Educacion and culturally relevant teaching in U.S. public schools: lessons from the Haitian Community Center in Miami, Florida

Abstract

The U.S.'s history of racial politics continues to shape the educational experiences of Haitian American students in public schools. Despite their presence as the second most visible immigrant group in Miami, Florida, Haitian American students' experiences continue to be masked by pan-racial categories used for statistical purposes. Investigation into the work of 2 teachers and 8 Haitian American students at an ethnic community-based organization's (CBO's) after-school and day-long summer program, The Haitian Community Center (HCC), through a qualitative case study design suggested that Haitian American youth and families were drawn to this organization based on a shared immigrant, linguistic, and racial experience in Miami's public schools. Data in this study also revealed how HCC's Youth Leadership Development program (YLD) emphasized knowledge and skills reflective of educación, which drew many Haitian American youth and families to this site. How HCC students and teachers processed and filtered messages about what schooling in the U.S. looks like with others at the CBO illuminated ways that culturally relevant pedagogy was viewed in this space. By studying the work that is being done at HCC and by including perspectives outside of traditional public school settings, this study contributes to a gap in literature related to Haitian American students in the U.S. Likewise, this study extends conversations related to culturally relevant teaching practices for educators in U.S. public schools. It also has implications for researchers interested in the educational experiences of students from similar immigrant and racial minority backgrounds.