On January 8, 2022, Chandler Miranda, term assistant professor of education and urban studies, co-authored an article alongside Kristina F. Brezicha in Equity & Excellence in Education. The work, titled “Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Examining School Practices That Support Immigrant Students’ Feelings of Belonging,” examines how school practices either support or hinder feelings of belonging for students who are immigrants, children of immigrants, or immigrant-origin youth.
This research studied two different high schools with recently arrived immigrant students in regions with distinct immigrant histories. It was established that there is an important correlation between a student’s feelings of belonging and their academic, motivational, and socioeconomic outcomes. The authors found that symbols, subtle acts, and overt acts that students experience in school significantly affect their feelings of belonging, revealing several implications for school leaders, educators, and educational policymakers.