In my last blog, I discussed definitions of school belonging for minoritized youth. I also shared the unjust racial climates in schools where Black and Latinx youth are feeling a lack of belonging. I shared data from my on-going research about factors that contribute to and hinder belonging for minoritized youth. Youth have suggested that schools need to engage in race-conscious problem solving and school improvement equity plans regarding anti-Black racism and anti-immigrant sentiments to reduce assumptions and misconceptions about youth of color and their aspirations and feelings about school rather than perpetuate deficit-based perspectives. In this blog, I build upon this line of inquiry and share more specific challenges that Latinx youth in particular face and how they turn to community-based spaces and settings to feel affirmed, and find supportive relationships. 

Schools struggle to foster welcoming climate

Given extensive research on school belonging and how it connects to academic achievement, I became interested in how minoritized youth were treated in school given higher dropout rates when compared to their white peers. Research shows youth of color experience lower rates of school belonging. Given that I have observed in my earlier research how schools are often not supportive environments for youth of color and Latinx youth specifically, I studied alternative educational settings and community-based spaces that cultivate positive relationships and solidarity. From here, I learned about the importance of trusting relationships and social support and wanted to further explore social belonging. Which in part is due to lack of after-school programs and options in many of their schools.

In addition to the survey data, I have analyzed open-ended survey questions that included over 1600 comments from youth in a second school district site in my research about their experiences of belonging, friendships, and adult-student relationships in and outside of school. These data show that Latinx youth specifically lack a sense of belonging due to a lack of trust with adults, negative experiences in school, and a lack of inclusion and value for their culture and identities. Black and Latinx youth express feeling unsafe and a lack of connection not only in schools, but also in their communities.

Exploring this further, I have found that newly arrived Latinx youth face a host of barriers and lower belonging. These include assimilationist practices, a lack of caring and trusting relationships with teachers, learning a new language, and experiencing discrimination. Many school districts experience challenges with the implementation of anti-racist equity plans that foster a sense of belonging and attend to the needs of Latinx youth and minoritized youth more broadly. When schools do not nurture youths’ sense of belonging, students seek this in spaces outside of school, such as in community-based organizations that are community and youth-centered. 

Community-based organizations provide Latinx youth with community and safety 

Given that students of color and Latinx youth in particular have expressed a lack of belonging in schools and lower social belonging in schools and communities, the necessity to explore other spaces outside of school where youth feel belonging is critical. For the last decade I have examined after-school programs and community-based programs, specifically for Latinx immigrant youth that helped them build positive relationships with peers and other immigrant youth with shared experiences as part of community-school partnerships in districts. In this research (2012-2014), youth carved out positive identities for themselves as activists. Because these spaces were youth centered, youth helped to build the focus of the after-school program, connected with the ethnically diverse youth organizers, and learned about topics that impacted their communities, such as school closures, immigrant’s rights, and fighting for higher quality curriculum. The partnership between immigrant-serving community-based organizations (CBOs) and the local community school was critical for brokering resources and positive relationships for Latinx youth and their families.

In another study (2015-2020), I examined how newly arrived immigrant youth developed a sense of belonging in the midst of racial segregation, racialized othering, and anti-immigrant sentiment and policies. Even in the face of challenges in the community and English-only assimilationist practices in such out of school[1] programs, immigrant youth felt a sense of belonging and solidarity in the out of school program that was housed at a local public library in partnership with a school district. They felt connected to other youth who were “in the same boat,” as newcomer immigrants and language learners. I found a community that served the needs of undocumented youth through a community-based public library program. The library became a hub for newcomer students to find and engage with resources, the community, and most importantly, form connections with others. These community-based spaces and programs were critical for brokering resources and increasing social capital for newly arrived immigrant students.

Similarly, my on-going study shows that CBOs function as spaces that provide a sense of belonging for Latinx students.

This Latinx student talks about the community and connectedness she found in this community-based program in the mid-Atlantic. Her ability to see herself represented amongst her peers, and to share similar life experiences allowed her to connect with peers and form strong friendships. Voices United (pseudonym), recruits immigrant and non-immigrant youth from Latinx-origin backgrounds from middle and high schools in the mid-Atlantic, where an increasing number of Latinx youth arrive after migration. In an after-school community space, Latinx youth gain critical consciousness and knowledge for their own liberation. This undocumented student expresses that because of this CBO and the shared identity of many other youth, she has been able to confide in them regarding her status. This feeling of safety and trust further adds to the sense of belonging outside of school. I have found that this multicultural and multilingual program values youth feedback, and includes and advocates for the youth’s parents. Their work has inspired parents and caregivers to encourage their own children to join the program. As one youth noted:

Voices United provides a home away from home for some youth, including newcomer students or others who lack a sense of belonging in school. The community organization provides a space critical for the well-being of students, similar to a sanctuary, as described by a student. In addition to a sense of belonging, youth learn about immigration, leadership, community service, and have the opportunity to take English classes. Voices United has demonstrated their capacity to create safe spaces for Latinx students. A crucial component of this safe space is space where youth create friendships and foster a sense of belonging amongst themselves, including with adults.

What can schools learn from community-based organizations?

Overall, from my current research, I have learned that community-based organizations have the ability to foster a sense of belonging for Latinx youth. In these authentic spaces, youth feel trust, safety, and connection, allowing them to form friendships and learn skills to help their own communities. The shared identities and the representation youth see with the organization leaders empowers them to become leaders and agents of change. Their experiences are validated in curricula in many cases. As I continue to investigate factors impact, school, social, and community belonging, the work of CBOs remains critical as brokers of resources and relationships that build networks of support for Latinx youth.

Schools continue to struggle with the creation of a welcoming climate and sense of belonging for Latinx youth. To increase their capacity, district leaders should be encouraged to learn from and with Latinx communities. A positive sense of belonging is associated with increased student engagement and achievement. To this end, schools have much to learn about the inclusion of Latinx youth to both increase their sense of belonging and decrease gaps in achievement for minoritized youth. Schools cannot effectively serve the needs of youth of color if they do not understand nor seek to be aware of who youth are when they are not in school. School districts need to include and learn from youth of color and their communities. Partnerships with community-based organizations are one potential pathway to learn how to authentically involve youth voices and build meaningful connections, curricula, and relationships.

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Sophia Rodriguez, Ph.D., is an associate professor of urban education in the University of Maryland, College Park. She is incoming (Fall 2024) associate professor of educational policy studies at New York University. With generous funding from the WIlliam T. Grant and Spencer Foundations, her research investigates how community-school partnerships and educators promote equity for immigrant youth; her research appears in AERA Open, Sociology of Race & Ethnicity, Teachers College Record, Urban Education, and the Washington Post.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank my research assistants and lab members from ImmigranEdNext: Lisa Lopez-Escobar, Katya Murillo, Staci PIppin-Kottkamp, Gisell Ramirez and Gabrielle Wy for assistance during the research. I also acknowledge Gisell Ramirez and Staci-Pippin-Kottkamp for supporting this blog. I would also express my gratitude to the W.T. Grant Foundation for funding this research.