Reading, Writing, and Harassment: White–Latinx Test Score Disparities on the U.S.–Mexico Border

The U.S.–Mexico Border region is typified by enhanced immigration enforcement and legal violence, which are known to reduce the educational achievement of Latinx children and youth. Using data from the Stanford Education Data Archive, I compare math and reading test score disparities between White and Latinx students in public school districts in the four states along the U.S.–Mexico Border—California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas—with districts outside of the Border region. I find that reading and math test score disparities widen with proximity to the Border. Results indicate that educational and family-income differences between White and Latinx adults explain the disparity in math test scores. However, the reading test score disparity on the Border remains net of school and community factors, suggesting legal violence and immigration enforcement may be impacting Latinx youth and, therefore, increasing the size of the test score disparity. Finally, I find the test score disparities between the Border region and interior districts do not vary significantly in size across the four Border states.