Table Of ContentThe Experiences of Refugee Youth
from Burma in an American
High School
This timely volume uses critical ethnographic methods to trace the expe-
riences and identities of refugee students from Burma as they move
through their final year of schooling in an urban high school in the
United States.
Against the backdrop of increasing tensions surrounding immigration
and identity in America, The Experiences of Refugee Youth from Burma in an
American High School presents an analysis of the academic paths of adoles-
cent immigrants and the challenges they face throughout their schooling.
Delving into the historical and socio-political context of the school and
surrounding landscape, this volume offers an immersive, insider per-
spective of the educational circumstances of SaySay, Paw Htoo, and
Hlaing, the three newcomer youths—from Burma. Through detailed
ethnographic narratives, readers are introduced to resilient adolescents
who navigate their way through the maze of social expectations, lan-
guage-learning demands, and ethnic-related tensions to rebuild their
identities in the United States. By highlighting the students’ stories and
identities, the book shows how racism is subtly woven into the fabric of
education in the United States, and how schools can provide more equi-
table schooling for newcomers from other nations.
This volume will benefit graduate students, researchers, academics,
and pre-service teachers in the fields of English language learning, refu-
gee and immigrant education, and the sociology of education. Those
with an interest in urban and multicultural education will also find this
text useful.
Lisa Roof obtained her PhD in Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science
of Learning at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, USA.
Mary B. McVee is Professor of Literacy Education and Director of the
Center for Literacy and Reading Instruction (CLaRI) at the University at
Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, USA.
Routledge Research in Educational Equality and Diversity
Books in the series include:
Schools as Queer Transformative Spaces
Global Narratives on Sexualities and Genders
Jón Ingvar Kjaran and Helen Sauntson
Promoting Academic Readiness for African American Males with Dyslexia
Implications for Preschool to Elementary School Teaching
Edited by Shawn Anthony Robinson and Corey Thompson
High Achieving African American Students and the College Choice Process
Applying Critical Race Theory
Thandeka K. Chapman, Frances Contreras, Eddie Comeaux, Eligio Martinez Jr.
and Gloria M. Rodriguez
Community Participation with Schools in Developing Countries
Towards Equitable and Inclusive Basic Education for All
Edited by Mikiko Nishimura
Experiences of Racialization in Predominantly White Institutions
Critical Reflections on Inclusion in US Colleges and Schools of Education
Edited by Rachel Endo
International Perspectives on Inclusion within Society and Education
Edited by Mabel Ann Brown
Teaching to Close the Achievement Gap for Students of Color
Understanding the Impact of Factors Outside the Classroom
Edited by Theodore S. Ransaw and Richard Majors
Graduate Students Becoming Qualitative Researchers
An Ethnographic Study
Char Ullman, Kate Mangelsdorf, and Jair Muñoz
The Experiences of Refugee Youth from Burma in an American High
School
Countering Deficit-Based Narratives through Student Voice
Lisa Roof and Mary B. McVee
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.
com/Routledge-Research-in-Educational-Equality-and-Diversity/
book-series/RREED
The Experiences of Refugee
Youth from Burma in an
American High School
Countering Deficit-Based Narratives
through Student Voice
Lisa Roof and Mary B. McVee
First published 2021
by Routledge.
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
and by Routledge.
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN.
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an
informa business.
© 2021 Lisa Roof and Mary B. McVee.
The right of Lisa Roof and Mary B. McVee to be identified as
authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification
and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Roof, Lisa, author. | McVee, Mary B., author.
Title: The experiences of refugee youth from Burma in an American high
school : countering deficit-based narratives through student voice /
Lisa Roof and Mary B. McVee.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, 2021. | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020032298 | ISBN 9780367561178 (hardback) | ISBN
9781003096467 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Burmese--Education (Secondary)--United States. | Teenage
refugees--Education (Secondary)--United States. | Immigrant
students--United States--Social conditions. | Burmese--United
States--Social conditions. | Burmese--United States--Ethnic identity. |
Burmese--Cultural assimilation--United States. | Burmese--United
States--Social conditions.
Classification: LCC LC3501.B87 R66 2021 | DDC 370.89/958--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020032298
ISBN: 978-0-367-56117-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-09646-7 (ebk)
Typeset in Baskerville
by SPi Global, India
This book is dedicated to students who journey from
other nations and enter our classrooms. Your strength,
your stories, and your lives make our world a better place.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations viii
Acknowledgments ix
Prologue: But I Am Still Strong: Voice and Point
of View in Writing xi
1 Introduction: Hearing the Voices of Refugee Youth
from Burma 1
2 The Ant Climbing the Tree: The Importance of
History and Context 8
3 “Why Do the Highest People Want to Break Me Down?”
Critical Race Theory and Language Practices 24
4 Following the Shoreline of a Study: The Ebbs and
Flows of Data, Context, and Analysis 43
5 Burmese, Karen, American: Intersecting Identities for
The Prom King, the Valedictorian, and the Teacher 68
6 The Self-Portrait: How Narratives Trap and Empower Us 93
7 Into the Maelstrom: Bullying, Stereotypes, and
Racial Tension 109
8 Working Toward a Paradigm Shift 127
Appendix: Interview Questions 140
Index 143
Illustrations
Figures
3.1 SaySay’s photograph 24
4.1 Bird flying into the sun 49
4.2 Bridge going into the forest 49
4.3 Path leading into the woods 50
4.4 Sailboat on the water 50
4.5 Footprints walking away 51
4.6 A bird cage with an open door 51
4.7 Heavy traffic on a highway 52
4.8 Foggy road 52
4.9 An example of an identity circles grouping showing
how adolescents might represent their lives 53
4.10 Littleleaf student enrollment according to race or
ethnicity from 2003 to 2014 62
5.1 SaySay’s identity circles 72
5.2 Hlaing’s identity circles 75
5.3 Paw Htoo’s identity circles 77
6.1 SaySay’s self-portrait 104
Table
1.1 Key Demographic Information About SaySay,
Hlaing, and Paw Htoo 6
Acknowledgments
Every book project follows a different path to publication, and there are
many to thank along the way. First and foremost, we thank the youth Paw
Htoo, Hlaing, and SaySay and their families who agreed to share their
lives and insights with Lisa and others. We also thank the teachers and
school leaders who were willing to let Lisa follow these young people
into their classrooms. “Thank you” seems too mundane a word to
acknowledge the debt owed to the youth, their teachers, and families.
The editorial team at Routledge has also been instrumental in shaping
this text. In shaping the book proposal and focus of the book Julia Hall
was patient and specific, providing careful feedback that led to a more
thoughtful and articulate manuscript. Appreciated as well were the edi-
torial guidance received first from Matthew Friberg and then Elsbeth
Wright. Chris Jarmark, Kelly Schucker, Robert Johnson, Makayla Roof,
and Kari Evans provided important support by reading through the
manuscript and offering their thoughtful comments and suggestions.
Aijuan Cun and Qinghua Chen, your meticulous attention to detail and
thoughtful comments helped polish and refine.
Lisa: I am grateful to Mary McVee, Lynn Shanahan, and Nancy Bailey
who encouraged me to pursue a doctorate. I will always be grateful for
their influence and commitment to excellence. I’m sure I would have
given up, if not for Mary’s continued understanding and support
throughout my journey. I am also grateful to Fenice Boyd, who took a
chance on me and allowed me to work at Littleleaf, something that I
consider to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life.
Erin Kearney has also had a profound influence on my research and
studies, teaching by example, how to value and empower others through
research relationships. I would also like to thank Maureen Boyd, for
sharing with me her joy of researching. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
I am deeply grateful for all of my professors at UB who have shown me
that research is more than something I do—it is a part of who I am.
I could not have done this without the help of many colleagues, espe-
cially Jen Reichenberg who took the time to read my long and sometimes
rambling drafts and give me helpful feedback.
