Notes on Immigration, Youth, and Ethnographic Silence

The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) migrant youth are often found in between narratives, complicated by the current political climate that makes it difficult for migrant students to disclose information about their lives. In this two-year ethnography of a public school that serves LGBTQ young people, the author suggests that teachers and education practitioners must learn to not only recognize the subtext of student narratives—the recognition of ethnographic silence and to listen for what is not being said—but also to create safe spaces in schools where LGBTQ migrant students feel comfortable to reveal identities without fear of reprisal.