Learning, Living, and Laughing in Two Tongues: A Comparative Analysis of Bilingual Education & LATAM Student Integration in Chicago Public Elementary Schools Explored from the Central and South American Migrant Parent Perspective

Beginning in late August 2022, Chicago experienced a massive Latin American refugee and asylum-seekers migration wave. Around mid-2024, several migrant families relocated into permanent housing within various Chicagoan community areas, including those that are not predominantly Hispanic/Latinx. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in these neighborhoods may have lacked bilingual programming or large numbers of English learners. Through interviews that form a distinct regional comparative analysis, my work explores two distinct CPS elementary schools: one with a one-way Dual Language Education program and a more standard Transitional Bilingual Education program. This study aims to answer the following central question: How do these Latin American migrant caregivers perceive the effectiveness and adequacy of their English-learning child's designated bilingual education model, specifically regarding cultural, linguistic, and social-emotional growth? Ultimately, parents are highly satisfied on a day-to-day basis with their child's English Language Program model, with minor criticism regarding sufficient work loads. Although I assessed that CPS is indeed adhering and meeting their program's defined obligations, there is certainly room for improvement mediated through state-wide policy that amplifies public education for all children regardless of their English-speaking capabilities.