“I am not Your English Teacher”: Leadership for Addressing Xenophobia and Racism in the Wake of Demographic Change

Abstract

This case asks educational leadership students to consider how immigrant students new to a quickly changing community may interpret subtle messaging of unbelonging and overt xenophobic hostility. Despite her best intentions, the principal in this case struggles to connect with the Latinx students and families who were recent arrivals to the community and school. The authors ask future school leaders to consider how to make a school environment more inclusive for immigrant students and other students who may be marginalized for their differences.