Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Teaching Migration as Citizenship-Building in the United States and Beyond

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Book cover The Palgrave Handbook of Citizenship and Education

Abstract

It is increasingly uncommon to find any city, town, or county in which immigrants do not play a role: they are integral to the present and future of civil society. Changing student demographics and the complex realities of a globalized world require school personnel to reconsider what and how they teach their students. Teaching about migration as a fundamental part of human history and contemporary society represents one way that teachers can seek to improve all classroom relationships. Migration – as an essential topic of study – can be an avenue for helping students develop foundational civic habits and international civic understanding. This chapter presents the Re-imagining Migration Learning Arc, a novel approach to civics education designed to bridge students’ understanding of migration and their preparation as active agents in a transforming world. The Arc starts with the premise that migration is a basic part of the shared human condition; and it places migration at the center of students’ educational inquiry. The chapter also asserts that the study of migration is a necessary component of a robust civics education agenda in the twenty-first century. First, the chapter provides an overview of the foundational theories that inform the Learning Arc: civic and citizenship education, social and emotional learning (SEL), and culturally responsive teaching (CRT). Second, it provides examples of how the Learning Arc is implemented in classrooms and other educational institutions in the United States and describes how educators, policy-makers, and leaders in diverse contexts can adapt the Learning Arc to their particular settings and local imperatives.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bajaj, M., Ghaffar-Kucher, A., & Desai, K. (2016). Brown bodies and xenophobic bullying in US schools: Critical analysis and strategies for action. Harvard Educational Review, 86(4), 481–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birch, S. H., & Ladd, G. W. (1997). The teacher-child relationship and early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology, 55(1), 61–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boix Mansilla, V. (2019). Mapping human migration: Setting the educational agenda. Retrieved from: https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/mapping-human-migration-setting-the-educational-agenda

  • Boix, M. et al. (2019). Mapping human migration: Setting the educational agenda, a seminar held on April 15–16, 2019, Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/mapping-human-migration-setting-the-educational-agenda

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (n.d.). https://casel.org/

  • Cinalli, M., & Giugni, M. (2016). Electoral participation of Muslims in Europe: Assessing the impact of institutional and discursive opportunities. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 42(2), 309–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crandall, C. S., Miller, J. M., & White, M. H. (2018). Changing norms following the 2016 US presidential election: The Trump effect on prejudice. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 9(2), 186–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, E. R. (2017). The ethic of community and incorporating undocumented immigrant concerns into ethical school leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 53(2), 147–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawford, E., & Dorner, L. M. (Eds.). (2019). Educational leadership of immigrants: Case studies in times of change. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croninger, R. G., & Lee, V. E. (2001). Social capital and dropping out of high school: Benefits to at-risk students of teachers’ support and guidance. Teachers College Record, 103(4), 548–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curby, T. W., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Ponitz, C. C. (2009). Teacher-child interactions and children’s achievement trajectories across kindergarten and first grade. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(4), 912–925.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Democratic Knowledge Project. (n.d.) Civic Project Framework for 21st Century Civic Education. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B55nRFanIlLFc3UxVkstaGxPUjBvYS1uV0xPU1htMTFCcWtN/view

  • Ee, J., & Gándara, P. (2019). The impact of immigration enforcement on the nation’s schools. American Educational Research Journal, online first.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, A. R., & Taylor, A. R. (2009). The role of child gender and ethnicity in teacher-child relationship quality and children’s behavioral adjustment in preschool. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(1), 92–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faas, D. (2016). Negotiating political identities: Multiethnic schools and youth in Europe. Abingdon: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Facing History and Ourselves. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.facinghistory.org

  • Flores, R. D. (2018). Can elites shape public attitudes toward immigrants? Evidence from the 2016 US presidential election. Social Forces, 96(4), 1649–1690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gehlbach, H., Brinkworth, M. E., King, A. M., Hsu, L. M., McIntyre, J., & Rogers, T. (2016). Creating birds of similar feathers: Leveraging similarity to improve teacher–student relationships and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 342–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Generation Citizen. (n.d.) Our curriculum. Retrieved from: https://generationcitizen.org/our-programs/our-curriculum/

  • Gonzalez, V. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching in today’s classrooms. Retrieved from: https://ncte.org/blog/2018/01/culturally-responsive-teaching-todays-classrooms/

  • Gould, J., Jamieson, K. H., Levine, P., McConnell, T., & Smith, D. B. (2011). Guardian of democracy: The civic mission of schools. Philadelphia: Lenore Annenberg Institute of Civics of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamre, B. K., & Pianta, R. C. (2001). Early teacher-child relationships and the trajectory of children’s school outcomes through eighth grade. Child Development, 72, 625–638.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hochschild, J. L., & Einstein, K. L. (2015). Do facts matter? Information and misinformation in American politics. Political Science Quarterly, 130(4), 585–624.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, F. L., & Cornell, D. G. (2019). School teasing and bullying after the presidential election. Educational Researcher, 48(2), 69–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Human Rights Watch. (2019). World report: Events of 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019

  • iCivics. (2019). CivXNow: Coalition Policy Menu. Retrieved from: https://www.civxnow.org/sites/default/files/basic_page/CivXNow%20Policy%20Menu%20-%20FINAL.pdf

  • Kahne, J., Hodgin, E., & Eidman-Aadahl, E. (2016). Redesigning civic education for the digital age: Participatory politics and the pursuit of democratic engagement. Theory & Research in Social Education, 44(1), 1–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladson-Billings, G. (2009/1994). The Dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meissner, D., Hipsman, F., & Aleinikoff, T. A. (2018). The U.S. asylum system in crisis: Charting a way forward. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/us-asylum-system-crisis-charting-way-forward

  • Nieto, S. (2017). Re-imagining multicultural education: New visions, new possibilities. Multicultural Education Review, 9(1), 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pierce, S. (2019). Immigration-related policy changes in the first two years of the trump administration. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/immigration-policy-changes-two-years-trump-administration

  • Rich, M. D. (2018). Truth decay: An initial exploration of the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. Santa Monica: Rand Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, J., Ishimoto, M., Kwako, A., Berryman, A., & Diera, C. (2019). School and society in the age of trump. Los Angeles: UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access. Retrieved from: https://idea.gseis.ucla.edu/publications/school-and-society-in-age-of-trump.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudasill, K. M., Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., Justice, L. M., & Pence, K. (2006). Temperament and language skills as predictors of teacher-child relationship quality in preschool. Early Education and Development, 17(2), 271–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudasill, K. M., Reio, T. G., Stipanovic, N., & Taylor, J. E. (2010). A longitudinal study of student-teacher relationship quality, difficult temperament, and risky behavior from childhood to early adolescence. Journal of School Psychology, 48(5), 389–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruzza, C. (2018). Populism, migration, and xenophobia in Europe. In C. de la Torre (Ed.), Routledge handbook of global populism (pp. 201–216). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sattin-Bajaj, C., & Kirksey, J. J. (2019). Schools as sanctuaries? Examining the relationship between immigration enforcement and absenteeism rates for immigrant-origin children. In M. A. Gottfried & E. L. Hutt (Eds.), Absent from school: Understanding and addressing student absenteeism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spangler Avant, T., Gazelle, H., & Faldowski, R. (2011). Classroom emotional climate as a moderator of anxious solitary children’s longitudinal risk for peer exclusion: A child x environment model. Developmental Psychology, 47(6), 1711–1727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strom, A., & Boix Mansilla, V. (2019). How to teach the story of human migration. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/03/06/how-to-teach-the-story-of-human.html?fbclid=IwAR1ug4K044vzb3HN3y1BAn2uRpNRcXI0XGjvxPHL4e6xT28kPf2d6oSr0Hs

  • Suárez-Orozco, M. (Ed.). (2007). Learning in the global era: International perspectives on globalization and education. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suárez-Orozco, C., Hernández, M. G., & Casanova, S. (2015). “It’s sort of my calling”: The civic engagement and social responsibility of Latino immigrant-origin young adults. Research in Human Development, 12(1–2), 84–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suárez-Orozco, C., Suárez-Orozco, M., & Teranishi, R. (2016). Disrupting narratives of social exclusion for immigrant children and youth. Los Angeles: Institute for Immigration, Globalization and Education, University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teaching for Change. (n.d.). https://www.teachingforchange.org/

  • Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.-a). Being culturally responsive. Retrieved from: https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/being-culturally-responsive

  • Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.-b). Retrieved from: https://tolerance.org

  • U.S. Department of Justice. (2018). Uniform crime report: Hate crime statistics, 2017. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from: https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2017

  • UNESCO. (1998). Citizenship education for the 21st century. Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_b/interact/mod07task03/appendix.htm

  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division. (2019). Trends in international migrant stock: The 2019 revision. (United Nations database, POP/DB/MIG/Stock/Rev.2019).

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations General Assembly. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights. UN General Assembly. Retrieved from: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Documents/UDHR_Translations/eng.pdf

  • United Nations General Assembly. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Retrieved from: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b6e3e44.html. Accessed 18 Nov 2019.

  • Whitlock, J. L. (2006). Youth perceptions of life at school: Contextual correlates of school connectedness in adolescence. Applied Developmental Science, 10(1), 13–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieviorka, M. (2018). Europe facing evil: Xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism and terrorism. In M. Castells, O. Bouin, J. Caraça, G. Cardoso, J. Thompson, & M. Wieviorka (Eds.), Europe’s crises (pp. 205–223). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wlodkowski, R., & Ginsberg, M. (1995). A framework for culturally responsive teaching. Educational Leadership, 53(1), 17–21.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Re-imagining Migration, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Adam Strom

  2. Re-imagining Migration and Project Zero, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Veronica Boix-Mansilla

  3. University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj

  4. Re-imagining Migration and UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Carola Suárez-Orozco

Authors
  1. Adam Strom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Veronica Boix-Mansilla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carola Suárez-Orozco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK

    Andrew Peterson

  2. School of Education, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia

    Garth Stahl

  3. School of Education, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia

    Hannah Soong

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Strom, A., Boix-Mansilla, V., Sattin-Bajaj, C., Suárez-Orozco, C. (2020). Teaching Migration as Citizenship-Building in the United States and Beyond. In: Peterson, A., Stahl, G., Soong, H. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Citizenship and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67905-1_70-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67905-1_70-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67905-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67905-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation