“Mommy, Can You Read It for Me?”: Perspectives of Newcomer Families from Refugee Backgrounds

This paper reports the findings from two qualitative research studies with multilingual newcomer families from refugee backgrounds in the United States. The theoretical frameworks used to support the inquiry included literacy as social practice and critical literacy. Data sources included interviews with parents and texts provided by their families. The shared data analysis across both qualitative studies allowed me to gain insights into the participants’ engagement with various texts using multiple languages, such as Burmese, Farsi, Dari, and English. Power dynamics were also associated with the school texts. The findings also indicated the participants’ attitudes and values linked to their home language maintenance and children’s schooling experiences in the host country. The findings informed recommendations, such as calling more attention to refugee-background families’ multilingual identities through asset-based approaches.