Chapter 2: “Cruel Optimism”: The Unmet Promises of US Schooling for Those Who Are Labeled as “Refugees”

Globally, refugees are portrayed as victims in need of humanitarian aid or alternatively, suspicious burdens on resettlement nations, such as the United States (US). Further, refugees are often portrayed as distinctly different from other migrants. However, in schools in the Southwestern US, students of refugee background and students whose families have crossed the Mexican–US border often find themselves as classmates. Here, the author contributes to the fields of education policy and praxis by analyzing the politics and complexities of labeling minoritized students in schools. Drawing on data collected in an 18-month case study of a Southwest school district’s response to students of refugee and migrant backgrounds and their families, the author interrogates the labeling and positioning of the students in policy and practices. The author shows students of refugee and Mexican-migrant backgrounds being put in competition against each other for educational supports and resources students. The author also reveals how some of the students refuse both the labels and positioning. The author concludes with the implications for all students and offers recommendations for educators.