09-08-2014, 10:21 AM
Mexican Immigrant Challenges in the United States Public School System A Case Study of Two Schools
ABSTRACT
Latino students are one of the largest minority populations in American schools today. This
research focused specifically on Mexican immigrant students, as they constitute the majority of
this group. In an effort to prepare teachers for Mexican students in their classroom, a case study
was conducted of East High School in Green Bay, WI, USA and Fernando Montes de Oca
(Escuela Secundaria General No. 14) in Guadalajara, Mexico. The case study consisted of surveys,
school-related documents and current relative research in the field. The results indicated links
between immigrant students‟ struggles to adapt to a new educational setting and systematical
school day differences and/or varying cultural norms or expectations in the two countries; armed
with the knowledge discussed in this research, teachers and administrators can develop ways to
reach out to their Mexican immigrant students.
INTRODUCTION
America has always been a nation of immigrants, and the present era is no different. Countless immigrants
continue to struggle to make a successful life for themselves in this country; “low wages, limited English skills, and
recurring periods of anti-immigrant feelings all combine to place severe constraints on the general upward mobility”
of immigrants (Garcia, 2002, p. 35). One struggling immigrant group in particular, the Latino population, is
continuing to grow in America. Specifically, 2/3 of Latinos in America are Mexican in origin (U.S. Census Bureau,
2000). In fact, it is estimated that Mexicans make up one-fourth of the entire population of California and Texas, as
well as one-fifth of Arizona and significant portions of many other states (Saenz, Morales & Filoteo, 2004, p. 10).
What makes the Latino immigrant population, and Mexicans in particular, struggle more in American society than
some other immigrant groups is that they are “represented as societal threats, thus causing them to be cast as
illegitimate members of the community and undermining their claims for social and cultural citizenship” (Chavez,
2008, p. 178). As more and more people from Spanish-speaking countries immigrate to the United States, it
becomes a pressingly important issue to accommodate their struggles in our educational system. How we educate
newly-arrived immigrants can have a large impact on their options in life, because “for children from immigrant
families, educational outcomes play a key role in future social and economic mobility” (Suárez-Orozco, Qin, &
Amthor, 2008, p. 51).
In an effort to help educate Mexican immigrant students, it is helpful to have background knowledge of the
educational system. The school structures in Mexico and the United States follow a similar path: in Mexico, the
most common progression is preescolar, primaria, secundaria, and media superior/preparatoria, or the equivalent of
preschool, elementary school, middle school, and high school in the United States. However, the levels of schooling
often represent different grade levels. For example, in Mexico, it is very common for secundarias to run grades 7-9,
while in the U.S. it is much more common for middle schools to run 6-8 or for students to attend a combined
elementary/middle school from grades K-8. The preparatoria usually runs grades 10-12, while a high school often
houses grades 9-12. Additional specific information regarding schooling in Mexico, the United States and many
other countries is readily available from a website built to help place immigrant students into the Canadian school
system (World Education Services, 2004). Since many immigrants are of low socioeconomic status and uneducated,
some teachers may assume that all students are uneducated (Chavez, 2008, p. 41). Yet it is interesting to note that at
least one researcher has hypothesized that the national Mexican standards may in fact be “as rigorous and
conceptually demanding-perhaps more so-than typical U.S. curricula” (Macias, 1990, p. 301). In fact, another study
found that having a history of schooling in Mexico and/or English Language Learner (ELL) instruction correlated
with higher GPAs (Gonzalez and Padilla, 2001, p. 738). These findings suggest that the “formative experiences,
tendencies, and expectations of country-of-origin education… constitute an important basis of students‟ tota
METHODS
Sample
The case study required samples of students in the third year of secundaria in Mexico and in 9th grade in the
United States. In addition, the school in the United States needed to have a significant number of Hispanic students
in general as well as Hispanic students with limited English proficiency (LEP), as reported by the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction (DPI). With these parameters, East High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
(grades 9-12) and Fernando Montes de Oca No. 14 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (approximately grades 7-9) were
selected. The former from this point on will be referred to as EHS, and the latter as FMO. According to the
Wisconsin DPI‟s website, in the 2007-2008 school year, EHS reported 21% of its student population as Hispanic
and 13% as Hispanic students with LEP; therefore, EHS fit the criteria for the immigrant population. Access to EHS
was gained through prior district and principal consent, as well as signed student release forms; access to FMO was
gained through prior vice principal consent. The class samples and data collection dates were chosen through prior
teacher and administrator consent and collaboration with the researcher. The surveys administered were completely
anonymous; no data was collected that could link participants to their surveys. Nowhere was it recorded who
participated in the surveys beyond the signed release forms of the students from EHS, which were collected and
stored separately from the surveys.
Class-sized samples of American and Mexican students were required, as well as a class-size Mexican
immigrant student sample from an ELL classroom. „Class-size‟ was defined as the number of students in one
particular class at a given time rather than a specific target number. An administrator and a relatively small sample
of teachers from both schools were also included. The category of „administrator‟ was defined as a principal, vice
principal or guidance counselor at the school. Based on those requirements, the seven sample categories were:
Students from the United States (US), Teachers from the United States (UT), Administrator from the United States
(UA), Mexican Immigrant Students from the United States (UI), Students from Mexico (MS), Teachers from
Mexico (MT), and Administrator from Mexico (MA). Students that had emigrated from Mexico but had already
transitioned out of ELL classes were included in the UI rather than US sample.
RESULTS
School Day Routine and Practices
Major questions about the school day routine were asked of the selected administrator at both schools (Table 1).
In general, the number and length of classes was rather similar, with some differences in who determines the
curriculum (the federal government in Mexico versus mostly the state along with other governing bodies in the
United States). It should be noted that FMO has two school shift options, the morning and the afternoon shift, which
essentially function as separate schools within the same building; EHS also has four campus options for taking
classes due to a district-wide policy allowing students to take classes at variou
Extra-Curricular Classes
As recorded in the field notes and noted in the course selection guides, a notable difference exists in the
purpose, options, and manner of choosing extra-curricular classes (Table 4). At FMO, these classes are known as
„talleres,‟ while at EHS they are known as „electives.‟ Prior to entering the secundaria in Mexico, students rate and
list their top three choices for their optional class (taller) in the order of preference. Administration places the
students based on space and preference. Students must stay with their selected taller for the 3 years of secundaria.
The goal of the talleres is to give the students technical training in a career in the event that they choose not to
continue on to the secundaria and go straight into the workforce. The manner of choosing electives at EHS is
similar in that prior to entering high school, students choose their electives and academic courses based on personal
choice, completed prerequisites and staff/parent suggestions/approval. Administration places the students based on
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION
What can be gained through the results is first and foremost an appreciation for how many changes affect
students when they are transitioning from school to school and culture to culture. Mexican immigrant students not
only need to become fluent in English in written and oral forms, but they are often faced with major differences in
how schools are run, in a wide spectrum from the time classes begin to the options and purpose of elective classes.
In addition, it may be worth further studying when students need to choose their academic path and if schools in
either country are mandatory (and more importantly, if attendance is monitored and enforced); the notable
immigrant student attitudes towards feeling that school was obligatory in the US may in some cases be influenced
by the fact that students in Mexico are encouraged to finish basic education (ending with the secundaria), but that
not all students continue on to the preparatoria, or the American equivalent of high school. In addition, the fact that
only immigrant students reported „high school‟ as their academic path is particularly striking. More research needs
to be done to determine why, but it may be hypothesized that the issues raised through this research influence this
decision, which may reflect on students‟ self efficacy, or that many are expected to go into the workforce to help
their families financially. In addition, since students in Mexico do have the option to end schooling after the
secundaria, it is possible that some immigrant students may resent attending high school in the United States,
particularly if they had chosen to follow a career path after 9th grade rather than attend the preparatoria. Another
issue that should be noted is that regardless of immigrant status or country, the majority of students felt that their
parents were supportive of their education; teachers and administrators in the United States should remember that
the language barrier, among other issues, may mask support that they give their students. Teachers and
administrators should not assume that just because a parent does not attend conferences or other activities that this
means they are not supporting their children‟s education; it may be that they lack the time to help their son/daughter
due to employment and language restraints.
Teachers and administrators can look into the following ideas to help students that have recently emigrated from
Mexico. These students may need help the first week or two as they learn to navigate the halls and switch
classrooms, rather than the teachers switching rooms as occurs at FMO. They also may struggle with the morning
hours if they are used to the afternoon session. A glance at the elective choices for FMO versus EHS leads to the
obvious observation that choosing electives in the United States may also be a complicated task, requiring help from
a teacher and/or counselor, especially if the student needs ELL supports that are not available in all classes they
might have an interest in taking