From Troublemakers to Pobrecitos: Honoring the Complexities of Survivorship of Latino Youth in a Suburban High School

ABSTRACT

Despite the recognition to improve the schooling experiences of Latino youth, they continue to be targets of control. While much of the research on Latino youth takes place in urban schools, this qualitative, interview-based study examines the experiences of three Latino youth who attend a suburban high school in the Midwest. Latino youth in suburbia are not only subject to disciplinary measures that fuel their disconnection with school but must also wrestle with being told that they are not taking advantage of their school’s resources. This different sort of policing around resources problematically holds Latino youth accountable for their supposed “shortcomings.” This project considers what Latino youth’s experiences can teach schools about how to enact asset-driven responses that empower rather than marginalize them.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative research
• multicultural education
• adolescent
• race/racialization
• secondary
• Latino/a children and families

Acknowledgments

I am indebted to Kathryn Boonstra, Elisheva Cohen, Alexandra Freidus, Sarah Kabay, Mónica González Ybarra, Noreen Naseem Rodríguez and Maisha Winn for their feedback throughout the different iterations of this article as well as th anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

¹ I use Latino youth to refer the young men of the study. I also use Latinx when referencing the larger ethno-racial community and as a gender inclusive stance.

² An Individualized Education Plan or IEP is an educational plan put together by a student’s teacher in consultation with parents/guardians to ensure that a student with an identified disability receives the resources and support they need.