Embracing Newcomers in American Elementary Schools

The K-12 educational landscape in the United States is rapidly changing. Although all countries have experienced immigration, no country in the world has maintained such a high immigration rate over such a long period of time (Rong & Preissle, 2009). Immigrant children are entering the United States at a rapid rate, making them the fastest-growing segment of the youth population (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001). Newly arrived immigrants and refugee children and adolescents come with their families to the United States seeking quality education, safety, and new opportunities. Many come with language barriers, an interruption to their education, trauma, and discrimination (McNeely, Morland, Doty, Meschee, & Nashwan, 2017). Research examining newcomer education focuses on teacher perspectives, the effectiveness of English Language Learner programs, as well as social and emotional components that may aid in student adjustment to a new environment. However, fewer studies seek to listen to the voices and experiences of newcomers. U.S. schools are one of the important social institutions with which immigrants and their children first come in contact (Bondy, Peguero & Johnson, 2017). School is where young minds are nurtured, social and ethical dilemmas are encountered, and a sense of self emerges. Schools have to accomplish more than ever before, and without the guidance of newcomers’ voices and perspectives, it is possible all best efforts to support students are lost. Through narrative inquiry, this study examines the experiences of newcomer students and their caretakers from their perspective. Qualitative data is gathered using observation, phenomenological interviewing, and visual research methods