Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies (PhD)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies
Advisor/Mentor
Erickson, Kirstin
Committee Member
Goering, Christian
Second Committee Member
Su, Danjie
Third Committee Member
Padilla, Yajaira
Keywords
Arkansas; Educational Experiences; English Learners; Ethnography; Language and Culture; US Latino Families
Abstract
This dissertation presents a critical ethnographic study of lower socio-economic status, multilingual Latino immigrant families in one region of Arkansas, which has undergone rapid demographic changes in the last four decades. As the Latino population has grown, schools have struggled to accommodate the needs of their diverse students and families, which has contributed to below-grade-level literacy skills and significant student disengagement. This study examines students’ schooling experiences from the perspective of the family. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this study explores three interconnected themes: family experiences of schooling, language ideology, and liminality. A comprehensive examination of family educational experiences includes the families’ perspective on the purpose of formal education and the value of academic achievement as well as an analysis of how families navigate their children’s learning challenges, including disability, poor academic achievement, disengagement, and learning in a second language. To develop a holistic understanding of the multilingual family, this study examines home language ideologies and culturally informed practices, situating them within broader structures of power. This study also considers the ways in which families perceive that their home language(s) and culture(s) are valued and supported, or silenced, by institutional authorities, and the degree to which they perceive these factors as influencing their child’s academic engagement. This research reveals that Latino immigrant families are highly committed to the education of their children; however, the liminality experienced by women and children vis-à-vis the educational institutions has shaped their manner of engagement. As family linguistic and cultural practices were disregarded by institutional authorities, students and their caregivers experienced marginalization. Caught betwixt and between their home cultural practices and institutional pressures, women and children navigated the educational challenges through modes of resistance, accommodation, and ambivalence.
Citation
Rauth, C. (2026). "Because you speak two languages": Latino Immigrant Families Negotiating Language Ideology, Liminality, and Education in Arkansas. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6281
