Secondary Schools Helping Mexican
Immigrant Students Overcome
Marginalization
Craig A. Hughes, Ph.D.
Central Washington University
Hughesc@cwu.edu www.cwu.edu/~hughesc
National Association for Bilingual Education Annual Conference
January 30, 2003: New Orleans, LA
What is Marginalization?
• Marginalization is the process through which
students "do not feel part of the social or
academic mainstream in class or anywhere in
the school" (Zanger, 1993).
• Exclusion: not accepted as a member of the school
community
• Subordination: lower status imposed by others
• Cultural Invisibility: Failure to recognize or include
cultural heritage and values
What can schools do?
• Examine school structures
• Evaluate personnel interactions with students
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
S: Like, my classes were too easy for me. And that’s
because... I didn’t take hard classes. I took band.
Easy classes. Instead of taking more advanced
classes. I guess. More priority was given to other
students.
C: Then nobody, nobody really thought you could
handle those higher classes?
S: They didn’t pay attention. And like I never took
math. So then when I did take one math, it was kind
of hard. Because I had never taken it. (2nd
Generation Female)
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
S: It never surprised me when the new immigrants
were pushed out. I don't think I could have
withstood the kind of terrible stereotypes of them..
There was a time when if you were in ESL it was
taken that you were also stupid, you know. Not
that there was a language barrier, it's just that you
don't know anything. And that your education is
inferior.(2nd generation Male)
S: After they got out of ESL, stuck in more
programs, like for the ESL students. Like the
American History class. It was in English and in
Spanish. And they got in classes the same way.
With someone that speaks Spanish there that can
help them. So they, they were like getting really
lazy. Not doing any homework pretty much.
Because they were like, in Spanish and in English,
it was kind of easy. (1st Generation Female)
C: How did you feel about the ESL class?
S: Oh, we loved that class. Because it the only time
we had opportunity to study. And to learn some
language. And that way we could communicate.
And that was the time we could talk to the teacher.
Or to ourselves. That was important. (1st
Generation Female)
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
S: A lot of people told me, you know, some people
they want to get you into a cosmetology program.
Because they don’t think you’re available to go
through college. (1st Generation Female)
S: And I went to him (counselor) one time to
change my schedule. Because he wanted me to
take woodshop instead of typing. And I took typing
instead of woodshop. Because, like, I like build
things, like with my dad and stuff. Help him out.
But I know typing would have helped me out a lot
more. Why I needed it. Computers and everything.
(2rd Generation Male)
S: And we had this English course. And it’s for
seniors. And they just help, help you do your
résumé. And then an essay for scholarships. And
the university. And that kind of encouraged me.
Because I had my essays done. (1st Generation
Female)
S: And so that's one thing that I didn't understand the
system either. That these (English-speaking) kids were
not attending classes or anything. And they were still
passing. And then we have these Mexicans where
they were attending classes but they couldn't, you
know. They couldn't comprehend well. They didn't
understand the English teacher. And they were getting
bad grades. So, it was like, "Well you know
something's wrong here. These kids are passing.
These kids are failing." I was like, "Do they really want
them to graduate?" (2nd Generation Female)
Include In Challenging Academic
Programs
• Consider ways in which Spanish can be a
positive addition to the school.
• Help teachers learn how to modify curriculum
– Workshops
– Classes
– Books
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
• Create “Small School” Feel
School Size Issues
• Larger school
– Offers more programs
– Less personal contact
• Students can disappear
• Smaller school
– Fewer programs
– More personal contacts
Small School Possibilities
• Physically smaller
– Create more schools in a particular area
• Symbolically smaller
– Creation of “families”
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
• Create “Small School” Feel
• Include ESL students
– Extracurricular Activities
S: I started liking cheerleading because my
freshman year I didn't do anything at all. So I didn't
have a lot of friends. I did, but not that many. The
next year, when I started cheerleading and doing
tennis, I met a lot of people in class that I didn't
know before. And I just became friends with them.
And they were involved in these after school
activities. So I just helped them, when they asked
me for help. (1st Generation Female)
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
• Create “Small School” Feel
• Include ESL students
– Extracurricular Activities
• Choice of activities
S: When I was a senior. They were going to have
this celebration for Cinco de Mayo. And the teacher
suggested to us, "What should we do to show them
that you have pride in your culture?" So we
suggested to do the himno nacional. And escorta.
To form a escorta,... the color bearers, yes. So we
did that in front of the school in the theater. And I
was so proud of doing that. Even after, the other
students were saying, "I saw you". And I'd say, "Oh
yes." I mean, I was really happy. (1st Generation
Female)
S: (Something that I always wanted was soccer.
But the law was that illegals, those with no papers,
can’t play sports. I don’t know why. There are
times you go on trips. To other areas. That’s why
they couldn’t. I never, never knew of any Mexican
that played sports in the extracurricular activities
there. This would give them, give the Mexican
students more opportunities to do things outside of
their studies that would make them feel good.) (1st
Generation Male
S: You know, a hundred and fifty dollars to play a
sport, that's a pretty lofty fee. A hundred and fifty
dollars, I mean that's, that's like, you know, all the
money that you're going to have the whole month.
For your own personal expenses. So, those kind
of things, I think the school could offer may be
more benefits to students who were really in need.
(3rd Generation Male)
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
• Create “Small School” Feel
• Include ESL students
– Extracurricular Activities
• Choice of activities
• Scheduling of activities
Scheduling Concerns
• Hours activities are offered
– Parents work extended hours
• Bus schedule
– Finances limit personal transportation
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
• Create “Small School” Feel
• Include ESL students
– Extracurricular Activities
• Choice of activities
• Scheduling of activities
• Outreach to parents
– Language
S: There was like parents night ... when I was in
elementary school. And I think that kinda pushed
them away later because the teachers didn't know
Spanish. And they didn't understand what was
being said or anything. And so they just didn't go
after that. I don't remember them going in middle
school or them going in high school either. I would
tell them about it or functions that would require
them to be there. Not required but, you know, ask
parents to be there. And it wouldn't call their
attention. They just kind of stayed away. (2nd
Generation Female)
School Structures
• Provide Challenging Curriculum
– ELL Programs
– Academic Programs
• Create “Small School” Feel
• Include ESL students
– Extracurricular Activities
• Choice of activities
• Scheduling of activities
• Outreach to parents
– Language
– Cultural acceptance
One thing was when I was nominated for
homecoming royalty my senior year. And for the
homecoming game we had to go with our parents
to be presented as the royalty for the homecoming.
And when I found that out I just didn't go because I
knew my, it would be awkward. It'd just be weird
for my parents to go. They wouldn't feel
comfortable. (2nd Generation Female)
School Personnel
• Need to be student advocates
Student advocates
• Demonstrate confidence in and challenge
students’ abilities
– Avoid negative stereotypes!!!
S: So that's what the teachers and administrators
did. I think they just clumped them in there. “I don't
care if they’re good at math. I don't care if they’re
good at science. You don't know English, so you're
in there.” I think that's wrong because they just get
discouraged altogether and, I mean, they are
discouraged because they don't know English.
And then they’re discouraged because they can't
fully use the thing that they are good at, what ever
it is. They don't get opportunity to share it. (2nd
Generation Female)
S: My math teacher, I worked with her four years. I
went in that grade hardly knowing English. And it
was a different program. Interactive math. And it's a
different way of learning math, word problems. And
you find different ways to find an answer. And so, we
were divided like in four persons per group. And we
would interact finding an answer…And so I needed
to work like twice to understand the problem.... So
we needed to go in front of the group and present it.
And so I think that that helped me to develop more
security communicating with my other classmates,
you know. (1st Generation Female)
C: And what else did she do to really help you?
And encouraged you?
S: I was with her like in middle school. Then when
I got to high school, I only did one semester and
that was it. For me, for ESL. She like, "You don't
need it anymore." She's like, "You're not taking it."
And I'm, "Okay." (Laugh) And then she like pushed
me, "You're not going to take anymore ESL
classes. You start taking the regular classes. With
no help." And I'm like, (Laugh) "Fine." (1st
Generation Female)
Student advocates
• Demonstrate confidence in and challenge
students’ abilities
• Integrate Mexican students with mainstream
students
C: What did she ( the teacher) do so you could
interact with the Americans?
S: Well, she did activities during which, because I
spoke Spanish and the rest of them that came to
class, no one spoke Spanish, so she put me to
work with the rest of them. To help them. Later,
she made me the student teacher, what ever it is.
Student aid, yea. So then I started to begin to
practice more with them. With the Americans. (1st
Generation Male)
Student advocates
• Demonstrate confidence in and challenge
students’ abilities
• Integrate Mexican students with mainstream
students
• Effort to improve school environment
S: My math teacher never gave us any papers or anything
to do. Math and we can kind of figure out what's going on.
And so we started to sitting on the back and he just kind of
ignored us. So I talked to her (the ESL teacher) about it.
And he started giving us homework. And talking to us, like,
"Oh. That's good."
C: So, because she talked to him,
S: Uhm she, yea.
C: You guys were able to get more involved.
S: Yea. Because he was pretty much ignoring us. We're
like, "What are we doing here? If you're not even paying
attention to us...So I talked to her about it and she like,
"Why is he doing this? It's like a math class. You can do
it." (1st Generation Female)
School Personnel
• Need to be student advocates
• Support the students
Student Support
• Develop a cultural understanding
S: And so these Mexican American kids, they go to
one teacher and one teacher only And her name
was Mrs. Vigil, one of the only Mexican American
teachers at the school. And Mrs. Vigil, a great lady,
kind of make you feel like you were a son or
daughter.... They wouldn't go to anybody before
Mrs. Vigil. Mrs.Vigil made them feel right at home.
So, had it not been that, had Mrs.Vigil been a very
cold teacher, a very shy teacher, not very public
type of a teacher, they wouldn't have gone to
anybody. (2nd generation Male)
C: Did any of the teachers ever treat you like they
expected you to be less Mexican?.
S: No. They were always curious. Asking me
questions. "Oh, what do you do in Mexico?" Like
the Cinco de Mayo thing. They're really into it. But
I don't why because it's not a big deal in Mexico.
They were asking questions and they wanted to
learn from me and I wanted to learn from them. (1st
Generation Female)
Student Support
• Develop a cultural understanding
• Develop a supportive relationship
S: I had a free period that during that time. And she
needed an aid. And so she asked me if I could be her
aid during that time class. When she had her free period
too. So, I was her aid. And during that time, she taught
me how to actually, like, write. Improve my writing.
She's like, one-on-one improve my writing. How to
actually study. And she gave me a story called, "Three
Letters of Teddy." It's kind of an inspirational story about
a kid and a teacher. And she told me that I was her
Teddy. The kid who went on to college and became a
doctor. And that I was her Teddy. It was really
heartwarming. And she meant a lot to me. She was
almost like a friend to me. (2nd Generation Male)
Student Support
• Develop a cultural understanding
• Develop a supportive relationship
• Develop a willingness to help
C: Think about your favorite teacher now, what did
that person do that really made you feel a part of
the class? What type of activities?
S: The teacher. Made me feel, he helped me learn
work. Any time I needed help, he would be there.
He will be available during lunch and all that. He
didn't mind me being in his classroom and talking
to him. Telling him many things about school. The
problems I had. He supported me. (2nd Generation
Female)
Conclusions
• Create an exciting and challenging learning
environment.
• Avoid the negative stereotypes that limit student
potential.
• Encourage personnel to take an active role in
the education of all the students.
• Do it with a positive attitude. Students know
when you do not want to do it.