Culturally Responsive Schooling for Indigenous Mexican Students

By (author) William Perez, Rafael Vásquez

Publication date:

12 March 2024

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

234x156mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781800417533

This book uncovers the social and educational experiences of an increasing yet understudied population of young immigrants in the US, focusing on multilingual students who speak one of three Indigenous languages: Zapotec, Mixtec and P’urhépecha. It explores students’ ethnoracial identities, Indigenous language use and transnational practices and the influence of these factors on school adjustment, academic achievement and educational pathways. This three-year mixed-methods study in semi-urban, urban and rural contexts assesses student interviews, teacher interviews and survey data to provide an account of how Indigenous students develop their social identities and examines the influence of their non-Indigenous Mexican peers and teachers. It highlights new developments in Latinx cultural and linguistic heterogeneity and intragroup race/ethnic relations, informing policymakers and educators about Indigenous immigrant students and how to effectively support their multilingualism, ethnic identity development and educational success. It will be of interest to researchers working in related fields such as education, Latin American studies and immigration studies.

‘They don’t understand us.’ This should be a subtitle to this important contribution. This volume is a must read for all present and future educators in California and any educator that is involved with indigenous students throughout the Americas. The qualitative/personal experience divulged by students is enlightening, sometimes educationally embarrassing for our profession, but, at the same time highly informative for any of us who care about educational equity.