In the Shadow of Stone Mountain: Identity Development, Structured Inequality, and the Education of Spanish-Speaking Children

In this article, we draw from cultural historical theory to examine the assimilationist forces embodied by English as a Second Language (ESOL) identification and programming practices in and outside of Georgia. We argue that the categorization of Spanish-speaking schoolchildren as Limited English Proficient is an extension of historical subtractive practices grounded in monolithic assumptions of what it means to be “American.” Along the way, U.S. Latino/as' exceptionality and potential for additive bilingualism are ignored, and generations are routed into remediation tracks that leave most of them behind others academically and otherwise. We conclude by conceptualizing how a Cultural Identity Plus (CID+) policy as a key component in a broader lifespan strategy for dismantling “Group Based Inequality” (Portes, 2005 Portes, P. R. 2005. Dismantling educational inequality: A cultural-historical approach to closing the achievement gap, New York: Peter Lang. [Google Scholar]) might counteract the harm caused by current practices.