“Educating African Immigrant Youth is, in essence, about how to bring forth the full humanity of African immigrant and refugee youth who find themselves in North American schools, an outline of a cartography that allows possibilities of vibrant schooling and civic lives for these young people.”
—From the Foreword by Awad Ibrahim, professor, vice-provost, equity, diversity and inclusive excellence, University of Ottawa
“This groundbreaking volume offers powerful windows into understanding and interrogating the educational experiences of African immigrant youth and their families. The breadth of chapters in the volume document the heterogeneity of African immigrant youth and their families, while simultaneously connecting them with broader African diaspora themes and cultural practices shared among these youth and families with those of African descent who were born in the United States. The breadth of contexts documented is expansive, from implications for and experiences in disciplinary classrooms, to mathematics, history, and digital learning classrooms. Chapters further examine the complexities of how these youth and families navigate civic participation in this country along with sustaining transnational relationships. Overall, this volume expands our conceptualization of Blackness as experience, ideology, and complex heterogeneous identities. The breadth of the historical literature review of this topic invites the audience into a field of study that deserves our full attention.”
—Carol D. Lee, Edwina S. Tarry Professor Emerita, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University
“This compelling book provides educators and school administrators with critical lessons on decolonizing our teaching and learning methodologies and research approaches to create sustainable schooling communities particularly (but not exclusively) among African immigrant students in the United States, Canada, and other global contexts. The rich interdisciplinary perspectives offered on learning communities also add to the book’s broader global appeal and reach. The weave of global diaspora narratives across multiple geo-spaces has powerful lessons for educators interested in engaging the complex past, present, and future challenges of decolonial teaching and learning by interrogating the social civic literacies affirming learners’ identities and cultural and linguistic heritages.”
—George J. Sefa Dei, professor of social justice education and director of the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
“As global migration continues to shape the demographics of classrooms in the United States, African immigrant youth represent one of the fastest growing and most diverse student populations in many countries. The authors of Educating African Immigrant Youth have unearthed the complexities of the educational experiences of African immigrant youth and offer unique practical strategies. This comprehensive guide is an essential resource for teachers, educators, and policymakers who are committed to the success and well-being of African immigrant students and the broader vision of education as a powerful tool for social integration and inclusion in the U.S. educational system.”
—Alex Kumi-Yeboah, associate professor of education, Department of Educational Theory and Practice, School of Education, University at Albany-SUNY
"Educating African Immigrant Youth is significant, necessary, and timely. It helps the reader understand the increased marginalization of African immigrant youth in U.S. schools and curricula and provides an avenue for them to honor their multiple and transnational identities, unique funds of knowledge, and lived experiences, which are often ignored. The authors remind the reader that immigrant and diasporic children are not monolithic groups and that they deserve teachers who will recognize and humanize their heterogeneity through classroom learning and teaching processes. I commend the editors for this inspiring volume and recommend it to all those involved in the education of our children."
—Bekisizwe S. Ndimande, professor of curriculum and instruction, University of Texas at San Antonio, and honorary professor, University of South Africa
“This rich collection illuminates the complex interplay among schooling, identity development, and civic engagement for African immigrant youth. Drawing from research and practice, it equips educators with strategies to create inclusive and affirming learning environments. This essential resource advances our understanding of African immigrant children's experiences while providing practical tools to support their full humanity and potential in schools and society.”
—Carola Suárez-Orozco, professor in residence, Harvard Graduate School of Education
