“Yo era la única rara:” School Belonging and English-Learner Students at a Southeastern Virginia High School

ABSTRACT

This study draws on interviews and classroom observations with Latinx, English Learners (ELs) at a high school in Southeastern Virginia to analyze how this group of students builds social connections and constructs “belonging” at school. Findings indicate that these EL students’ school experiences are framed by underdeveloped and ad hoc educational and support infrastructures aimed at serving their needs. Students turned to those with whom they shared language, culture, and ethnic affiliations to build networks of support; however, often these strategies to belong did not facilitate ongoing connections with students“ English-speaking counterparts, hampering relationship-building within the broader school community. We argue that school programming and institutional practices that holistically addressed these students’ language, social, and educational needs, while incorporating their strengths as multicultural agents, would foster increased school belonging and alleviate a situation in which these students must choose between supportive relationships and acceptance and greater progress toward meeting academic goals. To deliver a truly equitable education to these students, schools must adopt reforms that address racial inequities and recognize these students” strengths and resilience as possessors of essential skills for navigating life in today’s multicultural society.

KEYWORDS:

• English language learners
• newcomer
• adolescent
• dual langauge
• ESL
• Spanish-English contact
• immigrant students

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ While recognizing the contested and problematic nature of all racial-ethnic labels, we use the term “Latinx” to refer to people of Latin American origin, while also signaling gender inclusivity. We use the official term “English Learners” (ELs) to refer to students who receive ESL services, in our casethe majority of whom are also immigrants. Other labels currently in use include “emerging bilinguals” and “multilingual learners.”

² To protect confidentiality, the proper names of all locations, schools, school districts, and individuals have been changed. References that reveal the name and/or location of our research site have been omitted.

³ Translations are our own.

⁴ Data on school enrollments and other school and district statistics are from the Virginia Department of Education or the George Washington School Division.

⁵ In 2018 there were over 70,000 pending immigration cases in Virginia. The average number of days for cases to be resolved was 833 (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse-Immigration, 2020).

⁶ While we did not ask students specifically about their immigration status, seven youth described how they crossed the border as “unaccompanied minors” and were later released into the custody of family members. The remaining two immigrant students – Alberto and Gisela – migrated with a parent.

⁷ While interviewees did not offer details about their immigration cases, some mentioned working “with papers.” Notably, interviewees entered the country as children prior to 2020 when the Department of Homeland Security tightened restrictions on asylum-seekers’ eligibility for work permits (Federal Register, 2020).