Navigating Change: Gentrification’s Impact on English Learners in San Francisco and San Diego (Poster 40)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 3:20 p.m.
  In Invited Poster Session: 2025 AERA Undergraduate Fellows Research Poster Fair

Abstract

As gentrification becomes a more central phenomenon in cities, its impacts too are more clearly evidenced in education. However, a gap exists in studying its geographic impact on student subgroups, particularly those from low-income and immigrant backgrounds. As an economic phenomenon, gentrification poses a risk of displacement on many immigrant communities. This burden is especially strong among first and second generation immigrants and their families since many hold low socioeconomic statuses and have children who are English Learners (ELs) in urban public schools (Bottia, 2019). This paper, therefore, contends with how gentrification impacts the displacement of ELs. In particular, this research implements a multi case, explanatory study, comparing the geographic impact of gentrification on ELs in traditional public elementary and middle schools in San Francisco and San Diego, two cities with large immigrant communities and widespread gentrification, during the 2013-2014 and 2023-2024 school years. Results depicted through maps created on Social Explorer highlight that ELs are being displaced in both cities from their schools located in gentrifying neighborhoods, with a stronger intensity in San Diego during the period of study. Even as gentrification occurs, however, it appears that school districts have the ability to lessen gentrification’s impact on their students, in particular through strategic school assignment practices. The findings reveal that moving forward, similar research should examine cities where gentrification has a significant impact on immigrant communities and consider the school and local policies in place that may reduce the displacement of EL students from their schools.

Author

• Zoe Lehmann, Washington University in St. Louis