Examining Minnesota schools’ discursive positioning and intended educational opportunities for refugee-background students

Authors

  • Koeun Park University of Utah
  • Verónica Valdez University of Utah

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jmtp.23121

Keywords:

critical discourse analysis, educational equity, educational language policy, refugee-background students, school websites

Abstract

Minnesota is known for its large concentrations of Hmong, Somali and Karen refugee-background students (RBSs). Drawing on an equity/heritage framework that centres educational equity and the sustaining of the cultural and linguistic practices of minoritized communities, this study examined how district/school websites with the highest enrolment of each student group described equity/heritage focused educational opportunities for RBSs and discursively represented and positioned these students. Our findings show that these school websites largely lacked indications of equity/heritage-based educational opportunities for RBSs, especially for Somali and Karen RBSs. While the websites had a strong visual representation of their RBSs, equity/heritage-focused textual discourses were limited. Instead, discourses of neoliberalism, meritocracy and accountability driven by the global human capital framework were prevalent. We argue that RBSs should be supported with equity/heritage-focused educational opportunities and discourses at schools instead of solely on the basis of global human capital focused discourses. A limitation of our study is that the implementation and impact of these website policies on RBSs’ educational experiences were not explored. However, we also note that examining discourses embedded within these critical online spaces is crucial because they communicate certain ideologies and motives to the public that can influence their perspectives about RBSs and their educational opportunities.

Author Biographies

  • Koeun Park, University of Utah

    Koeun Park is a doctoral student in the Department of Education, Culture & Society at the University of Utah, United States. Her long-standing involvement working with historically minoritized students and communities, particularly refugee-background students, as a teacher and researcher at a dual-language bilingual education school and in community-based education programmes informs her research, which focuses on issues of social (in)justice and (in)equity in bi/multilingual education by examining educational language policies and practices and their impacts on racialized bi/multilingual students. She is also interested in how critical, asset-based pedagogies can promote these students’ positive racial/ethnic identity development and their linguistic and cultural practices while disrupting monoglossic/monocultural and oppressive approaches to bi/multilingual education.

  • Verónica Valdez, University of Utah

    Verónica E. Valdez is a professor in the Department of Education, Culture and Society at the University of Utah and Principal Investigator/Project Director of the APEX ESL/M.Ed. University-District Partnership Program funded by the US Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition’s National Professional Development Grant. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on four interrelated and often overlapping strands: educational language policy and planning and its equity impacts for multilingual students designated as English learners; language learning efforts that foster multilingualism/biliteracy in school and out-of-school contexts; the education of Latina/o/x students; and teacher education and practices that promote the values of multilingualism, multiculturalism and educational equity across educational settings. Her most recent research examines the equity implications of state models of dual language education implemented in the United States and the preparation of ESL and dual-language teachers.

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Published

2024-05-09

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ADVANCE ACCESS TO FORTHCOMING ARTICLES

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Special Issue: Guest Editors Aleksandra Olszewska, Maria Coady & Tuba Yilmaz

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How to Cite

Park, K., & Valdez, V. (2024). Examining Minnesota schools’ discursive positioning and intended educational opportunities for refugee-background students. Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices. https://doi.org/10.1558/jmtp.23121