Learning Belonging in the Classroom: The Role of Language in the Intersection of School, Home, and Self for Mexican-Heritage Children in California's Central Valley

Abstract

This paper is an excerpt of an anthropological research project that explores how a sample of Mexican-heritage students situated themselves in the dual language program at a California public elementary school. In this program, students received roughly half of their daily instruction in English and the other half in Spanish. These 48 students were part of a student body in which more than 95 percent of students were Latino and 100 percent of students were considered "socioeconomically disadvantaged" by the state. Close eth- nographic study through classroom observation, interaction with students, and staff interviews illuminate how students gained a sense of belonging at school, with emphasis on language use. Spanish-speaking students gener- ally formed relationships with peers who shared the same primary language. Although the school as an institution and the staff as representatives of the school vocalized support of Spanish as an academic or public language, day- to-day interactions did not necessarily guarantee that this message or stan- dard of belonging was upheld. Rather, it was in connections with peers of similar backgrounds that students found acceptance. This belonging is situ- ated in the context of a broader cultural citizenship.