“The ESL Kids are Over there”: Opportunities for Social Interactions between Immigrant Latino and White High School Students

Abstract

This ethnographic study was conducted at a high school on California's central coast during the 2000 to 2001 school year. The study focused on the social interactions between immigrant Latinos and their White peers and identified factors contributing to boundaries that existed between the two groups. During interviews, students were given a map of the school and asked to identify the different student groups on campus. Findings indicate that immigrant Latino students were virtually invisible to the White students at the school.