Invisible Borders for Mexican Immigrants in U.S. Schools

By Kimberly J. Howard

PhD Student at University of South Carolina

ESOL teacher in Lancaster County, SC

What are the invisible borders that Mexican immigrant students face? When are they crossed? Why are they important?

A call to research:

• Problem: High numbers of Mexican Immigrants in U.S. schools are not succeeding educationally.

• Goal: To illuminate difficulties and differences that Mexican immigrants encounter in U.S. schools

Latino population growth in SC

0 50000 100000 150000

1990

2000

2005

Latino

Latino population in South Carolina by country of origin

MexicanPuerto RicanCubanDominicanCosta RicanGuatemalanHonduranNicaraguanPanamenianSalvadoranOther Central AmericansArgentineanBolivianChileanColumbianEcuadorianParaguayanPeruvianUruguayanVenezuelanOther South AmericanSpaniardOther Hispanic or Latino

Spanish-speaking ESOL students in South Carolina

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

Spanish-Speaking

ESOLStudents

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

Grounding Theory

“Cultural Capital” is a major factor in a student’s success. Cultural Capital can be:

1. Institutionalised- formally accredited learning

2. Objectified- art, books, and style

3. Embodied- non-accredited and tacit knowledge, tastes, and dispositions(Gary Bridge, Perspectives on Cultural Capital and the Neighbourhood, Urban Studies, April 2006, p. 720)

Research Design

• Ethnographic case study based in San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico

• Data were collected by conducting formal and informal interviews, recording field notes as a non-participant observer, and by collecting artifacts

Participants:

5 Mexican immigrant parents

(3 interviews each)

2 U.S. teachers and 2 Mexican teachers (interview and classroom observation)

1 Mexican immigrant student

(interview)

Invisible borders are both Institutionalized and embodied (I/E):

Claudia, Student, 22, Tijuana “…” (stereotypes) “…” (alienation-I/E)

Amber Oros, Parent, 49, Mexico City “…” (assumed knowledge-E) “…” (grade placement-I)

“…” (Mexican public school limitations-I)

Delia Bond, Parent and Mexican Teacher, 49, Mexico City “…” (Mexican curriculum-I) “…” (price of university-I)

Rosa Hernandez, Parent, 37, TijuanaMaria Valdes, Mexican Teacher, 43, Mexicali,

“…” (parent participation-E)

Institutionalized Invisible borders…

Themes Mexico US

School day 2 sessions; 4-5 hours 1 session; 7 hours

Average level of attendance

6-9th grade 12th grade

Funding Building & textbooks Fully funded

Class size 35-40 average 20-25 average

School year 200 days 180 days

Parent/Teacher Conferences

As a group Individual

Report cards 1-10, average (promedio) passes; nat’l format

A-F scale; various formats

Special Education Not available in most cases

Federal mandate for all

Textbooks Student owned School property

School attendance Encouraged Mandatory

Conclusions

Education is culturally interpreted. When Mexican immigrants enter U.S. schools, there are both institutionalized (grade placement, school background) and embodied (assumed knowledge, parent participation) cultural capital that they do not share with their American peers. These differences become social borders that are often invisible to the parents, teachers, and the students themselves.

Limitations and further research

Limitations: time constraints, finances, access to participants, location and

language ability. Further research:• A case study of Mexican immigrant High School

students (comparison between states)• A comparison of Mexican and other Latino

countries’ educational systems• Accurate data on dropouts• Tracking of Mexican immigrant students into

special education

Recommendations

• Newcomer orientation programs should be implemented in schools for students and parents

• Teachers and administrators should be made aware of these differences

Questions????