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Abstract

This piece seeks to amplify the voice of Jamie: a Filipino-American student in a predominantly White high school. Through a series of dialogues, the researcher seeks to take an intentional, purposeful step toward uncovering how Jamie's understanding of her school's cultural makeup influences her education, her self-conception, and her identity.

Through a series of qualitative interviews, the researcher seeks to value the singularity of Jamie's experience while, alternatively, taking note of how a better knowledge of her circumstances lends insight into the nuanced educational experiences of minority students in predominantly White schools. Using Shields's (2004) dialogical leadership for social justice as a framework, this study positions—to the extent that it is possible—the student and researcher on an equal plane as learners, equal partners in pedagogy and learning.

The study seeks to answer the following questions: To what extent does a first-generation American high school student who is not part of her school’s dominant culture identify with, or feel included/excluded by this culture? What effect does this identification, inclusion, or exclusion have on her education?

To answer these research questions, the researcher uses as evidence a series of interviews conducted with Jamie. Her commentaries revealed several findings: disparate extents to which she felt included and excluded from dominant culture-sharing at home as opposed to her life at school, disparate regard for Tagalog and Ilocano language fluency according to different contexts, teachers’ lack of culturally responsive pedagogy, and several additional themes that transcended her home, her workplace, and her academic pursuits. The study finishes with the researcher's reflection.

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