School as a Context for “Othering” Youth and Promoting Cultural Assets NOAH E. BORRERO CHRISTINE J. YEH University of San Francisco CRIVIR I. CRUZ University Laboratory School JOLENE F. SUDA Honolulu Community College Background/Context: Schools are cultural contexts that have the power and potential to pro- mote students’ cultural assets or “other” youth in a way that keeps them from creating mean- ingful academic identities. In this study, we build on existing research and theory by defining “othering” as a personal, social, cultural, and historical experience involving (a) cultural and racial ambiguity, (b) categorization and labeling, (c) hierarchical power dynamics, and (d) limited access to resources. In addition, we further define and under- stand youths’ cultural assets from a collectivistic perspective. We are interested in identify- ing and understanding community and indigenous strengths of “othered” youth as embedded in social and ecological systems. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: We used an ecological approach to dissect the experiences of “othered” youth through an investigation of their marginalization and assets. The questions guiding this research explore how “othered” students make sense of stereotypes and racism in the school context: How are these incidents handled? What are the norms in school for dealing with racialized and cultural encounters? What are the buffers or factors that may help students maintain a sense of cultural pride in the face of marginalization? What cultural assets emerge in schools and how are they related to students’ experiences with “othering?” Teachers College Record Volume 114, 020307, February 2012, 37 pages Copyright © by Teachers College, Columbia University 0161-4681 1