What Counts as a Heritage Language? Justice, School Choice, and Competing Claims for Recognition

• In Event: 14.045 - Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: 14.045-13 - Communities, "Outsiders," and Education: Migrants, Refugees, and Language Minorities

Abstract

The concept of heritage languages recognizes the many different languages spoken by immigrants—and the children of immigrants—in the United States. Heritage languages are increasingly being incorporated into public school programs, often through the creation of charter schools that focus on the different linguistic, ethnic or religious identities of families. In this paper, I argue that the concept of a heritage language does not adequately address the concerns of justice raised by these new and distinctive kinds of schools. In particular, different heritage languages—and different community’s claims for recognition—should be evaluated against broader considerations of justice and equity. In the paper, I pose alternative criteria for consideration by charter school authorizers and policy makers.

Author

• Terri S. Wilson, University of Colorado Boulder