Navigating School, Home, and Self: African Immigrant Students' Experiences With the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Six
  In Roundtable Session: Mosaics of Change and Challenge: Critical Ethnographic Conversations (Table 12)

Abstract

This study uses qualitative interviews, youth journals, and school and non-school related documents as data collection methods to capture how factors associated with COVID-19—such as quarantine and remote learning—shaped the lives of African high schoolers in New York City. This study also investigates how African immigrant students navigated and found joy amidst this global pandemic and the ongoing killings of Black people which resulted in the 2020 uprising. Findings show that the pandemic and social uprising pushed African students to reflect on their mortality and place in the world and further shaped their future goals. Findings suggest the needs for schools and family/community to work together to support the mental and academic needs of African students.

Author

• Mercy Agyepong, New York University
  Presenting Author