Mexican transnational parents: What they have to say about inclusive education and their children’s educational needs

ABSTRACT

Through two qualitative case studies conducted over two years, this research examines the educational practices and perceptions of two working-class Mexican transnational families currently living in a Midwestern city in the United States. Findings indicate that for transnational families and their children, educational inclusion is about successfully developing the languages and language repertoires that children will need in their translocal educational institutions “here” and “there.” Understanding Mexican transnational parents’ perceptions of their children’s educational needs may provide new insights into the ways in which their schooling experiences could be improved in more inclusive terms.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Catherine Compton-Lilly for her feedback on earlier iterations of this work and for the opportunity to be part of her research group. We also deeply appreciate the Martínez and Ramírez families, as well as all other translational families we have encountered in our lived trajectories as teachers and researcher; their stories and courage ground the work we do.

Notes

1. All names are pseudonyms.

2. We are unaware of the immigration status of the focal families. Documentation status was not a focus of the research or a consideration in obtaining IRB study approval. While we understand this information may shed light on the experiences of these families, we are also mindful of questions that are potentially uncomfortable for families, and we wished to respect their privacy.

3. Participants’ responses are kept in the language in which they were conveyed to maintain the nuances of their statements.