Who’s Segregated Now? Latinos, Language, and the Future of Integrated Schools

Background: Since the passage of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the demographic landscape of American schools has changed dramatically. By 2011, there were 12.4 million Latinos enrolled in prekindergarten to 12th-grade public schools, which constitutes 23.9% of the U.S. student population. A primary challenge that faces schools today is the increasing segregation of these Latinos, who are now the most segregated group of students in the West. Despite the Supreme Court decision to address the plight of segregation of Latino students, desegregation and language programming to assist English learners has been viewed as contradictory and competing with each other. Implications: The authors contend that school and community leaders should focus on the promotion of dual immersion, International Baccalaureate, and magnet programs to provide Latino, and particularly, English learners, the opportunity to attend strong integrated schools.