A History of Migrant Education in Southern Illinois 1960s-1990s

• In Event: Containment, Closures, and Desegregation in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Schools

Abstract

This study explores the history of migrant education in Southern Illinois, specifically in the
Cobden community, from the 1960s to the 1990s. Through personal narrative and historical
analysis, the author describes how immigration policies and societal attitudes perpetuated
systemic inequities. Drawing from archival sources and local accounts, the study contextualizes
how federal policies such as the Immigration Reform and Control Act, and local economic
interests affected migrant families’ educational access. This study also highlights the
contributions of local organizations and programs in advocating for migrant children and
families. This work highlights the underlying tensions between economic interests and migrant
rights and asserts the need to center migrant perspectives in the larger discourse surrounding
educational equity and social justice in education.

Author

• Eileen Wertzberger, Kansas State University