As technology expands and borders between countries blur, more and more
societies including the United States are becoming multilingual. The
rich diversity of many languages is felt particularly in education as
increasing numbers of students whose home language is other than English
enroll in school. This study presents the national, local, and state
climates surrounding the education of two Latino children. Through this
collaborative-ethnographic style research design, the study investigates
the ways in which identities are constructed for or by Latino children
as they use language at home and at school. The author explores
classroom literacy events and the ways Latino children negotiate these
events with their peers in an English dominant classroom. Results reveal
the fluidity of identity across classroom curricular structures and in
the home. Relationships with peers, adults, and family members
contribute significantly to identity construction. The text is useful
for researchers, students and educators working with culturally and
linguistically diverse children, and those in the fields of second
language learning, bilingualism, applied linguistics, and language
learning.