The Borderlands of Suburbia: Educational Experiences and Advocacy in a Suburban “New” Latinx Diaspora

• In Event: 41061 - Section on Latina/o Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 5: Latinx Communities, Fear, and Political Engagement

Abstract

The suburbs are an increasingly important place to study the contemporary educational experiences of Latinx students (Rodriguez & González Ybarra, 2020), as the majority of Latinxs live in the suburbs (Frey, 2015, 2022). In this paper, I briefly describe three overarching reasons why we should study the experiences of Latinx students in the suburbs. First, as the suburbs were not built for non-White families and communities, it’s important to research not only Latinx students’ educational experiences in the suburbs but also the local histories and policies that shape their experiences. Perhaps more importantly, it is critical to understand how White people and institutions respond to these demographic changes in suburban schools (Diamond & Posey-Maddox, 2020). Second, it is important to shed light on the educational experiences of Latinx immigrant youth and families in the suburbs. In contrast to previous immigration patterns and pathways, the suburbs are increasingly becoming the first destination for many new immigrants moving to the United States, bypassing cities and traditional settlements such as Los Angeles and New York City (Lacy, 2016; Li, 2009). Lastly, it is important to note that the suburbanization of poverty has expanded, undermining our beliefs about affluent suburbs (Allard & Roth, 2010). While studies, specifically in the immigration literature, have often assumed that moving to the suburbs is indicative of upward social mobility (e.g., Agius Vallejo, 2012; Cheng, 2013), the increase in poor suburbs and the population of poor people in the suburbs challenges this assumption. As such, I explore how one under-resourced school district in a suburb I call Marshall has responded to its sharp rise in Latinx inhabitants and how Latinx youth and families in turn have resisted harmful school district policies, advocated for themselves, and (re)created their own educational spaces (Diamond et al., 2020).

Author

• Melissa Ortiz, New York University