Abstract

In this article, I argue that there has been a basic continuity between what immigrants historically have sought from American schools and what contemporary immigrants seek. In neither case have immigrants sought to utilize the schools to “reproduce” or to “preserve” cultures separate from the American mainstream. Rather, immigrants have consistently sought to utilize American schooling for purposes of incorporation into a system of American ethnic groups that exhibit aspects of acculturation and retention. I make the case for continuity through an examination of the fate of homeland languages in the public schools during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; of the role of parochial schooling in the first third of the twentieth century; of the resistance of Mexican Americans of Crystal City, Texas, to “schooled ethnicity” during the 1970s and 1980s; of the attitudes of contemporary immigrants toward bilingual education; and, finally, of patterns of supplementary schooling among the children ...

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.