Navigating the transition from the American into the Mexican educational system: Transnational students’ experiences

ABSTRACT Over the last decade, unprecedented numbers of students of Mexican origin have been transitioning from the U.S. to Mexico. The presence of these students in Mexican schools has raised concerns regarding the challenges they face and the possible squandering of their linguistic and cultural asset. In this article, we contribute to an understanding of the question of why some individuals experience this transition as difficult, but not others. Drawing on a research project about the experiences of migrant students in public elementary schools of Tamaulipas, Mexico, we analyze how migrant children’s narratives portray the interrelationship between migratory moves, schooling experiences, and the implications this has for their bicultural and bilingual identities. The phenomenological approach of the study suggests that participants’ narratives emphasize the interplay between individual identities and the wider sociolinguistic, institutional and political context, which lead to divergent processes and outcomes of their transition. Implications for further research and policy are outlined.