Border curricula and the construction of identity: implications for multicultural theorists

Scholars, policy makers, and classroom teachers concerned with diversity have expended tremendous effort debating multicultural curricula. However, there has been relatively little discussion about how school environments play into lessons that youth learn about ethnic diversity. This research addresses this gap by focusing on how three academically high‐achieving Latina women perceive curricula relevant to their ethnicity. It also explores the implications of ethnically‐relevant curricula for the ways in which these youth craft ethnic identity in relation to school. Case studies synthesized from interviews and field observations demonstrate that these women place particular emphasis on two aspects of the hidden curriculum often ignored in policy debates: (a) the relational curriculum — lessons about the means and possibilities of communicating with others socially different from oneself, and (b) the differentiating curriculum — lessons that teach youth about their place in the structure of society.