Literature Review: The Impact of Invisibility on Diasporic Indigenous Students in K-12 Settings

ABSTRACT

Diasporic Indigenous students are increasingly present in K-12 classrooms in the United States, but a failure to identify their linguistic and cultural backgrounds accurately forces their absence from critical conversations regarding academic growth. This literature review highlights the invisibility that these students endure as false assumptions are made regarding their language experiences in transnational contexts. Both historical and modern practices have contributed to the circulation of misconceptions that affect these individuals in educational environments. Many obstacles preclude their success in school, and therefore, educators must learn to recognize the unique needs of diasporic Indigenous students to serve them effectively. Essential improvements in instructional planning can occur with strategic professional development that addresses the effects of colonialism and promotes an awareness of Indigenous languages and cultures. Further research is necessary to advance the understanding of language acquisition processes for Indigenous multilingual learners and literacy development as it relates to this population, specifically.

KEYWORDS:

• Diasporic indigenous students
• invisibility
• Latinx

Disclosure statement

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