How School and Neighborhood Microcontexts Shape Youth Aspirations for National Justice and Immigration Reform

• In Event: Race, Gender, and Education

Abstract

This study investigates how middle school students envision necessary national reforms in light of U.S. immigration, and how these views reflect different models of nationalism. To explore how these perceptions are informed by experiences in school and the local community, I analyze ethnographic and student and staff interview data from two schools in California located in vastly different sociopolitical communities. I find that, 1) exposure to curriculum that encourages critical reflection on national inequality and hostility toward immigrants influences whether students support individual or structural reforms, and 2) students’ degree of critical reflection shapes their endorsement of expansive vs. restrictive nationalism. I conclude with implications for educators to support students as civic agents committed to greater national justice and inclusion.

Author

• Cristina L. Lash, University of Nevada - Reno