This book uncovers the social and educational experiences of young Indigenous immigrants in the US. Highlighting the multilingual and multicultural diversity of Latin American immigrants, it explores how policymakers and educators can effectively support Indigenous students’ multilingualism, ethnic identity development and educational success.

The first examination of the sociolinguistic, identity, and educational experiences of Indigenous Mexican youths.

This book uncovers the social and educational experiences of an increasing yet understudied population of young immigrants in the US, focusing on multilingual students who speak one of three Indigenous languages: Zapotec, Mixtec and P’urhépecha. It explores students’ ethnoracial identities, Indigenous language use and transnational practices and the influence of these factors on school adjustment, academic achievement and educational pathways.

This three-year mixed-methods study in semi-urban, urban and rural contexts assesses student interviews, teacher interviews and survey data to provide an account of how Indigenous students develop their social identities and examines the influence of their non-Indigenous Mexican peers and teachers. It highlights new developments in Latinx cultural and linguistic heterogeneity and intragroup race/ethnic relations, informing policymakers and educators about Indigenous immigrant students and how to effectively support their multilingualism, ethnic identity development and educational success.

It will be of interest to researchers working in related fields such as education, Latin American studies and immigration studies.