Multiethnic School Research Articles

Historical trajectories and lost heritage of early Chinese schools in Singapore – case study of Yeung Ching School in ‘Chinatown’

ABSTRACTThe history of modern Chinese schools in Singapore may be traced back to the early 20th century, when efforts to provide vernacular education in the British colony were made by community leaders across Chinese dialect groups, with support of the Qing Empire. Only a handful of these were selected as elite schools for bilingual education under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) introduced in 1979 in independent Singapore. This paper examines the historical trajectories of these early schools from early association with Chinese nationalism to becoming multi-ethnic schools or simply defunct. It will focus on the case of the former Yeung Ching School in ‘Chinatown’ catering to the Cantonese community, to explore how the legacy of a Chinese school may be impacted by state formation and urban development since the 1950s, and also to point out a gap in current heritagisation pertaining to the role of education in shaping cultural identities.

Spectacles need and ownership among multiethnic students in rural China

ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to describe the prevalence and associated factors of spectacles need and ownership among multiethnic school students in rural China. Study designSchool-based cross-sectional study. MethodsThis school-based eye study was conducted in Yunnan province located in Southwestern China. Questionnaires were filled out by children with the help of their parents concerning demographic characteristics, spectacles usage, and myopia-related lifestyle exposures. Spectacles need was defined as participants who had an uncorrected visual acuity (VA) of less than 6/12 but could be corrected to more than 6/12 in the better-seeing eye, with myopia of less than −0.5 diopters (D), hyperopia of more than +2.0 D, or astigmatism of more than 0.75 D in both eyes. Definition of spectacles ownership was based on spectacles wearing at school on the examination day. ResultsAmong the 7681 students aged 5–16 years participating in this study, 7166 (93.3% of the study participants) successfully completed VA tests and questionnaires. The rate of spectacles need among children with an uncorrected VA of 6/12 or worse in either eye was 68.3% (623/912). Among the students who needed spectacles, only 18.9% owned them. Multivariate analyses revealed that spectacles ownership was significantly associated with increasing age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–1.55), more time on reading and writing (OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.15–2.40), having myopic friend(s) (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.01–3.56), self-awareness of myopia (OR: 6.67; 95% CI: 2.48–17.92), and poorer uncorrected VA (OR: 4.57; 95% CI: 2.78–7.52). ConclusionsWe observed a lower rate of spectacles ownership among rural children compared with those of similar ages in urban China. These findings may have important public health implications for China and other countries regarding vision-related health resources allocation.

Listening to students’ silences – a case study examining students’ participation and non-participation in physical education

ABSTRACTBackground: For years researchers have been engaged in revealing the impact of the hidden curriculum in physical education (PE) on students’ participation and non-participation. The hidden PE curriculum encompasses the knowledge, the relations, the assumptions, the norms and the beliefs that students unconsciously and unintentionally learn through the process of education. As the hidden curriculum reinforces particular values and attitudes among students in a very subtle and often unnoticed fashion, it limits students’ possibilities for becoming aware of, and thus reporting, how the tacit messages communicated through the hidden curriculum impact on their position of participation and non-participation. Thus, in this article, we argue that examining students’ silences, that is the things students do not voice, is significant for the understanding of the impact of the hidden curriculum on students’ participation and non-participation in PE.Purposes: In this article, we aim to develop insight into students’ silences in order to elucidate how aspects of the hidden curriculum serve to reinforce some students’ non-participation in PE. Much attention has been devoted to particular values and attitudes unintentionally transmitted by teachers in PE. However, in this article, we examine how the everyday exchanges between the students themselves may also convey a hidden set of meanings, that impact on students’ actual experiences of the PE curriculum, and thus mitigate the intended effects of students’ participation.Research design: The backdrop for this article is a single-case study carried out in a multi-ethnic and co-educational secondary school in Denmark from January to December 2014. The article draws on material collected through focus group interviews with 7th grade students (including participant-diagrams filled out by students) along with observations of their PE classes. The observations took place once a week throughout the whole calendar year.Findings: In the article, we point to students’ intentional silences that are highly reflective of the normative expectations negotiated within the peer group. In addition, we show that the pressures toward social conformity have a direct impact on the positions of non-participation intentionally taken up by some of the less socially respected students in PE. These students were highly aware that how they behaved in PE and what they voiced in the interviews might have consequences for their peer group connections within PE and for their social reputation among peers outside of PE. In addition, we add to the current literature on student silence by pointing to a category of non-privileged silences. These silences revealed that a minor group of students were not aware of or had not recognized their position as non-participants in PE. Moreover, they appeared unable to imagine that things could be different and to voice a desire for change.Conclusions: We argue that our findings reveal critical aspects of students’ non-participation that would be difficult to access if we did not listen to, hear and attempt to understand students’ silences. In order to extend the knowledge base on students’ participation and non-participation in PE, we hope that this article may also encourage other researchers to let students’ silences breathe and speak.

Epidemiology of Reduced Visual Acuity among Chinese Multiethnic Students

Data regarding the epidemiology of reduced visual acuity (VA) among multiethnic children and adolescents in China are few. Understanding the vision-related health inequalities among different ethnic groups is crucial for health resource allocations and clinical managements for eye diseases. We aim to determine the prevalence, main causes, and health inequalities of reduced VA in multiethnic school students in rural China. A school-based eye survey including 7681 multiethnic school students aged 5 to 16 years in the southwestern part of China was conducted. Detailed ocular examinations including VA measurements, ocular motility evaluations, bilateral postcycloplegic refractions, and the assessments of the external eye, anterior segment, media, and retinal fundus were carried out by trained research vision professionals. Visual acuity was measured using a logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution E-chart, and reduced VA was defined as a presenting VA of worse than 20/40. Concentration index was initiatively utilized to measure health inequalities among different ethnic groups. The prevalence of reduced VA was 11.4 per 100 children (95% confidence interval, 10.7 to 12.1%) based on the worse-seeing eye data. The prevalence of reduced VA increased with increasing age (P < .001 for trend) and was higher among girls compared with boys (P < .0001). Uncorrected refractive error was the principal cause for reduced VA, which accounted for 87.3% of the participants with reduced VA. The concentration index for reduced VA was 0.07 among different ethnic groups. Compared with the estimates reported from previous studies on Chinese children and adolescents, a relatively lower prevalence of reduced VA was observed among multiethnic school students in rural China. Ethnic variations and health inequalities of reduced VA were not significant in this study.

Obstacles to bilingual education

The purpose of this paper is to present some of the main findings from my thesis (Lundberg, 2015) that concern the policy formulation and implementation of bilingual education in a multi-ethnic lower secondary school in an urban suburb in Gothenburg, Sweden. This school was strategically chosen for its pedagogical approach towards social and linguistic diversity1. This article examines the formulation and appropriation of a bilingual and bicultural education program and what obstacles exist with regards to implementation of bilingual education in the realization arena. The theoretical impetus comes from the sociology of knowledge which examines how social policy connects to social practice by applying the concepts of formulation, realization and transformation (Lindensjö &amp; Lundgren, 2000). Data was derived from interviews and participant observations between 2006 and 2009 with three different ninth grade classes from same school. The results show that in the formulation arena the policy was in favor of active bilingualism (a holistic and comprehensive approach throughout the curriculum), strong support for mother tongue education, and creating in students a bicultural identity. However, in the realization arena, the bilingual education program was reduced to the employment of bilingual teachers who provided mother tongue tuition. Support for the bicultural and multilingual development of students’ language and culture was never fully incorporated into the ordinary teaching and instruction. This was due in part to obstacles in the formulation and realization arenas (Lindensjö &amp; Lundgren, 2000). Five types of obstacles to the appropriation of bilingual education were observed. Two primary obstacles in the formulation arena were 1) a strong separation of languages, and 2) bilingual teachers as representatives of diversity. In the realization arena the following three obstacles were observed: 1) teacher resistance to polylingual education, 2) insufficient study support for mother tongue tuition, and 3) a monolingual norm. In sum, the overriding obstacle is an overall lack of consensus about the aim and purpose of bilingual education. The discussion develops issues concerning the gap between what should be versus what could be in both the formulation and realization arenas (Lundberg, 2015).

From tolerance to understanding: Exploring the development of intercultural competence in multiethnic contexts from early to late adolescence

AbstractWe investigated intercultural competence among immigrant and non‐immigrant background adolescents in multiethnic schools in relation to intercultural contact, age, and ethnic identity exploration. The sample included 631 adolescents in Germany (49.4% of immigrant background, 48.2% female), aged 11 to 18 years (Mage = 13.69 years, SDage = 1.83). Intercultural competence was measured using a self‐report questionnaire and situational judgment tests capturing the adolescents' interpretation of and reaction to intercultural conflicts. Intercultural contacts and ethnic identity exploration were measured using self‐report questionnaires. Results showed that among immigrant and non‐immigrant background adolescents, intercultural contact and ethnic identity exploration were positively related to different aspects of intercultural competence. As predicted, self‐reported intercultural competence was unrelated to age in both groups, whereas this competence, as measured by the situational judgment tests, increased with age. Thus, learning about others (e.g., by engaging in intercultural contact) and learning about yourself (e.g., by exploring your own ethnic background) are both important for developing pivotal intercultural skills.

From equality and inclusion to cultural pluralism – Evolution and effects of cultural diversity perspectives in schools

Schools are a major context for academic and socio-emotional development, but also an important acculturative context. This is notably the case in adolescence, which is a critical period for the development of a social and ethnic identity, as well as moral reasoning and intergroup attitudes. How schools approach cultural diversity issues is therefore likely to affect these developmental and acculturative processes and adaptation outcomes. In the present article, the manifestation and effects of the most prominent approaches to cultural diversity, namely those guided by a perspective of equality and inclusion, and those guided by a perspective of cultural pluralism, are reviewed and compared in the context of multi-ethnic schools. The aim is to explore when and how the potential of cultural diversity can best flourish, enhancing the academic and socio-emotional development of culturally diverse students.

The Role of Ethnic Contact in Facilitating Interactions Between Minority and Han College Students

At a multiethnic school in the northwest region, the author chose 670 minority and Han college students as study subjects and investigated the relationships among the three variables of ethnic contact, implicit ethnic theories (essentialism vs. constructivism), and attitudes on interaction. The study results show that ethnic contact can facilitate positive ethnic interaction attitudes and mitigate the negative effect of ethnic essentialist beliefs in ethnic interactions. The author advocates that building a tolerant and open ethnic education system is the only way to create opportunities for contact and interaction between students of each ethnic group, weaken ethnic essentialist beliefs, and facilitate ethnic interaction and relations.

Elective affinities matter as much as ethnicity in multi-ethnic schools

We estimate the relative importance of ethnicity and individual characteristics, such as personality and cognitive skills, in determining social connections by using survey data on seven-year-old children from multi-ethnic schools (N=453). We find that friendships are based mainly on common play, and are independent of the need to find help for school activity and homework. Friendship networks among children arise on the basis of their sex, but also according to affinity of personality and cognitive skills, as much as on ethnic background. These findings are worth considering when multiculturalism is chosen as the foundation of the immigration policies. Rather than emphasizing what makes the individuals in an ethnic group different, a farsighted policy could try to point to the elective affinity among individuals. However, since differences in individual characteristics may be systematically associated with ethnic background, this finding may point to a lasting reason for a lack of cohesion in multiethnic societies.

Multi-ethnic school environment from the school leader’s perspective: challenges and approaches to improve multi-cultural competency among teachers in Malaysia

This study aims to identify the challenges and approaches to improve a multicultural competency among teachers in multi-ethnic schools environment based on school leaders’ perspective. Data collection method used in this study is qualitative method. A total of nine school leaders from the states of Kedah, Penang, and Perak were included in the interview session. The results of this study show that the challenges faced by teachers in practicing the multicultural competency are lack of experience toward cultural diversity. A late exposure to cultural diversity makes it difficult for teachers to accept and adapt in a multi-ethnic school environment. The approaches suggested by school leaders to improve the multicultural competency are as follows: (1) Courses on cultural diversity should be organized to enhance the knowledge about cultural diversity; (2) the development of more open and better policy for education system in Malaysia in order to prepare teachers with a higher multicultural competency for teaching students from diverse ethnic and cultural groups; (3) an early exposure to cultural diversity in order to increase the multicultural competency, especially during teaching practicum.

‘The naughty person’: Exploring dynamic aspects of identity and children’s discourses before and during the Libyan Uprising

This article draws on data from an ethnography exploring young children’s interactions in a multi-ethnic school in an urban area in the North of England. It focuses on the ways in which children explore and negotiate their identities against the shifting backdrop of local and global discourses about religion, race, gender and political change. In particular, we explore how children of the Libyan diaspora take up the semiotic resources available to them in their daily negotiations about identity. We show how through their spoken interactions, drawings and writings the children perform identities dialogically, with each other and with adult professionals, talking about salient issues of religious, cultural and national heritage before and during the Libyan Uprising in 2011. Using McFarlane’s concept of ‘translocal assemblages’, we show how discourses and media narratives that circulate among diasporic communities provide a set of resources that children use to make sense of themselves in local contexts.

Abstract B56: Adapting SunSafe: A skin cancer prevention intervention for use with multiethnic high school students

Abstract Skin cancers are one of the most preventable types of cancer. However, since 2004, skin cancer incidence rates have increased 3% each year in the U.S. In 2015, more than 3 million Americans will develop skin cancer and 76,000 will need treatment for the most deadly form, melanoma. More than $2.4 billion is spent annually on therapies, which does not consider the morbidity from disfiguring treatments. Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun or artificial sources is a primary risk factor and half the lifetime skin damage from UVR overexposure occurs before age 20. Recently, skin cancer prevention interventions delivered in U.S. primary and middle schools have demonstrated effectiveness. However, there is deficiency in interventions for high school students, whose health behaviors are transitioning from the purview of parents or caretakers. Changes in social norms, risk-taking and the desire for sexual appeal affect this group's UVR exposure patterns and their perceived skin cancer risk. Few studies have addressed sun protection in multiethnic high school students, who underestimate their skin cancer risk. To address this gap we conducted a pilot study using both qualitative and quasi-experimental designs to investigate whether a school-based intervention entitled, SunSafe In the Middle School Years (SunSafe), could be adapted for use in a multiethnic high school in Honolulu, HI. We used qualitative research methods to incorporate information from discussions with students, parents, teachers and community members to adapt the program. Discussion themes provided strategies that were integrated into the existing SunSafe program. The adapted SunSafe intervention was then delivered to 250, 10th grade students. The curriculum consisted of a 30-minute presentation, modeling of sun protection apparel, and a Q&amp;A component. Branded resources were created and included a UVR-sensitive wristband that changed color to provide a visible cue of students' UVR exposure levels. A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design was used to assess changes in students' knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported and observed sun protection behaviors, relative to the intervention's implementation. A 28-item standardized survey assessed students' self-reported sun protection knowledge and attitude changes. A field assessment instrument, the Systematic Observation of Sun Protection Factors, measured observed changes in students' collective use of headwear, sunglasses, protective clothing, and shade. A total of 208 students provided parental consent and were assented to the study. The students' ethnic distribution was 51.6 % Asian, 30.4% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 8.4% White, 3.5 % Hispanic, 2.7 % Black, and 3.2% two or more ethnicities. Significant increases were found in students' knowledge, attitudes, and intended sun protection behaviors at posttest, compared to pretest (T-test p &amp;lt; 0.05). One item measuring attitudes toward tanning did not show significant improvement. At baseline, 12.5% of students wore hats, 4% sunglasses, 10.1% had long sleeves, 33.4 % had full lower body coverage, and 67.8% used shade. At 12 months, 13.1% used hats, 1.9% sunglasses, 16.3% had long sleeves, 39.4% had full lower body coverage, and 81% used shade. Our pilot study found it feasible to adapt SunSafe in Middle School Years for multiethnic high schools students at risk for UVR overexposures and skin cancer. Lack of improvement in attitudes towards tanning may have been biased by students' self-perceptions regarding their own skin tone, with 90-80% having medium or darker complexions. Further investigations are needed to assess the active components of the adapted SunSafe program, the possible geographic differences in the program's utility and the role of skin complexion in attitudes towards tanning and sun exposure in multiethnic students. Citation Format: Kevin Cassel, Anh Tran, Lynn Murakami-Akasuka, Jodi Tanabe-Hanzawa, Terrilea Burnett, Christopher Lum. Adapting SunSafe: A skin cancer prevention intervention for use with multiethnic high school students. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr B56.

Implementation of Peace Education in Pluralistic Schools

The purpose of this study was to describe the peace education applied in three multi-ethnic schools. This study is a qualitative research and takes place in Surakarta, Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. Ten teachers from pluralistic schools in Surakarta participated in this research. The results show: firstly that the concept of peace education is integrated in curriculum. There are certain steps to integrate peace values into curriculum, namely: understanding history background social conflict in Surakarta, identifying conflict potentials among ethnic groups, implementing need assessment, deciding the objectives, preparing action plan, running program, monitoring program, and giving evaluation. Secondly, the schools should organize special activities to promote mutual understanding between Javanese and Chinese students, including: making multi-ethnic study groups, wearing the traditional clothe for students on certain days, exchanging gifts---where Javanese students give a special give toward Chinese students, and vice versa. Thirdly, the school system (principal, vice principal, teachers, and staff) has a significant role to support peace education, like making policy regarding to vision and mission of a pluralistic school, coordinating class teachers to make integrated curriculum and to make some supporting programs.

Det halte begreb: ‘De idrætsusikre elever’

Physical activity has important benefits for children’s health, but many children do not reach the recommended levels. The school settingprovide a promising environment to increase children’s physical activity. In regards to that, politicians and scientists are especially focusingon a certain group of pupils, the so-called ‘sports insecure’ (‘idrætsusikre’). On the basis of a social constructionism theoretical framework, this article presents a critical analysis of the term ‘sport insecure’. The article draws on findings from a phenomenological-hermeneuticcase study taking place in a multi-ethnic primary school in Denmark.

Forms of Students’ Intercultural Communication Development in a Multicultural Academic University

The objective of the article is to study the concept of “intercultural communication”, different ways of its application, the role and related concepts. The article presents basic forms of intercultural communication of students as well as the importance of the process in a multicultural environment of a university. The authors chose a descriptive method of observation and classification of the material as a leading approach alongside with the analysis and synthesis of the data obtained through interviews and polls. The findings suggest that interethnic interaction plays an important role, thus its formation should be integrated into the learning process. The authors also note the role of folk culture in intercultural communication and optimization of a multicultural university in terms of such communication. The research introduces forms of students’ intercultural communication in a multicultural university that will contribute to a more effective communication of representatives of different cultures and pupils at multi-ethnic schools.

The Processes of Inclusion and Exclusion in Physical Education: A Social-Relational Perspective

Existing research on inclusion and exclusion processes in physical education (PE) has particularly focused on exclusion from PE as something being done to students and attributed to specific social categories such as (female) gender, (low) physical skills or (minority) ethnic background. This article aims to develop a social-relational perspective on inclusion and exclusion processes defined as students’ participation or non-participation in PE interpreted as a community of practice. In so doing, the article examines how students’ experiences of participation and non-participation in PE are influenced by complex interactions within the group of students and in negotiations with teachers about the values and practices of PE. The article is based on an embedded single-case study carried out over the course of 6 months through weekly observations of PE classes in a multi-ethnic school, as well as focus group interviews with students and teachers. Using Etienne Wenger’s conceptual tools, we show that a student’s degree of participation in the community of practice of PE-classes is closely related to the legitimacy of the student and the extent to which the student experiences PE as meaningful. Some students were excluded from PE because they did not have the physical skills and social relations necessary to gain legitimacy from other students. Others chose not to participate because PE was not meaningful to them. This latter type of non-participation from students who experienced lacking meaningfulness was evident in PE classes that had little transfer value and limited prospect for students to develop the knowledge, skills or the understanding necessary to move towards full participation in the classes. Thus, the article argues that an understanding of the variety in students’ participation or non-participation is important not only in terms of how we talk about students as passive victims or active agents, but also in terms of future intervention aimed at promoting inclusion processes in PE.

De paradox van het watervalsysteem: wanneer het groeperen van studenten in homogene groepen tot meer heterogeniteit leidt in het beroepsonderwijs

Tracking and other forms of ability grouping such as streaming or setting, are general features of many educational systems in Europe. Policy makers have introduced tracking to facilitate teaching and learning. In this study, we will examine the impact of the structure of the tracking system in Flanders (northern part of Belgium) on learning and teaching. Results are based on data from participant observations and semi-structured interviews with students and teachers from fifth grade of secondary education and one post-secondary vocational one-year specialisation year in three multi-ethnic schools in Flanders. Our findings suggest that due to the cascade-like structure of the Flemish educational system, there appears to be a higher heterogeneity in terms of previously followed educational trajectories in less appreciated tracks at the end of secondary education, compared to higher appreciated tracks. This higher heterogeneity appears to contrast with initial tracking objectives and complicate teaching and learning, influence classroom behaviour and study motivation.

Whose history is this anyway? Social justice and a history curriculum

History is the most contested of curricular subjects in all western democratic states. This article begins by setting out competing models of a history curriculum highlighting the shifting trends that have taken place in different types of schools in England in recent years. The different models of a history curriculum are critiqued from the dual perspectives that underpin social justice, namely, redistribution and recognition. In identifying different priorities in school history, this article draws from two small-scale empirical research projects which elicited the perspectives of different groups of teenage school students towards history, and included students based in multi-ethnic schools as well as those in largely white, homogenous, schools in more deprived areas. An inclusive, multi-perspective and dynamic approach towards history curriculum development is offered as a way forward for addressing issues of social justice within a history curriculum.

Vitamin D status in overweight and obese Malaysian school children and its relationship with metabolic syndrome

Obesity is a rising health problem, with increasing prevalence in children and adolescents. Lower vitamin D is linked to increased adiposity and higher risk of metabolic syndrome. However, evidence from tropical Asian countries is limited, especially in children and adolescents. To examine the relationship between vitamin D level and BMI, abnormal glucose profile, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome markers in the overweight/ obese secondary school children. A cross sectional study in multiethnic secondary school children aged 13 -17 years was performed. Anthropometric measurements: height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure were obtained. Blood for fasting glucose/ lipids/ insulin, and vitamin D (25 (OH)D) were taken. Oral glucose tolerance test was also performed. Insulin resistance indices were calculated based on homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) index. A total of 543 subjects were enrolled. Forty eight percent were overweight/obese. Most of them (62%) were vitamin D deficient (<50 nmol/L), 32% were vitamin D insufficient (50 to <75 nmol/L) and only 6% were vitamin D sufficient (≥ 75 nmol/L). Mean 25(OH)D in the overweight/ obese group was 44.3±15.9nmol/L and was significantly lower compared to the non overweight/obese group (47.9±19.4nmol/L); (p=0.018). Females had lower mean vitamin D level (43.2±15.9nmol/L) compared to males (53.6±19.6nmol/L) (p<0.001). The Chinese had the highest mean vitamin D level (65.9±16.4nmol/L), followed by Malays (44.2±16.9nmol/L) and Indians (39.5±13.3nmol/L) (p<0.001). Among those who were overweight and obese, metabolic syndrome was present in 58 (22%) of them. No significant relationship was found between 25(OH)D level and abnormal glucose profile, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome markers among the overweight/ obese participants. The overweight/ obese females had 78% prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, compared to 59% in overweight/ obese males. Overweight/ obese Indians had the highest prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (82%) followed by Malays (70%) and Chinese (20%). Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in Malaysian adolescents despite an abundance of sunlight. Lower vitamin D levels are associated with female gender, ethnic groups with darker skin and obesity. However, no relationship was found between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome.

Structural and normative conditions for interethnic friendships in multiethnic classrooms

Interethnic friendships between students are important for harmonious intercultural relations at school. Drawing on research on intergroup contact and cultural distance between immigrant and non-immigrant groups, we examined how structural and normative conditions in the classroom context are associated with friendships between early adolescents with and without an immigrant background in ethnically heterogeneous schools. The sample comprised 842 students (Mage=11.50 years, SDage=.71; 53% male) attending multiethnic schools in Southwest Germany.Results revealed that perceived positive contact norms in class and perceived cultural distance predicted friendships between immigrant and non-immigrant students in both groups, even when the ethnic composition of the classroom was taken into account. The associations were largely the same for immigrants and non-immigrants. We conclude that interventions to foster interethnic friendships should aim to reduce perceptions of cultural distance and monitor and improve contact norms in intergroup settings.