Immigrant Children Negotiate School: The Border in Our Hearts

Vukelich-Selva gives voice to young Latino immigrant students from a school, Prairie Heights, in the upper Midwest. While the students’ presence is growing exponentially, they have not been granted full participation in the school’s circles of power. Vukelich-Selva takes their stories out of the shadows and places them in the larger historical context of immigrant students and education. She offers insight regarding the importance of the border and related issues of citizenship for Latino immigrant students. She urges educators to listen to and respect the stories of their Latino students and to understand the crucial ways that race, culture, and legal status impact student identity and success.