1. The Curriculum as Mirror: Building an Immigrant Studies Program
Daniel Muro LaMere
Saint Paul Humboldt High School

2. Why Immigrant Studies? Minnesota has the largest racial
achievement gap in the country:
4-year graduation rates 2011:
MN | Saint Paul
Whites: 84% | 73.4%
Asians and Pacific Islanders: 72% | 69.8%
Hispanic/Latinos: 51% | 57.1%
African-Americans: 49% | 52.1%
American Indians/Alaska Natives: 42% | 46.7%

3. Why Immigrant Studies?
Diversity within urban classrooms as well as greater Minnesota
TwinCities.com: 463,000 new international immigrants expected in region by 2040.
Prevalence of inter-ethnic violence within city schools suggests need for the teaching of multiple experiences.

4. What is it?
Immigrant Studies uses counter-storytelling and an ethnically diverse curriculum that reflects student demographics to validate students and provide a new way of seeing and engaging with the world.

5. What is it?
Paulo Freirie - read the word and the world - students need to become critical readers of the world and how they are depicted in it.

6. Original Grandiose Plan
Immigrant Studies as a multi-disciplinary program including English/Language Arts and Social Studies.
Piloted with 9th graders, adding a new grade every year.
Students in the Immigrant Studies English 9 class would automatically be enrolled in the Social Studies counterpart.

7. New Plan Starting with just English/Language Arts
One section of English 9 will be given to Immigrant Studies
Still hoping to add a grade each year, Social Studies as soon as possible.
Partnering with Minnesota Historical Society, using existing resources they’ve created.

8. Big Ideas
T-shirts - fun for me, fun for them, suggests that Immigrant Studies is something to be valued
Voluntary after-school student-run Immigrant Studies Council - extending the curriculum to service, activism
Monthly Immigrant Studies Parent/Community Nights

9. Alignment of Standards
QUARTER ONE: Foundations, Narrative Writing - using a diversity of narrative accounts - many student-generated, to study foundations of grammar and create publishable summative assessment.

10. Works Cited
Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy Of The Oppressed. New York : Continuum, Print.
Gervais, Brady. "Twin Cities Region in 2040? Diverse and Bustling, Met Council Projects." TwinCities.com. Pioneer Press, 18 Apr Web. 28 Mar. 2013
Precious Knowledge. Dir. Ari Palos. Dos Vatos, DVD.
Simon, Stephanie. “High School Graduation Rate up Sharply, but Red Flags Abound.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 25 Feb Web. 25 Mar. 2013
"State Tables." ED Data Express: Build a State Table. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar