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AnnaOdrowąż-Coates
bythehostnation.Onecanpositivelyinfluencetheirupbringingthrougheduca-
tion,mouldingthe‘purposivesocialcapital’ofthefuture.Childreningeneral
learnnewlanguagesfasterandtheyoungerthechild,theeasieritistoacquire
anewlanguage.Childrenmaybecomeinterpretersoflanguageandofculture,
betweenthehostnationandthenewcomers,betweenfamilyandtheinstitutions,
savingtimeandmoney,avoidingmisinterpretationsandmediating.Theymay
alsooperateasbridgingcapitalfortheirfamilyandingeneralasalinkbetween
twoormorenations,religiousorethnicgroups.Childrendisplaylessintercul-
turalfearthanadults,easilyovercomingtheculturalbarriersthatadultsreinforce.
Socialsensitivitytowardschildren’ssufferingisgreaterthantowardsthesuffering
ofadults,makingiteasiertoconvincethepublictoacceptanewwaveofimmi-
gration.Therearealsosomestrictlypedagogicalbenefits,suchasbringingadif-
ferentpointofreference,alternativepointsofviewandmorediversesolutionsto
problems.Acceptanceofnewmigrantspromotesacivicattitudeofresponsibility
towardsothersandacivicprincipleofsubsidiarity.Acceptanceofmigrantchil-
drenmayaidsocialempathy,participationandteamworkforthebenefitofthe
newmigrantsandthewholesociety.Inanarcissisticsense,thesuccessfulintegra-
tionofnewmigrantchildrenintomainstreamsocietygivesasenseofagencyand
satisfaction.Fromahumanitarianperspective,theacceptanceofmigrantchildren
maybeseenaspayingbackcolonialdebttothedisadvantagedandrepayingthe
hospitalityreceivedbyEuropeanchildrefugeesfleeingtothesafehavensofthe
MiddleEast,IndiaandAfricaduringtheSecondWorldWar.Humanismshould
notbelipserviceandemptywords,butasharedandlivedvalueinWesternsoci-
ety.Moreover,helpingtheweakandtheneedyallowspeopletohelpothersand
maygivethemagreatsenseofpurposeandofdoingpositivework.Furthermore,
theacceptanceofmigrantchildrenhelpstomaintaintheethnicandculturaldiver-
sitysupportedbypluralisticsocieties.Suchdiversitymaystimulatedevelopment
andgrowthinsocietiessufferingfromstagnationandlackofprogress.Thecul-
turalexchangewidenspersonalandsocietalhorizons,supportingcriticalthinking
andenhancingknowledgeofthebroadergeographicalsphere.Migrantchildren
whohaveresidedinahostnationforsometime,mayaidnewlyarrivedchildren
byhelpingthemfeelwelcomeandassistingthemtoovercomeinitialdifficul-
ties.Atthesametime,theybringahealthyformofcompetitionandbyexample
oftheirowndeterminationtosucceed,theymayinspirelocalchildrentowork
harderatschool.Althoughitmaysoundstereotypical,firstgenerationmigrants
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