Speech or Silence: Undocumented Students’ Decisions to Disclose or Disguise Their Citizenship Status in School

Abstract

This article provides ethnographic evidence of the ways in which undocumented students make decisions about when to share or withhold their migratory status during conversations with peers and teachers in one elementary school. It argues that an analytic focus on how and when elementary-aged students talk about migratory status during everyday school activities can deepen our understanding of the educational experiences of a population that often remains invisible to teachers and educational researchers. The findings suggest ways in which public school and university educators can foster educational equity and inclusion for undocumented students.