Language and Empathy: How Bilingual Schools Shape Immigration Views

This study examined how bilingual schools influence their middle school students’ perspectives on Spanish-speaking immigrants, addressing a gap in existing research at the intersection of bilingual education, empathy, and immigration attitudes.

A 15-item Likert scale questionnaire, with an open-ended comment box, was administered to 309 students in grades 6th-8th attending a bilingual (n=73) or English-only school (core subjects are taught in English; n=236) in Georgia.

Chi-square testing revealed statistically significant differences between school types on 7 of the 15 items, and a binary logistic regression identified school type as a significant predictor for 4 statements, particularly those related to cultural awareness, comfort with Spanish being spoken in public places, and recognition of the immigrant experience.

Notably, both the students from the bilingual and English-only schools demonstrated predominantly positive attitudes towards Spanish-speaking immigrants across all statements, with near unanimous agreement on questions that focused on basic human rights and equal opportunities. Bilingual students, however, consistently showed more intense agreement and more frequently connected their attitudes to personal cross cultural relationships. English-only students were more likely to frame their views through a political lens than bilingual students.

These findings suggest that while bilingual education fosters stronger cultural empathy and engagement, students' attitudes towards Spanish-speaking immigrants are shaped by a combination of factors including school type, ethnicity, home language, and gender.