Knowing Silence: How Children Talk about Immigration Status in School

Learning from children about citizenship status and how it shapes their schooling is essential, as they are often unaware of its implications. Ariana Mangual Figueroa's book "Knowing Silence" challenges the "myth of ignorance" by listening to the speech and significant silences of six Latina students from mixed-immigration-status families. She provides them with iPod Touches to record their own conversations and demonstrates that children grapple with the realities of citizenship from an early age. Educators who underestimate children's knowledge can marginalize or misunderstand these students and their families. Mangual Figueroa's book offers teachers and researchers a framework for understanding citizenship in the contemporary classroom.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 260 pages
Publication date: 05 March 2024
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

There is a prevailing belief in the realm of education that children are largely oblivious to their immigration status and its consequences. In her book, Knowing Silence, Ariana Mangual Figueroa challenges this notion of ignorance. Through attentive listening to the speech and significant silences of six Latina students from mixed-immigration-status families, spanning from elementary school to middle school and beyond, she unveils the intricate ways in which young individuals comprehend and navigate immigration status and its profound impact on their lives.

To facilitate this exploration, Mangual Figueroa provided these children with iPod Touches, enabling them to record their own conversations. By observing when and how these children chose to discuss citizenship at home, in school, and in public spaces, Mangual Figueroa sheds light on their understanding and negotiation of citizenship. Through an analysis of family conversations about school forms, in-class writing assignments, encounters with the police, and applications for college, she demonstrates that children grapple with the realities of citizenship from an early age. Educators who underestimate children's knowledge risk marginalizing or misinterpreting these students and their families.

In addition to presenting significant empirical findings, Mangual Figueroa also delves into the ethical considerations surrounding research and responsibility. By modeling new ways for scholars to collaborate with educators, children, and families, she offers a valuable framework for understanding citizenship in the contemporary classroom. Through rigorous and innovative ethnographic methodologies, Knowing Silence makes audible the experiences of immigrant-origin students in their own words, providing teachers and researchers with a crucial tool for comprehending citizenship in this evolving landscape.

Weight: 283g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517910457