ABSTRACT
This case study takes place at Sandy Elementary in a Midwestern urban setting that has recently experienced a large resettlement of Burmese refugees. The Burmese children join other English Learners (ELs) who speak Spanish as their first language and who hail from the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. The newer sojourners from Burma are political refugees and come with approved immigration status and related social services, which is not the case for many of the school’s Spanish speakers. Additionally, churches in the area with a history of mission work in Burma enthusiastically welcome the new families, hosting space for English language classes and a food pantry. After several years of Burmese resettlement, Liz, the principal, begins to observe her teachers’ preference for Burmese children over the Hispanic children. Troubled, Liz and the EL director brainstorm methods to address the teachers’ subtractive construction of Hispanic youth.
