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  Case: Don't Hold Hands
Ade and Elsa are two 7th grade girls from Indonesia who joined our school couple months ago. I teach them Physical Science. They have well-developed English skills. Although they have an accent, they can communicate with teachers and fellow students. I am very sensitive to the needs of newly-arrived immigrant students, so I paid close attention when I heard rumors from other students about them. Students started spreading that Ade and Elsa were in a lesbian relationship. Apparently Ade and Elsa heard about the rumors; they came to me in tears. I asked them to tell me what was going on. What I found out was very interesting. Ade and Elsa have known each other since they were small children and they have always been best friends. Their families decided to move to the US together. Their fathers applied for jobs in the same company. They both received offers and moved together. Ade and Elsa were excited about going to the same school in US and continuing their friendship. In Indonesia, same-gender friends holding hands is very common and indicates friendship. When children at our school saw Ade and Elsa holding hands they thought that Ade and Elsa were in a lesbian relationship. I have to do something about this. I see two options before me: I will explain to the children in my classes that friends holding hands in some cultures is completely normal, or I will tell Ade and Elsa to not hold hands to avoid these rumors. The second option seems culturally insensitive, but if Ade and Elsa continue holding hands, rumors will continue even if I explain to my students the cultural side of their friendship. What should I do? If you have an original solution to this issue, please advice.
Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!)
Lesbian relationships are a very sensitive subject in our world. No matter ones opinion on the topic, it still does not give anyone the right to judge people based off little actions. I think that you could mesh the two options together. Telling Ade and Elsa that no matter what he says to students, they still might hear rumors, is my first option. I believe you should do this and explain how that, unfortunately, is part of America's culture. Americans judge and talk about other people because they have trouble dealing with their own problems. After you warn Ade and Elsa of this, ask them if they would be embarrassed if he did a cultural lesson which used them as a basis of the culture. I would have a lesson which point out different characteristics between American culture and their Indonesia cultural. You can highlight on major points like kissing, holding hands, greetings, home life, and more on each culture and then compare. Students will see how the cultures are different and hopefully open their views a little more widely.