Whitewashing U.S. History: The Marginalization of Latinxs in the Georgia Standards of Excellence

ABSTRACT

Latinxs are the fastest growing student population in U.S. schools, yet they are largely omitted from the social studies curriculum. Curricular exclusion fosters feelings of alienation in Latinx students, who do not see themselves represented in the history that is taught. The current study investigates the representation of Latinxs, immigrants, and Latin American countries in the Georgia standards for United States History. The researcher conducted a mixed method content analysis of the k-12 standards for U.S. History in Georgia. Combining qualitative and quantitative analyses, the researcher investigated the frequency of inclusion and the way in which Latinxs are portrayed in the standards. Results demonstrate the marginalization of Latinxs from the social studies curriculum – contributing to the whitewashing of U.S. History.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical race theory
• culturally relevant teaching
• curriculum
• latinx
• standards
• social studies

Disclosure statement

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