Immigrant Heritage Month was launched in 2013 by a broad coalition of private non-profits and public agencies, and President Joe Biden issued an official declaration on June 5, 2023. MISRYOUM Education News curates a set of teaching and learning resources for
June arrives with a familiar fight in classrooms: how to talk about immigration honestly. how to protect students who live with uncertainty. and how to turn headlines into learning. Immigrant Heritage Month began in 2013. launched by a very large group of private non-profits and public agencies. with a shared goal of keeping immigrants’ stories and contributions within reach.
On June 5, 2023, President Joe Biden issued an official declaration for Immigrant Heritage Month. In a post on X. he wrote that America was founded on the idea that all people are created equal. and that immigrants’ dreams built the country. He also pointed to the courage and contributions celebrated during National Immigrant Heritage Month.
For educators and school communities trying to use this month as more than a calendar item. the resource list circulating alongside the observance is broad and deliberately practical—ranging from starting points for understanding refugee realities to guides on responding to classroom and community hostility.
The compiled teaching and learning resources include links for learning about World Refugee Day. resources for learning about immigration in the United States. and ways for students to tell their immigration stories—including prompts about sharing their own story and/or their families’ story. There are also suggestions focused on engaging immigrant parents. including links tied to a Migration Policy Institute report on engaging immigrant parents.
Classroom support is built into the list as well. with resources aimed at helping teachers. students. and families respond to immigration challenges in practical terms. Some items focus on dividing lines and the narratives around them. including resources to learn about walls that separate us. while others confront the harder reality in schools: the demonization of immigrants as invaders. and what teachers and students can do about it.
The list also tackles the way hateful language shows up in daily life. Resources include responding to the racist “go back to your country” trope, supporting Latino students in the face of hate, and resources for schools, teachers, students, and families in the face of deportation threats.
A specific focus on school access appears in the final entry: resources for learning about the Plyler decision now that right-wingers are planning a push to make migrant children pay to attend school.
Taken together, the items trace a classroom-to-community reality that educators often face at the same time: students and families aren’t only learning content—they’re navigating fear, misinformation, and political pressure while trying to stay in school.
Immigrant Heritage Month June 5 2023 Biden declaration education resources immigrant families school inclusion world refugee day parent engagement Plyler decision
So it’s just school worksheets about immigrants now?
I mean I support immigrants, but why is this month even needed? Feels like politics sneaking into classrooms. Also who decides what “honestly” means.
This says Biden did a declaration in 2023, so that’s probably why my school will try to push it. Like next they’ll be telling kids they’re supposed to like refugees or something. Teachers should focus on math instead of “turning headlines into learning.”
I skimmed it but sounds like it’s about getting students to share their immigration stories… which is great I guess, but then it mentions responding to “hostility” so are they prepping for backlash? Not sure if it’s balanced either, like what about the other side of the conversation. Also World Refugee Day links?? seems like too many days packed into one month.