ABSTRACT
A major contributor to the increased diversity of America's schoolchildren is immigration. The United States is a nation of immigrants, but rates of immigration have varied considerably over different periods of our history. Hispanic and African American students have higher rates of school suspensions and expulsions than any other minority group. Ethnic minority groups continue to be underrepresented as teachers, administrators, and members of political bodies that make and implement school policies. The cultural difference perspective argues that the authority structure, social organization, learning formats and expectations, communication patterns, and sociolinguistic environment of schools are incompatible with the cultures of different racial and ethnic groups. Economic disparities among ethnic groups, combined with institutionalized racism and a long history of discrimination for most minority ethnic groups, make comparisons of ethnic majority and minority groups extraordinarily difficult. Researchers should strive to better understand the processes that lead to individual differences in academic outcomes within as well as across ethnic groups.
