Immigration Policy in the Midwest: The Effects on Muslim Students and Families

• In Event: 35.023 - The Effects of Trump-Era Immigration Policies on Four School Districts Across the United States

Abstract

Objectives
In this paper, we focus on the case of Treemont Public Schools (TPS), a K-8 district enrolling 1,900 students from heterogenous backgrounds. A suburb in the Midwest near a large city, Treemont has a growing population of families who identify as immigrants, Muslims, or both. Advocating for the rights of immigrant families, the school council has passed policies regarding “safe zones” and adopted the language of sanctuary cities, restricting the kind of information local law enforcement provides federal immigration officials. We answer the following research question, “In what ways does the local context of reception shape the educational experiences of immigrant youth given current anti-immigrant discourses and policies at the federal level?”

Theoretical frameworks
Drawing on theories of immigrant acculturation, our research seeks to understand how the context of reception informs the immigrant experience. Contexts of reception have been described as the opportunity structure, degree of openness versus hostility, and acceptance in the local community (Schwartz et al., 2013). Immigrants in positive contexts of reception can find jobs, are welcomed, and develop social networks. In negative contexts, immigrants have trouble getting financially and socially established and experience discrimination, which can hinder upward mobility (Portes & Rumbaut, 2006). This theoretical framework has lead us to focus on aspects of school contexts which inform the experience of immigrant students.

Data sources and methods
Methodologically, we draw on data from a survey administered during the spring of 2018 to all-staff, including administrators, teachers, guidance counselors and others, across the district with a 71% response rate. The survey measured school climate, the impact of immigration policies, response to policies, and resources needed by the educators. We focused on descriptive and inferential statistics to identify patterns in the data. We also performed a thematic analysis (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) of qualitative data to provide more detail and illustrate the nuances of our quantitative findings. The qualitative data also helped us to highlight and better understand outliers (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998). In addition to survey data, we gathered district information from the Department of Education’s Common Core of Data.

Findings and Significance
Our findings explore prominent features of TPS’s context that seem to inform immigrant students’ experiences. Survey results suggested that educators make concerted and consistent efforts to create a welcoming environment for immigrant students and their families. For example, many have posted inclusion signs and one school has established a schoolwide reading program focused on immigration. Many TPS educators also exhibit a strong sense of efficacy and motivation as evidenced by their responses documenting various actions to support students despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric. Although the educators’ commitment and responsibility shine through, the rising levels of stress and conflict for immigrant students and those who serve them are troubling. There needs to be more attention to uncovering and building resources and methods of support, as well as access to them, so that schools can more effectively reach immigrant students and their families.

Authors

• Julie Kim, Boston College

• Melita Morales, Boston College