The silencing of Latino student "voice": Puerto Rican and Mexican narratives in eighth grade and high school

Narratives of 27 Puerto Rican and Mexican students, written first in eighth grade then again as juniors in high school address the important question of "Who am I?" and illustrate school-sponsored silencing, with students' critiques of their educational experience ignored by both the elementary and the high school. The narratives also provide a window into the high dropout rates of Latino children, the reasons behind students' academic decisions, and interventions needed to change negative schooling processes and outcomes. By giving witness to these voices, we as readers help ensure that through their writing, these Latino adolescents do not just speak but that they are heard.