Belonging and Not Belonging: The Case of Newcomers in Diverse US Schools

Purpose: Schools play an important role in the incorporation of newcomer students and for determining who belongs and does not belong to the nation-state. In this article, we analyze students’ experiences of belonging and exclusion in diverse high schools. Research Methods/Approach: We use survey and interview data from a mixed-methods study conducted in four high schools in Arizona and New York. We ask, What individual, school, and social contextual factors explain students’ sense of school belonging? How do students from diverse backgrounds understand and experience belonging in school? Findings: We find that students understand belonging as emerging from their own individual characteristics (including newcomer status and identifying as Latinx), the school environment (participation in clubs and class discussion), and their perceptions and experiences of the social context, including incidents of discrimination. Implications: Findings from our study have important implications for the role of diverse schools not only in fostering belonging but also in countering broader experiences of discrimination and exclusion.