Laura Chávez-Moreno is interested in how schools contribute to the racialization of Latinx students in the U.S. Her new book How Schools Make Race (Harvard University Press, 2024) provides a critical examination of how race is constructed and taught in U.S. schools, with an emphasis on how these processes shape Latinx students.
Chávez-Moreno demonstrates how schools play a central role in teaching race in both explicit and implicit ways, shaping how Latinx students understand their racial identity and place in U.S. society. These ways include the curricula, attitudes of teachers, and school policies. Of considerable intereste, she argues that Latinx students are racialized in different ways from other racial and ethnic groups. She also explains how Latinx identity is complex, encompassing different national origins, cultures, and languages, and how this complexity tends to be oversimplified or ignored in schools, resulting in a monolithic view and understanding of Latinx students.
Chávez-Moreno demonstrates how school curricula perpetuate stereotypes and fail to represent the vast diversity of Latinx histories and contributions to society. She calls for more inclusive teaching that reflects the multi-faceted identities of Latinx students.
Another issue that Chávez-Moreno brings to readers’ attention is how language policies in schools — such as the treatment of bilingual students or English-only instruction in schools — play a role in the racialization of Latinx students. She argues that these practices marginalize those who speak Spanish or other languages.
Chávez-Moreno explains how teacher biases and expectations contribute to the racialization process, shaping Latinx students’ academic outcomes and self-perception. Biases can lead to tracking, lower expectations, and inequitable treatment of Latinx students in the classroom. Despite the challenges that she identifies for Latinx students, she includes examples of how students resist racialization and assert their own identities.
How Schools Make Race is research-based and rooted in the more extensive literature on the topic. However, what I enjoyed most about the book is Chávez-Moreno’s voice. She is a beautiful storyteller, and the examples she uses from her own life and experiences make the book take on much more significant meaning and solidify her arguments. At its heart, Chávez-Moreno’s storytelling not only grounds her research but also amplifies her critique, urging educators and policymakers alike to recognize and address the systemic racialization that still persists in schools today.