Chapter 4: “They don’t Speak English”: Interrogating (Racist) Ideologies and Perceptions of School Personnel in a Midwestern State

Public concern over the growing number of undocumented immigrants has intensified in recent years (Daniels, 2004; Graham, 2006; Perea, 1997; Portes & Rumbaut, 2006; Suárez-Orozco & Páez, 2002; Wells & Bryne, 1999). This concern is fueled by an outpouring of American patriotism, nationalist sentiment, and a renewed esprit-de-corps that has blanketed the nation in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Indeed, as Americans search for a common symbol of allegiance to bring them together during these troubled times, they’ve found such symbols in the American flag, in patriotic songs, and in pleas for a common national language (Coryn, Beale, & Myers, 2004; Freyd, 2002; Gerstenfeld, 2002; López, 2002). As our nation struggles to heal itself from the wound inflicted within its borders, it has increasingly looked outside its borders as possible sites of worry, fear and trepidation. In an effort to allay public concerns over “weakened” borders and other potential threats to national security, U.S. public policy has now focused on immigration reform and border security as solutions to protect this country from future possible attacks (Cornelius, 2005; National Public Radio, 2004; Newport, 2004).