Finding Home: Developing a Sense of Belonging Through Service-Learning

Abstract

The study discussed in this article explored how 1.25-generation Asian immigrant high school students negotiated their sense of belonging as they participated in an afterschool service-learning-based program and made sense of their experiences. Having immigrated during their teenage years, 1.25-generation immigrant students may face more exacerbated isolation from the mainstream community due to language and cultural barriers compared to youth who immigrated at younger ages. Findings from the study show that participants’ experiences with service-learning-based pedagogy positively impacted their sense of belonging to the local community as they increased their knowledge about the community, rebuilt their confidence through formal leadership roles, and formed relational bonds with community members they met at the service-learning projects. The findings suggest therefore that participants broadened their sense of inclusion and belonging even if they had recently joined the space or community.