Candid and illuminating, this text exposes the educational realities of Latinos (U.S. and foreign-born) in K-12 public schools in the Western United States from the students' own perspectives. Through the testimonies of students who struggled to graduate from high school, issues that are often oversimplified and commonly misunderstood are brought to life. The students themselves offer pragmatic solutions to reduce the unchanging academic gap among culturally diverse groups. Their accounts are then compared with the viewpoints of a range of K-12 teachers on matters of community, learning, race, culture, and school politics. Examining in depth the question of how to best educate a growing culturally and linguistically diverse student population, this critical case study provides food for thought and provokes reflection on the critical role that human interactions and networking play in attaining one's dreams and human aspirations. Changes in the Second Edition Updated demographics; New chapter: The Role of the Media in the Transmission of Ideologies Related to Latino Students; Updated conclusions and study implications.

Globalization and dynamic transnational migrations are bringing remarkable demographic differences to Europe and the United States. Transnational immigration flows from Eastern Europe, Africa and elsewhere are creating economical and educational inequities that are forcing EU nation- states to reflect on these differences and imagine solutions. Immigrants bring cultural practices, forms of art, and perspectives on all aspects of human experience that transform and enrich the cultures of host countries. Dichotomies between natives and newcomers emerge, as well as new forms of identities and distinctions between "them" and "us". In addition, schools are not prepared to educate diverse children with varied educational backgrounds and languages. Societal inequities cannot be understood in isolation but rather need to be understood from a global perspective. This book gathers researchers from across the globe to examine paradigms, policies, and practices for developing an inclusive intercultural and transnational framework to reduce inequities. This is necessary to positively integrate culturally-diverse families, children and adolescents into schools and societies.

Candid and illuminating, this text exposes the educational realities of Latinos (U.S. and foreign-born) in K-12 public schools in the Western United States from the students' own perspectives. Through the testimonies of students who struggled to graduate from high school, issues that are often oversimplified and commonly misunderstood are brought to life. The students themselves offer pragmatic solutions to reduce the unchanging academic gap among culturally diverse groups. Their accounts are then compared with the viewpoints of a range of K-12 teachers on matters of community, learning, race, culture, and school politics. Examining in depth the question of how to best educate a growing culturally and linguistically diverse student population, this critical case study provides food for thought and provokes reflection on the critical role that human interactions and networking play in attaining one's dreams and human aspirations. Changes in the Second Edition Updated demographics; New chapter: The Role of the Media in the Transmission of Ideologies Related to Latino Students; Updated conclusions and study implications.