Scholars have called attention to the complex implications of migration on children’s well-being, identity (Panting, 2016), and academic aspirations and success (e.g. Abrego, 2014). Migration and education scholarship, however, has continued to prioritize adult-centric perspectives, depicting children as “baggage” rather than actors and agents in their own right (Orellana et al., 2001). As a result, children’s voices have often been silenced and marginalized in research (Pain, 2004; Yeoh & Lam, 2006). Children’s voices afford opportunities to reveal new and valuable perspectives on human nature and migration (Yarwood & Tyrrell, 2012) and support the production of more relevant and responsive research and pedagogies (Vecchio et al., 2017). Given the increasing numbers of minors in-transit within the Central America-U.S. nexus and their growing presence in schools, migrant shelters, and other spaces, the relative absence of children’s voices in existing research is an issue of global importance (Heidbrink, 2020). In response, this present dissertation study asks: How do Honduran children learn and develop as they undergo diverse migratory trajectories within Mexico?

Through a participatory social-justice research design (Creswell & Clark, 2018), I engaged 17 Honduran children ages 5-15 from nine families located in shelters and homes in Monterrey, Nuevo León in the co-creation of knowledge regarding their migratory trajectories. Over five months, I employed a toolkit of qualitative participatory storytelling methods, such as student-generated drawings, timelines, and dramatization (ex. Barros Nock & Ibarra Templos, 2018; Schmidt, 2017), during weekly virtual ‘art club’ sessions. This dissertation unpacks this work through three distinct articles: 1. an analysis of children’s novel funds of knowledge (Moll et al. 2005) developed in-transit; 2. a case analysis of four families’ politicized funds of knowledge (Gallo & Link, 2015) developed while undergoing unique im/migratory conditions; and 3. an analysis of participatory storytelling methods as a means of shifting power between researcher and participant when working with young migrant populations. This work shines a light on the often-hidden journeys of Honduran migrant children in-transit, positing that a greater understanding of these experiences may drive actions directed at meeting im/migrant students’ current and future needs within and outside of educational contexts.

This dissertation investigated state-level English Learner (EL) policymaking in new and established immigrant destinations in the United States. The study aimed to understand the technical, normative, and political forces that shaped state EL policymaking and how these forces were negotiated within state education agencies across different state contexts. The research employed a multiple case study design and drew on interviews with 50 state policy actors, state policy documents, and archival records.The findings identified key state policy actors and educational priorities in new and established immigrant destinations, and factors that enabled or constrained the prioritization of ELs within state policymaking. In new immigrant destination states, factors that enabled or constrained EL prioritization included limited EL-specific staff at the State Education Agency, a focus on "all students," funding allocation, inclusion and influence in SEA decision-making, awareness of SEA staff about EL content, and deficit attitudes towards ELs. In established immigrant destinations, enabling factors included increased staffing and supportive SEA leadership, while constraining factors encompassed SEA awareness and technical knowledge about ELs, deficit attitudes, funding constraints, and sociopolitical context. The study also examined power dynamics among state policy actors and the impact of partisan politics on EL policymaking. A central aspect of the discussion involved understanding the significant sway that key stakeholders, such as state governors and EL advocacy organizations, held over states' educational agendas. As the research delved into different political environments, it uncovered unique challenges: in progressive contexts, the study revealed misconceptions about ELs and the repercussions of neoliberal politics, whereas conservative settings exposed negative attitudes towards ELs and immigrants, along with concerns surrounding bilingual education. The research also addressed immigration politics and the adverse effects on state EL policymaking. The study emphasized the importance of context in examining the influence of technical, normative, and political factors on state EL policymaking, highlighting the role of historical and contemporary policy context and demographic changes in both new and established immigrant destinations. In summary, this dissertation offered valuable insights for stakeholders working to promote equitable education for English Learners. By elucidating the complexities of state EL policymaking in different immigrant destinations, the study identified key areas for stakeholders to address. These areas include increasing personnel and technical knowledge in SEAs, tackling biases and prejudices in policymaking, acknowledging power dynamics and political influences, fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, and recognizing past policies' implications. By investing in capacity building, challenging biases, advocating for education leaders, nurturing partnerships, and learning from past experiences, stakeholders could collaboratively create a more equitable educational policy landscape for ELs.