Getting Used to Home: Social and Educational Experiences of Puerto Rican Transnational Youth

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

This dissertation research showcases six ethnographic case studies that focus on the experiences of Puerto Rican transnational youths and their families upon returning to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a remarkable setting to study transnationalism because of its particular historical and sociopolitical relationship with the US, which grants Puerto Ricans citizenship and ease of movement, while also maintaining a strong attachment to the island. It can be argued that Puerto Ricans define transnationalism, being simultaneously insiders and outsiders to the US national scene. The youths involved in these dynamics learn to navigate different educational and social settings on the island and the US. Factors like language, peer interactions and school resources are highly influential in the students' lives and their educational outcomes.
The study was conducted over a period of a school year in two public schools on the island. The data were collected through home visits, classroom observations, and interviews with return migrant students, parents, and school staff. The combination of these data collection methods provided a nuanced portrayal of the social and educational contexts of the participants and the role of these contexts in their experiences in and out of schools. Hence, this study particularly considers the situations that these students and their families encounter at home and how these influence their schooling. It also explores the role of the Department of Education in Puerto Rico and the services it provides to this student population and their families.
The analysis of the case studies through a transnational lens takes into account what it means to belong to two different spaces simultaneously. It also considers the reasons for the constant movement of the families between the two locations, as well as the adjustments in conduct and lifestyle that take place for families and youths with each move.

Author

• Sandra L Soto-Santiago, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez