Advanced Immigration 2025-2026

By RAMYA BANGURA

Immigrant identity in American schools shifts depending on context. For first and second-generation students, especially, identity is about how you are seen, how you are expected to act, and how you learn to navigate spaces that were not necessarily designed with you in mind. Through conversations with a first-generation Chinese student, a second-generation Desi student, and a US citizen who has spent most of his life in China but attends school in the US, it becomes clear that immigrant identity in schools is deeply shaped by a constant negotiation between cultures and expectations.

Andrew’s experience growing up in an international school in Shanghai introduces the idea that “English is the language of inclusion.” While this rule was intended to create a shared space among students from different countries, it also revealed how language can force assimilation in some regards. He described how speaking English was expected by the school. This shaped how people engaged with each other in conversations and sparked more friendships in and out of the classroom. This perspective carries into his experience now at Cate, where he believes that a certain level of linguistic assimilation (particularly fluency and comfort in English) is necessary to be included. While this may seem practical in a diverse environment like Cate, it also raises questions about what is lost in the process. If inclusion requires leaving parts of your linguistic identity behind, I feel that belonging becomes conditional.

This idea of conditional belonging also appears in Pari’s experience, who described feeling like she exists as two different versions of herself: one at home and one at school. At home, speaking Hindi and engaging with her culture feels normal to her, whereas it feels “weird” at school. There is an unspoken boundary around what is considered “normal” in academic spaces. At the same time, she feels a push to step up and represent her culture precisely because there are so few Desi students at Cate. This creates a complicated dynamic because her cultural identity is both invisible and hypervisible at once. I find myself relating to this tension, the awareness that your identity can feel too big in some moments and too small in others. 

Representation in the classroom further shapes how immigrant students experience belonging. Naomi pointed out that China is often portrayed in a limited or even dismissive way in history class, sometimes becoming the subject of oversimplifications. While she acknowledged that these perspectives can still be valuable for learning, they also create moments of discomfort, where her identity feels misunderstood. She expressed a desire for more accurate and nuanced representations of Chinese history. This highlights how the curriculum itself can influence identity. When students do not see themselves reflected in what they are learning, or when they are represented inaccurately, it reinforces a sense of distance from one’s identity. 

One of the most consistent themes across these experiences is the idea that identity changes depending on the environment. At home, cultural practices, language, and values often feel natural. However, at school, many students described becoming more aware of how they differ from their peers.  This shift is shaped by external perceptions and subtle social cues that signal what is considered normal. For some students, this means adjusting how they speak, express themselves, and choosing what parts of their identity they should share. These adjustments are often so routine that they can go unnoticed, but over time, they contribute to a sense that identity must be constantly managed.

Language, again, plays a central role in this process. For immigrant students, the way they speak can become a marker of difference. Even when a student is fluent in English, there may still be hesitation around pronunciation, tone, or being fully understood. This awareness can create an internal filter where students think before they speak and be hyper-aware of how what they say might be perceived. Over time, this can lead to a quiet self-consciousness that shapes participation in social interactions. At the same time, maintaining a native language at home or within certain communities becomes an important way of preserving cultural connection even if it feels less visible in school settings.

Some students are highly visible because of their cultural background, while others feel almost invisible in spaces where their identities are not widely represented. This can create a sense of responsibility to represent an entire culture, especially in environments where there are few others who share that background. Ultimately, these stories show that immigrant identity in schools is an ongoing process of questioning. It is shaped by language, representation, expectations, and the environments students move through everyday. While these challenges can create moments of discomfort or tension, they also reflect adaptability and the resilience of these students. First and second immigrant students shape environments through their perspectives and voices.