What are the potential multicultural issues about which you must be sensitive in working with the Dupree family ?
in 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated many parts of the Gulf Coast, Particularly hard hit was the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana. Researchers later concluded that the damage was ultimately not caused by the fast winds of the hurricane but by flooding and breaking of the levees. In the wake of the hurricane, many people had to flee for their lives from the Ninth Ward and other areas. one family that had to leave was that of MR. and Mrs. jean Dupree, their four children, and Mr. Dupree’s elderly mother and father. The Dupree family had lived for many generations in new Orleans and had played an active role in their parish’s service organizations and their children’s school. Mr Dupree was a highly skilled carpenter and Mrs. Dupree was a wonderful baker and had a small business from her home where she was helping to care for her frail mother-in-law and father-in-law and her young daughter.
FEMA temporarily relocated the Dupree family to a small town in western Pennsylvania. The Duprees arrived with only clothes handed out to them at a disaster center in Texas and little possessions since they did not have time to remove anything from their home and could only carry with them what was truly needed for survival. Mrs. Dupree was sad that they were not able to retrieve the book with their wedding pictures and a book of ancient photographs with pictures of her now deceased parents and her husband’s parents when they were younger and healthier. she was especially sad to leave behind a book containing baby pictures of their children. family mementos and jewelry may also be lost to the waters forever. The Dupree were uneasy when they arrived. They were African American and catholic and the townspeople seemed to be nearly all white and they only saw protestant churches when they walked around the town.
