SECTION I.
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
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The Country of Origin - Thailand
Located in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia, Thailand is a country of mountains, hills, plains and a long coastline along the Gulf of Thailand (1,875 km) and the Andaman Sea. It is a country containing villages and small towns. Thailand is a multi-ethnic nation with a population of 64.1 million. Thai is the national and official language. It is a tonal language with different dialects. Other languages spoken include Chinese and Malay. English, a compulsory subject of secondary school curricula, is widely spoken and understood throughout the country.
The most recent available census data indicated 93 percent of the population is Theravada Buddhist and 5 percent Muslim. NGOs, academics, and religious groups state 85 to 95 percent of the population is Theravada Buddhist and 5 to 10 percent Muslim. Most Buddhists incorporate Hindu and animist practices into their worship. The Buddhist clergy (sangha) consists of two main schools of Theravada Buddhism: Mahanikaya and Dhammayuttika. The former is older and more prevalent within the monastic community (US Department of State, p. 2).
Photo credit: https://www.beautifulworld.com/asia/thailand/
The Capitol Of Thailand - Bangkok
The capital of Thailand is Bangkok, a modern bustling city. Bangkok is a warm tropical city that receives a lot of yearly rainfall. The temperature averages between 77 degrees – 86 degrees throughout the year. Because of its relative size, it is crowded with many people, temples, and shopping.
Working class residents typically live in small wooden and row houses, overcrowded by the expanding population growth. Bangkok’s transportation system was originally based on water travel (para 17) because of the number of canals and their location to the river. An explosion of two, three, and four wheeled vehicles meant congestion for the city and major traffic jams.
Because of its high proportion of school-age citizens, Bangkok’s educational facilities are overburdened. There are too few schools, and the standard of instruction varies. Literacy is extremely high, however. Many of the government-built preprimary and primary schools are located on monastery grounds. Private primary and secondary schools run by foreign religious missions train the children of the elite
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The City Of Origin - Sangkhlaburi, Thailand
Sangkhlaburi is a thriving and remote city that has kept its village feel intact. Sangkhlaburi also includes temples, stupas, and Buddhas, which define quintessential Thailand.
Close to the Burmese border, Sangkhlaburi spreads out on both sides of the Songkalia River. Connected by what is said to be Thailand’s longest wooden bridge, Sangkhlaburi unites ethnic communities on each side of the river to live in peace and mutual understanding (https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/destinations/thailand-2/central-thailand/sangkhlaburi/). Sangkhlaburi is split in two parts, a Thai side and a Mon side, call Wangka. Ethnic minorities who settled near or around the bridge and river may not share the same benefits as ethic Thai people.
Chen Family History and Background
Kanlaya (pronounced Con – lay - yaa) and Malee (pronounced Molly - a) Boonrueng (pronounced Boon – ruin) are the parents of Su Chen and Achara Boonrueng. Kanlaya and Malee live in a rural village in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand. They and their parents have worked on rice farms for generations. Kanlaya and Malee met on the rice farm and their romance developed while harvesting rice. To them, rice farming has been something that has brought them joy and pride. After several years of dating, and then marriage, Kanlaya and Malee had two children. Su (pronounced Sue) and Achara (pronounced A – char - ra) were born and raised by their parents in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand.
Su started dating men she found on Internet Dating sites. Eventually, she found US born Somchai Chen and they had a long-distance relationship for seven years. After being separated from each other for many years, Somchai and Su applied for a K3 marriage visa and Su joined her husband in the United States.
38-year-old Somchai Chen works for the local transit system as a bus driver. His career is solid as he driven buses for fifteen years. 35-year-old Su Chen works long hours as a cook in a very famous Thai restaurant in their home city. The Chens have two small children, a 6-year-old daughter, Charoenrasameem (which means radiant) who is in the first grade and a 4-year-old daughter, Chatmanee (which means jewel), who is in preschool. Su and Achara’s parents are very involved in their lives, even from a distance. In fact, they are prominent figures in helping the Chen family settle major decisions that involve the entire family. See figure 1: The Boonrueng and Chen family.
Figure 1: The Boonrueng and Chen family
Achara’s parents have long worried about the future of Achara. Unable to afford a quality education for their daughter in Thailand and wanting their daughter to have more educational and vocational opportunities, they contemplate allowing Achara to visit the U.S. so Achara can get a sense of whether she would like to live in the US in the future. Kanlaya and Malee, with the help of Su and Somchai, can afford to send Achara, on a tourist visit, to the US for a visit. However, when Achara arrives in the US, her parents tell her she must stay in the US because educational opportunities are better in the US. Achara is heartbroken and Su and Somchai are just as surprised as Achara.
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Chen Family Current Situation
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Achara Chen (14) is currently enrolled at a U.S. high school in which you are the school social worker. Achara is currently in the 9th grade. Achara has no prior school attendance in the U.S. as she is a new student from Thailand. Achara has sporadic school attendance since the school year began and has not been to any of her classes in over 2 weeks. The teacher informs the social worker that when Achara is in class, she is usually quiet and reserved and sits in the back of the classroom. The teacher stated when Achara is in class Achara is respected, demure, and reserved. The teacher has never noticed any concerns with Achara that would raise red flags. Achara’s teacher also observed one incident where Achara’s classmates were overheard laughing at Achara in class because her English is not good. And, because Achara is considered an outsider, the students give her a hard time. Achara’s does not come from a rich family so sometimes Achara wears old clothes to school. When the teacher approached Achara to ask her what had happened with her peers, Achara remained silent and did not wish to speak about it. The teacher said the students who were making fun of Achara have been seated as far away from Achara as possible to prevent further issues. The teacher expressed Achara has been having a hard time adjusting to school. The social worker reviews Achara’s registration records and sees Achara’s responsible adults are Su and Somchai Chen who live five minutes away from the school.
Achara's Current Academic Situation
One of the school social worker’s responsibilities is to make home visits to assess students’ home environments and provide additional supportive services to support students’ academic achievement. The social worker conducts a home visit to Achara’s home as she continues to miss school. The social worker is greeted by Su. The social worker greets Su and introduces herself and her role. The social worker was invited inside and sits down with Su to converse. The social worker also meets Achara. The social worker learns the family’s situation, see below.
Su is Achara’s older sister and Su and her parents applied for a tourist visa for Achara to come to the U.S. Su is currently a U.S. citizen and is married to her husband Somchai. Su and Somchai have been married for five years although they have been together for eight years. Su and Achara’s parents remained in Thailand. Achara’s family is from a rural and poor community in Thailand. About once a year Su and her husband, visit her parents in Thailand.
Since the beginning of the school year, Achara has had a very difficult time adjusting. Achara has a difficult time communicating with students and school staff. Achara has made a friend in school, however, she only sees her friend during first period class and during breaks. Achara has been experiencing bullying at school by other students. Other students make fun of Achara’s accent and tell her to, “Go back to your country.” Achara has also received hateful comments tied to COVID 19. Su tries to be supportive of Achara and encourages her to go to school. Achara has been refusing to go to school and given what Achara has experienced at school, Su understands Achara’s reasons for not going to school. For the past week, it has been impossible to get Achara out of the house. Because of everything that has happened at school, Achara isolates herself at home and spends most of her time in her bedroom. Achara has little interest in doing things she used to enjoy and is having trouble falling asleep. Lately, Achara only has a few bites of her meals. Achara has anxiety about going to school and avoids going out in the community. She does not go grocery shopping with her sister and nieces, nor does she run errands with them on the weekend. Su and her husband were previously helping Achara with English practice exercises at home, and recently Achara has also lost interest in that. Su is hopeful things will get better for Achara. However, Su is very worried and confided in the social worker there is a rumor Achara has been sleeping and having sex with older men for money. The social worker and Su speak to Achara about this rumor. Achara says she has a boyfriend who loves her very much. Through her tears, Achara said her boyfriend posted photos of her on the Internet and chaperones her to a hotel to meet and sleep with strangers. Achara said her boyfriend said it would only be one time, but now her boyfriend has become angry and violent and forces her to meet men in hotels. With a bowed head, and expressing shame, Achara said she has been meeting men in hotels for the last two weeks, which accounts for her school absence.
Social Work Duties
This scenario involves a social worker at a high school. According to the National Association of Social Work (NASW, 2022), school social workers are an integral link between school, home, and community in helping students achieve academic success. Social workers might perform some of the following duties:
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Meeting with students for crisis intervention and management.
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Developing and teaching intervention strategies to help students achieve academic goals.
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Forming school discipline policies.
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Helping students learn strong social skills, as well as strategies for conflict resolution and anger management.
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Working with family members and other individuals in a child’s living situation to help support their adjustment, learning, and development.
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Helping parents access special educational programs and resources for students with special education needs or learning disabilities.
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Offering support and education for school staff to help them improve their understanding of the cultural, societal, economical, or other factors that can impact students’ education and behavioral tendencies.
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Assisting districts in developing and implementing educational programs for exceptional or advanced students, as well as alternative programs for students who have dropped out, are delinquent, truant, or experience other issues impeding their learning.
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Identifying, reporting, and helping school districts to intervene when child abuse or neglect is suspected or confirmed.
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Conduct home visits assess students’ home environment and provide additional support services.
NASW Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Committee Charter
Diversity refers to acceptance of and respect for the variety of similarities and differences among people, including but not limited to gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, race, Native or Indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, romantic orientation, belief system, marital status, parental status, other family status, socio-economic difference(s), appearance, language and accent, ability and disability, mental health, substance use disorders, education, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role and function, veteran status, thinking style, and personality type. Inclusion of various diversity dimensions may vary by geography or organization (NASW, 2023).
Equity ensures that everyone has support and access to the resources needed to be successful, by identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of all staff and members (NASW, 2023).
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Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions and systems, as well as in the distribution of resources.
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Equity differs from equality. Equality refers to treating everyone the same but does not necessarily lead to equitable outcomes because diverse communities have diverse needs and have faced varying obstacles and inequities.
Inclusion is a dynamic state of operating in which diversity is leveraged and power is shared to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organization or community. An inclusive environment ensures equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It promotes a sense of belonging. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are and for their contributions toward organizational and societal goals (NASW, 2023).