Immigrant Youth’s Frames of Reference: A Resource for Navigating School and Beyond

• In Event: Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Language and Discourse

Abstract

Existing research demonstrates how immigrant youth rely on a dual frame of reference—defined as a worldview based on comparing the experiences and opportunities in one’s home country to those in the adoptive community—to develop a more nuanced view of the U.S., and navigate shifting family relationships. However, less is known about whether and how youth’s frames of reference influence their approaches to school-based literacy tasks. Based on data from a two-year, qualitative study of immigrant youth in an after-school tutoring program, this paper illustrates how first-generation West African immigrant youth use a dual frame of reference to navigate their urban neighborhood, and make sense of the norms, expectations and literacy practices of their high school.

Author

• Jie Yie Park, Clark University