGP is transforming from a service agency to a
isolated and that is depressing, that is not healthy.” facilitator of shared responsibilities by engaging
11their community members across generations. Challenges
Another outcome identified by the staff was their Staff and financial resources
increased ability to forge new collaborations within CAGP staff indicated that financially, this has been
and across organizations. Mr. Chan says his ap- a very difficult year for the organization. The main
proach to youth leadership development has challenge to organizing intergenerational activities
changed. “Now I am always thinking on how to has been a lack of human and financial resources.
connect intergenerationally. We have always col- Without a designated coordinator for the inter-
laborated with other youth programs in the city. generational program, the senior and the youth
But now, within CAGP, I see that we can connect coordinators had to carry additional workloads and
kindergarteners to school kids, school kids to col- they spent significant time to make this program
lege kids, and you can develop a wide range of happen.
intergenerational connections within the organiza-
tion.” He believes that dynamic intergenerational Language, Time and Transportation
programs can help strengthen family units in the Interpretation makes activities slower and time-
community. He also stresses the urgency of cap- consuming. Nevertheless, using both languages in
turing elders’ stories, “Our elders are passing away. the activities helped create a sense of respect and
If we don’t create opportunities to listen to their mutual understanding. Securing elder’s time and
stories, these stories will be lost forever. This is the transportation was another challenge as Ms. Heng
time for us to preserve their stories.” explains, “Our elders, in fact, are quite busy. Their
adult children count on them to take care of the
house and their grandchildren, so they can go to
For Ms. Heng, this project gave her a different per- work.” For elders to come to the intergenerational
spective. As a service provider, she normally has activities, their family members had to drive them
endless problems to solve for her elderly clients. during their busy weekend. Buy-in from elders’
“But this project brought me a joy. It gave me time family was crucial.
to sit down with elders and learn about them and
their lives….”
12Advice for other organizations • Make sure your relationship with community
members is strong through services and pro-
Through piloting cross-generational storytelling gramming before you start the intergenerational
and advocacy activities, CAGP gained significant activities.
experience in facilitating intergenerational work in
the community. The following are key learnings • Understand what benefit youth and what
they want to share with other organizations trying benefit elders. Identify their pressing issues and
to incorporate intergenerational strategies into their passions first, and then design an intergenera-
work. tional project which benefits both generations.
• Cultural competency is the key for program • Do not bring groups together right away. Pre-
design and facilitation. Build your knowledge pare them separately first for the future collec-
about the youth and elders you are working tive work.
with. If you are not from the community and do
not share similar family experiences and hard-
ships, you may not be able to facilitate activities
they can relate to.
13BOAT PEOPLE SOS— nist regime (Welcoming Center for New Pennsylva-
DELAWARE VALLEY nians, 2004).
In Camden, NJ, the Vietnamese population is near-
SOUTHEAST ASIAN ROOTS
ly 5,000. Many older male leaders affiliated with the
GARDEN: BPSOS Camden are former military officials who
came under the Humanitarian Operation after long
Breaking Down the Wall between years in captivity.2 Although the Vietnamese refu-
Generations gees are grateful for the political freedom in their
new land, their challenges continue. In addition to
“Normally, there is no voice for youth in this com- socio-economic challenges and language barriers,
munity ……but I gained a voice through this ex- many multi-generational Vietnamese families face
perience. If these elders can hear my stories and cultural and language barriers that make it difficult
acknowledge my experience, that’s a starting point for elders and youth to develop meaningful relation-
to debunk the stereotype elders have about us ships. According to Boat People SOS, at family
(youth).” and community events there are often “islands of
youth” that rarely interact with groups of adults and
—Youth participant seniors. Opportunities for cross-age engagement
are limited.
BPSOS—Delaware Valley and the Southeast
Background Information
Asian Roots Intergenerational Garden
Boat People SOS-Delaware Valley is the local
Vietnamese Community in Camden, NJ
branch of BPSOS Inc., the largest national orga-
Since the fall of Saigon in 1975, waves of Vietnam-
nization serving the Vietnamese community in the
ese refugees have resettled in the U.S. after experi-
United States (www.bpsos.org). With its mission to
encing dangerous and traumatic journeys. In total,
empower, organize, and equip Vietnamese indi-
approximately 1.75 million Vietnamese migrated to
viduals and communities in their pursuit of liberty
America and other countries between 1975 and
2000. Vietnamese who continue to immigrate to 2. Humanitarian Operation (HO) was set up to benefit former South Vietnam-
ese who were involved in the former regime or worked for the U.S. They
the United States include Amerasians and former were to be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. if they had suffered persecu-
political prisoners who fought against the commu- tion by the communist regime after 1975. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Boat_people
14and dignity, the Delaware Valley branch was estab- the idea of a garden project. They formed the SEA
lished in 2000 to provide programs through two Roots Garden Council which assisted in the recruit-
offices – one in Philadelphia, PA and one in Cam- ment of elderly participants. Youth were recruited
den, NJ. Capable of delivering culturally competent from different high schools in the area through an
and linguistically accessible services, the branch application process.
focuses on youth leadership development, family
health promotion and civic engagement. Several BPSOS was successful in responding to the mo-
years ago, the Camden operation developed a tivations of each generation during its recruitment
process. Ms. Nancy Nguyen, the Branch Manager
partnership with the Vietnamese Senior Associa-
at BPSOS, believes that the intergenerational
tion of Camden (VSAC). Comprised of more than activities were appealing to seniors because they
100 members, the association works with BPSOS wanted to teach young people about their heri-
to host health workshops and other educational tage and plants associated with their traditional
activities for the senior community. culture. They also recognized that gardening work
is physically hard and that they needed assistance
In 2012, BPSOS collaborated with the Camden from youth.
Children’s Garden and other local non-profit orga-
nizations to secure land to develop the Southeast Young people were attracted for different reasons.
Asian Roots Garden to address food security and The youth who participated were already involved
community building. The garden project was de- in community work through BPSOS’s leadership
veloped with an intergenerational approach, com- program and saw this as an extension of their
bining senior wisdom with the vigor and energy of community leadership engagement. They were
youth. Ms. Quynh Tran, the program manager of also aware of the stereotypes that Vietnamese
the SEA Roots Garden project, believes that the seniors have about American urban youth as “lazy”
intergenerational garden fits perfectly with BPSOS’s and “trouble makers.” They wanted to change
mission of promoting individual and community elders’ perception of the younger generation. As
self-sufficiency. She states, “Our elders live in the Ms. Nguyen states, “They wanted to prove there
community (of Camden) that is totally different from are hardworking youth in the community.” Since
theirs. Through the garden project, we have given employment is extremely hard to find in Camden,
them an opportunity to value and elevate their stipends were offered for participation.
knowledge, wisdom and skills. Youth have an op-
portunity to learn and gain from elders’ knowledge. Overall, the recruitment efforts resulted in securing
That empowers both groups and leads them to a total of 30 youth and elders to be involved with
self-sufficiency.” the project. Nevertheless, the staff reflected that
the recruitment message should have highlighted
intergenerational relationship building as a “two-
way” learning process. The staff later learned that
Recruitment Strategies many participants saw the primary intent of the
project as joint physical work at the garden and
BPSOS staff was successful in recruiting members instruction on farming and cultural history by the
for their intergenerational garden project because elders. Midway through the project, the staff had
they had already worked with seniors through to reiterate that the major goal was mutual learning
the Vietnamese Seniors Association of Camden and relationship building across generations.
(VSAC) and youth through their youth leadership
program. Many of the older Vietnamese had farm-
ing skills from their native country and embraced
15Intergenerational Activities lieves that this helped youth demonstrate patience
and respect when interacting with the elders. The
The Intergenerational Garden elders’ participation deepened as they used their
From June through August 2012, elders and youth knowledge and skills to guide young people as
worked together regularly in the garden. The very they gardened. During the summer, however, BP-
hot and dry weather during the summer made the SOS faced an internal challenge when the program
gardening particularly difficult. The project team coordinator appointed to work with elderly left the
realized that the logistical work of maintaining the organization. As a result, elders did not meet regu-
garden required much more time and effort than larly outside the garden and carried out the plant-
they had anticipated. ings at the garden at their own discretion.
Both youth and elders invested significant physi- Story Sharing Program
cal work in cultivating the land and nurturing plants Realizing that more intentional facilitation was
throughout the summer. Elders with their garden- needed to promote cross-generational interactions,
ing knowledge demonstrated how to grow plants BPSOS staff, with guidance from the Temple Inter-
and youth appreciated their guidance. The young generational Center, designed an intensive three
participants, eager to show elders how they can be day story-sharing program in spring 2013. The pro-
‘contributors’ to the community, continued to work gram included ice breaker activities, presentations,
in severe outdoor conditions. One youth participant storytelling, and creative writing. All of these activi-
says that he was able to build trust with elders at the ties were conducted in English and Vietnamese.
garden. “I did the heavy lifting of the garden work
first.” Recalling his own experience growing up in On the first day, an activity called Peaks and Valleys
Georgia at his grandfather’s farm, he said “I wanted was used to facilitate the sharing of difficult and
to bring life to the garden (for our community).” happy times in the lives of participants. In pairs,
elders and youth examined how similar and differ-
Intergenerational Communication Training ent their life experiences were. One pair indicated
In addition to the garden work, the youth met at that they were both abandoned by their parents
BPSOS twice a week for training related to various and grew up without parental support. They said,
topics such as food justice, community resiliency “We both had ups and downs but each time we
and intergenerational tensions. The staff facilitated had difficulties, we prevailed.”
intergenerational communication training as well as
discussions related to post-war trauma. Staff be- On the second day, all participants were asked to
16bring an object that reflected their identity. Elders’ Outcomes
objects included artifacts from the Vietnam War,
Efforts by BPSOS to promote intergenerational
old photographs and ancient coins that an elder
relationships have had positive outcomes for
received from his grandfather. Youth brought items
youth, elders and the organization. The following
such as trophies from sports tournaments and a describes key impacts on each group.
digital camera. As they showed the objects, they
told stories of their past struggles and how they Impact on youth
dealt with adversity in their lives. Through this open Increased empathy toward Vietnamese elderly.
sharing, connections significantly deepened. One The project provided an opportunity for youth
young person expressed, “It takes courage to to listen to elders’ life stories. As a result, youth
share stories of struggles in the past but we did. participants have a deeper understanding and
On that day, we put down our walls.” empathy for the Vietnamese elderly. One teen
articulated, “Now I know more about what they
On the third day, they created joint poems and went through and are going through. I know why
collages of their collective hopes for the future. sometimes they can be angry about the ways
A youth commented, “Making a joint poem and things are with their lives…..Why Vietnamese el-
a collage….That was symbolic and showed that ders are frustrated when they see youth not taking
we can work together. We bridged out lives.” Ms. the school seriously…some never had that edu-
Nguyen, a lead facilitator of the story-sharing ses- cational opportunities like we do.”
sions, was amazed how open participants have
become. She believes that the in-depth interac- Another participant expressed, “We are the same
tions were achieved because of the previous joint people but are just in different time-frame. When I
labor at the garden. “For me, the story-sharing saw these photos of elders when they were young,
series was a litmus test for the shared labor at the they were like us. I felt he was in my shoes figur-
garden, the foundation of their relationships was ing out his life…..There is no reason to be afraid of
already built through gardening and the sessions them.”
complemented it.”
Increased voice in the Vietnamese community.
Storytelling activities changed the nature of rela- Prior to the project, young people reported that
tionships between elders and youth at the garden. they often felt disregarded by the seniors in the
Now elders know each young member’s life and community. The project opened the door for elders
interests. They feel more comfortable approach- to listen to the voices of young people. One par-
ing young people with questions and requests. ticipant articulated, “Normally, there is no voice for
One youth who bonded with elders through photo youth in this community ……but I gained a voice
sharing during the storytelling session reported that through this experience. If these elders can hear
elders now come to her with their old photographs my stories and acknowledge my experience, that’s
and ask her to digitally scan and enlarge them. the starting point to debunk the general stereotype
She is delighted that elders now rely on her for her elders have about us (youth).”
technology skills. She said, “Now I am the person
they can open themselves up to….They come to Increased confidence to overcome challenges.
ask for something from me. That never happened Being listened to by the elders who went through
before. They were always teachers. They recognize unthinkable tragedy validated youth’s life-experi-
that I have skills to help them.” ence and reinforced their sense of resiliency. One
17youth was inspired by his elderly partner’s acknowl- “I feel like I could not have done what J has done…
edgement of his life struggles and said “I used to he does not have a mirror to be shown the right way
get angry at my situation but not anymore. If Mr. because he does not know his own parents. But
L who went through that much said I am a strong he has been able to succeed especially in sports or
person, I can overcome a lot of things. I can get in his community development so much. And K, I
things done in any circumstances.” see that he doesn’t say very much but he has a lot
of thoughts in his soul….He opened up to me and
Impact on Elders told me about his father and it’s a very difficult situa-
Increased respect and empathy for youth. BPSOS tion…”
members believe that the project helped elders
understand the value of listening to youth. Because One elder said now he will pray for the young
of the intentional facilitation of empathic listening, the people and hope that “they will be able to be the
older participants now have a sense of acceptance best of themselves, so that they can build up our
and admiration for young generations. country.”
Elders articulated their understanding of each young Hope for connecting to younger family
member, “I learned things I did not know through members. As a result of inspirational storytelling
stories. I realized that gambling continues to be such experience with youth in the project, the elders
a big problem in the community because it caused indicated that they were motivated to go home
one girl’s mother to leave her first father.” and talk in the same manner with their children and
18grandchildren. All of the elders came to Ms. Tran facilitated mutual dialogues.
and said that the story sharing was very mean-
ingful and that they hoped to do it with their own A sense of urgency to archive elders’ stories
grandchildren or younger family members in the emerged from all participants and staff members.
future. They were excited and hopeful at the sug- As one staff person commented, “Leaving the
gestion that a recording be made of their journey legacy is important. This is a critical time – time is
and the possibility of it being transcribed, leaving passing to capture the elder stories.”
their stories for younger family members to hear
and read for years. One youth reported that she sees her grandfa-
ther differently. “I feel this has become more of a
Impact on organization and community necessity…..if I don’t listen to his story, it will be
Infusion of intergenerational approaches into other lost ….If I can do this with elderly who are not my
programming. Staff members reported tangible family, who are unrelated to me, why can’t I do
skills gained in this project including improved inter- this with my own grandpa?”
pretation and group facilitation skills. They learned
that facilitating mixed-age group interactions is Importance of a shared physical space. Ms.
complex. It sometimes requires sensitively and re- Nguyen believes that the story-sharing activities
spectfully re-directing elders in order to equalize the gave a deeper meaning to the garden as a space
traditional status differences between ages. to honor the knowledge and resiliency of the com-
munity. The success of this project inspires her to
Most importantly, this project inspired the use “focus on community assets rather than deficits.”
of intergenerational approaches across other After the sessions, she heard one elder say he
programs. For example, youth, elders and oth- envisions the garden as a school for community
ers usually separately plan different components members. That is what exactly what she envi-
of the Moon Festival, the biggest annual cultural sioned for the project.
celebration in Camden. Now they see this as an
opportunity for relationship building by having all One of the youth’s reflective comments confirms
generations plan together and promote the idea of this notion. “After the sessions, I see the garden
leaving a legacy. and these plants differently. It’s more symbolic.
The garden is the place to bridge the gap between
elders and youth…..There are roots in these plants
Changes in the nature of intergenerational dis- and that’s our elders and we are creating a new
course. For Ms. Tran, the most important project way of life together.”
outcome was the way it created “conversations”
between youth and elders. She explains the sig-
nificance of this result for the community. “In our
culture, conversations rarely happen in the family. Challenges
Communication between parents and children is
Age and gender hierarchy
mainly about parents giving instructions to chil-
Although their shared labor at the garden created
dren, providing one-way directions.” She believes
a rare opportunity for youth and elders to work
that this is probably the first time that project
together, the two groups still faced difficulty con-
participants had a sit-down conversation with
necting at a deeper level due to the traditional
members from a different age cohort. Through this
Vietnamese hierarchical norms related to intergen-
project, BPSOS created a space and intentionally
erational and gender interactions. The Vietnamese
19culture often places male elders at the highest Limited staff capacity
position in the family and the community. All but During this year, BPSOS lost a number of staff
one of the elderly participants were men—ex-sol- members. Due to lack of funding, each remaining
diers and generals of the Vietnam War. The majority member carried double or triple workloads and
of the elderly participants initially saw themselves donated their personal time to maintain the garden.
only as teachers to youth, not necessarily learners.
Youth just followed their instructions at the garden. Communicating the objectives and expecta-
However as the youth coordinator stated, “the hard tions of the project clearly
work youth and staff did at the garden eventually Strong cultural norms about who can teach and
garnered deeper respect from the elders…” who should learn and internal group dynamics
within the senior association significantly impacted
Hierarchical norms also affected staff relationships participant selection and role expectations. It was
with elders. Staff members were younger females, initially understood by the senior association that
close to the age of the elders’ children. They the intergenerational bonding would take place
needed to be particularly sensitive when suggest- through labor intensive work at the garden. Male
ing to older male community leaders that need to elder leaders established a core group to be en-
listen and learn from young generations. gaged in the project with this in mind and may
have unintentionally excluded participation from
Language older women in the community.
Initially it was hoped that a shared place such as a
garden that would not require that everyone speak
a common language. The staff realized that the
assumption that these generations would easily Advice for other organizations
interact with each other and form a bond needed
to be re-examined. Significant language differ- Through piloting an intergenerational garden and
ences between youth and elders required that the storytelling activities, BPSOS gained significant ex-
bilingual staff had to interpret activity instructions perience in facilitating intergenerational work in the
and as well as the sharing of detailed information community. The following are suggestions for other
by participants. Although this was time-consuming organizations trying to incorporate intergenerational
process, in the end it resulted in increased mutual strategies into their work.
respect and understanding.
• Two-way communication across generations
20needs to be carefully and intentionally facilitat- • Staff has to have a trusting relationship with
ed. Simply having elders and youth in the same both elderly and youth participants before you
space for joint activities does not necessarily start the joint project.
facilitate cross-age interaction. Staff needs to
be aware of the existing norms of intergenera-
tional interaction in the family and community
and challenge the norm to equalize the interac-
tions with sensitivity and respect.
• It is important to communicate clear expec-
tations of the project during the recruitment
stage. Do not define the project by the require-
ments such as number of meetings and partici-
pants. Communicating the ultimate goal of the
project to all participants is crucial.
21EL CENTRO DE ACCIÓN SOCIAL firio Díaz. Approximately 45,000 Latino Americans
(Pasedena, CA) currently reside in Pasadena, CA and Mexican and
other Latino populations continue to migrate for
Bridging Generations One Story at a better work and education. Mexican elders typically
Time: Power of Active Listening move to Pasadena to follow their adult children and
provide childcare and domestic help for their family.
“You should never judge a book by its cover. I
used to think elder people were boring but they An increasing number of Mexican-American children
aren’t. They are interesting and their stories are and youth are raised by their grandparents because
mainly sad...” their parents work long hours. Although they may
form an initial bonding, as children grow into their
—Youth participant
teenage years intergenerational tension often arises
because of the grandparents’ strict parenting style.
Elders lament that their grandchildren communi-
“We must respect their (youth’s) beliefs, if we want
cate through electronics and are always on their cell
them to respect ours”
phone or computer. Although many grandchildren
—Elder participant
can speak in Spanish, elders feel a significant com-
munication gap between them.
Background Information
El Centro de Acción Social (El Centro)
Latino community in Pasadena, CA El Centro was founded in 1968 by a group of
Pasadena is a diverse community comprised of dedicated community leaders who saw an increas-
many ethnicities and languages. According to El ing need for basic social services for the growing
Centro de Accion Social, Mexican people have re- Spanish-speaking population of the Pasadena
sided in the area for generations because the land community (www.elcentropasadena.org). Today, as
was originally part of Mexico prior to the Treaty of a non-profit community-based organization serving
Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. A significant influx of a wide range of age groups, El Centro’s mission is
Mexican population to Pasadena occurred during to provide opportunities for low-income individuals
the early and mid-20th century when many work- and families to become fully self-sufficient and pro-
ing class citizens faced oppression and poverty ductive members of society. They provide cultur-
under the dictatorship of Mexican President Por- ally and linguistically appropriate programs with a
22special emphasis on Spanish-speakers of Pasadena ship building provided hope that they could con-
and the greater San Gabriel Valley area. El Cen- nect with younger generations at a deeper level.
tro’s youth program provides youth with academic Ms. Cantero, the Coordinator of the Senior Citizens
assistance, conflict resolution skill-building, and program commented,
leadership skill-development. Their Senior Citizens
program serves low -income seniors in Northwest “They (elders) feel lonely. They feel that they have
Pasadena by offering ESL classes, U.S. Citizen- no communication with their own family…. they
ship and health programs to prevent isolation and wanted to learn and see what the issue was (the
depression among elderly. Staff have observed that disconnect between youth and elders in the com-
a lack of authentic intergenerational relationships in munity)”
families prevents elders from attaining self-sufficien-
cy. To recruit youth, staff felt it was important to educate
young candidates about El Centro’s senior program
“Dependency on younger family members…that’s and how it addresses Mexican elders’ economic,
the only way for elders to get their adult children or social and health challenges. Some young people
grandkids’ attention…..We have a senior who lives initially expressed a concern that elders’ stories are
with her daughter and grandkids. She does not long and boring. Ms. Albares, the Youth Education
watch TV with them, she does not have dinner with Coordinator, personalized the elder program by
them. The only time they talk is when something sharing her experience taking care of her own older
needs to be translated for her, when she has an family members. Connecting issues at a personal
important call to make to the doctor’s office. That’s level compelled youth to join the effort.
the only time they have a conversation.
El Centro successfully recruited a total of 15 elders
El Centro launched this pilot project with a hope that and 15 youth participants ranging in age from 15
intergenerational activities would foster cross-age through 69.
relationships based on mutual respect and eventu-
ally help elders and youth obtain a sense of self-suf-
ficiency. The coordinators of the Senior and Youth
Intergenerational Activities
programs worked together to plan and implement
activities. Bridging the youth and senior programs at
El Centro
Prior to the pilot program, El Centro’s senior and
Recruitment Strategies youth programs operated at different locations with
different structures. The only occasion elders and
El Centro started their participant recruitment by youth came together was for annual cultural events
providing a presentation on the project at their exist- such as the Day of the Dead. Experienced in work-
ing senior and youth programs. All student and senior ing for both programs at El Centro, Ms. Cantero and
candidates interested in the program were asked to Ms. Albares believed in the value of bridging the two
submit an interest form. Coordinators met with inter- programs.
ested participants separately to discuss expectations
and commitment to the program. El Centro was suc- Before bringing both groups together, the coordi-
cessful in appealing to the motivations of both elders nators met with their individual groups to create a
and youth by utilizing different strategies. foundation for building mutual respect and under-
standing. They believed that starting the dialogue
For elders, the focus on intergenerational relation- within each peer group was important, especially
23for youth since some did not know each other. Staff Each participant wrote down three questions and
members were aware of the elders’ trepidation put them in a bowl. Questions ranged from a simple
around direct interaction with youth. As one elder factual questions such as “Where were you born?”
confessed later, and “When were you born” to more complex ones
such as “How did your family cross the border?”
“I was afraid (about a joint meeting)…..I don’t have and “Can you tell me about the time when you
a good relationship with my grandkids and I was faced a difficult time and how you overcame?” Each
afraid the same thing would happen with these picked up a few questions, responded in writing and
kids.” returned their answers to the bowl anonymously.
Participants took turns reading answers aloud. The
After they brought the whole group together for anonymous storytelling provided an opportunity for
an initial meeting, they rotated meeting locations youth to discuss topics such as their family’s journey
between the high school where youth regularly to the United States. This theme is core to their lives
meet and the community center where the senior but they often avoid talking about it because they
program is hosted. Getting acquainted with each do not want to be labeled as “illegals.” One older
other’s ‘home’ allowed participants’ comfort level woman shared the tragedy of losing her daughter
and sense of openness to increase. during an earthquake in Nicaragua. Her written story
was read by someone else and she later said she
Promoting active listening
would never have been able to share this experi-
Establishing a comfortable space for joint meetings
ence without crying. Having someone read her story
was not enough to bridge the two groups. For many
meant a great deal to her.
Mexican elders who went through severe economic
hardships and deprivation during their childhood, it Discovering the shared struggles of isolation
was hard to understand that young Mexican-Ameri- As elders and youth developed their trust through
cans have difficulties in their lives. Many seniors also bi-weekly meetings, Ms. Cantero and Ms. Albares
viewed the youth as children rather than envisioning continued to encourage story-sharing. Realizing it
them as leaders in the project. While valuing the se- takes courage to open up, the coordinators decided
niors’ experience and wisdom, staff made an effort to share their own life experiences about their fam-
to change the mindset of elders. They constantly ily’s journey to America, their personal struggles and
re-directed the seniors’ thinking from “we are always how they overcame challenges in their lives. Sub-
right” to “we are working together.” sequently a few young people stepped up to share
their stories and the ice finally broke. Ms. Albares
At the same time, youth were uncomfortable shar-
reports that once elders and youth shared their sto-
ing their experiences because they feared that the
ries, they discovered similarities in their experiences.
seniors might tell their stories to their parents. Some
Many go back and forth from Mexico to Pasadena,
were also concerned that undocumented families
feeling confused and isolated. Elders who are re-
could be deported if their stories left the room. Ad-
united with their adult children after years feel that
ditionally, youth felt overwhelmed when listening to
they were thrown into a totally strange environment
elders who became emotional when they shared
without understanding the language and culture.
their stories.
Their adult children often are not able to spend time
with them due to work and expect them to care for
To deal with the language issues, the staff estab-
their children until evening. They feel that no one
lished a rule against correcting language mistakes,
asks them how they are feeling or how they are do-
encouraging people to focus just on listening. The
ing in their new environment.
issue of confidentiality was taken seriously and the
staff facilitated a series of anonymous storytelling.
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