Abstract
This mixed-methods project sheds light on the impact of bilingual and English immersion education in K-12 public schools. We focused on the time period of recently repealed English immersion programs which were implemented in the late 1990s across the United States. We examined the process of language acquisition among K-12 students in first- to third-generation immigrant and mixed-status families. We described the lasting impacts of language acquisition as students transition out of high school and into junior college and four-year universities. We conducted surveys and in-depth interviews with individuals, surveying our participants on the impacts of their English language instruction in K-12 and their experiences in higher education. The group of university students who worked on this project used our findings to create (1) an undergraduate research group focused on undocumented students and language acquisition, and (2) an undergraduate student-led panel that developed a framework for visiting local high schools and middle schools that enrolled high immigrant and majority minority student populations. The community outreach component allowed high school and middle school students, teachers and counselors, and parents to hear about the continuing challenges and learn about strategies, and resources for dealing with these pervasive issues. In this chapter, the members of the student-led panel describe and offer advice on tactics for student involvement and organization on college campuses to facilitate the provision of more resources for first- to third-generation students.