Counter-narratives from Spanish and mandarin-speaking parents navigating school choice in the United States

Research on school choice has documented the experiences of parents navigating choice systems, but there is little research on experiences of non-English speaking parents in particular. This paper uses a qualitative interview study approach to examine the experiences of 24 Spanish- and Mandarin Chinese-speaking parents engaging in a choice-based school system in a large urban school district. Grounded in counter-storytelling and community cultural wealth frameworks, we explore how barriers related to language and socio-economic status limit access to information while illustrating how parents’ aspirational and navigational resources shape their decision making process. In doing so, we challenge both deficit perspectives of and monolithic assumptions about non-English speaking parents, shedding light on the complex realities and dynamics that shape their decision making processes and priorities. We aim to provide insight into how school districts may shape choice policies that are responsive to historically marginalized and linguistically diverse families.