Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors Releases Spanish-language Instructional Video to Help Immigrant Parents Cope with Uncertainty and Unkind Behavior Toward Their Children

Video to Help Address Concerns of Parents from Across the United
States with Advice on What to Do If Their Child is Bullied

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In response to thousands of parents from across the country, Abriendo
Puertas/Opening Doors today released a video to address the concerns of
immigrant parents worried about the current political climate, and
looking for advice on how to help their children cope with bullies.
BuzzFeed news reports bullying toward Latino and Middle Eastern children
has been reported across 26 states. Latino, Middle Eastern, African
American and Jewish students have been especially targeted.

“At the start of the year we were inundated with calls from concerned
parents who were desperate for information on how to navigate current
anti-immigrant policies, what to do should they come in to contact with
officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and how to
keep their families safe,” said Sandra Gutierrez, founder and national
director for Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors. The video demonstrates and
provides insight for parents on how to effectively communicate with
their children on topics that are particularly difficult to tackle. It
models interactions between parent and child and shows them how to
respond, and comfort a child who faces the stress of bullying, and
potential family separation. Using the familiar dicho “Better
safe than sorry” (“Mas vale prevenir que lamentar”), it also
encourages parents to develop their own plan to provide for the care and
well being of their child in the event of an emergency.

Intangible Productions and Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors developed the
video in conjunction with experts on family engagement, early childhood
development and immigration policy. “We were alarmed at the number of
parents who said their children were being bullied at school,” said
Sandra Gutierrez. She continued, “It’s our greatest hope that this video
lets parents know they are not alone, their contributions to this great
nation are valued, and that their children have great promise.” The
video is available on the organization’s website at: http://ap-od.org/resources?s=immigration,
along with links to information and resources for immigrant parents.
There are versions with subtitles in English and Spanish for bilingual
and hearing impaired families.

The video will be distributed free of charge to social service
providers, immigrant rights organizations, child care providers,
faith-based organizations, and early education programs. The
organization hopes to reduce the stigma faced by many immigrants,
particularly in parts of the country where resources are scarce. It may
also serve as a powerful tool for service providers to facilitate a
broader dialogue on issues that are the cause of daily stress for many
families.

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors is
the nation’s first evidence-based comprehensive training program
developed by and for Latino parents with children ages 0-5. Parent input
informs the curriculum, which uses the “popular education” approach to
engage them in lessons that reflect the culture of the target audience.
Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors is active in 324 cities throughout the
U.S.

Contacts

Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors
Helen Sanchez, (323)
533-9727