School Choice and Desegregation in Hartford: Asian American Experiences

• In Event: Intersections Between School Choice, Social Class, Language, and Race

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the experiences and perceptions of parents in Hartford, Connecticut, who identify as Asian and have chosen magnet schools for their children. I examine the extent to which considerations about racial equity and desegregation informed parents’ choices. Findings reveal that parents rarely framed their magnet school choices politically in terms of advancing racial desegregation and equity. More often, parents framed their choices in market terms, as consumers assessing the value of various school options. Additionally, magnet schools appeared to value white consumers over Asian ones. By revealing how Asian American families engage, and are perceived, as consumers in the school choice market, findings broaden scholarship on how market forces constrain racial equity and desegregation.

Author

• Elise Castillo, Trinity College