The invisible re-segregation of immigrant students at Chilean high schools

The integration of immigrants has become an increasingly salient challenge in Chile, particularly for immigrant students who must navigate a rigid and highly segregated educational system. This article examines the extent of immigrant students’ segregation from their Chilean peers at both the school and classroom levels by analysing the concentration of immigrant students across schools, as well as classroom policies and practices. A mixed-method research design was employed, combining quantitative analysis of large national databases at the school level with in-depth analysis of seven high schools in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. Data were obtained from 75 in-depth interviews with students and school staff, as well as from 46 classroom observations. Overall, the results show that immigrant students are spatially segregated from their Chilean peers both between and within schools. At the school level, immigrant students experienced declining exposure to Chilean students between 2015 and 2020, especially in public institutions. At the classroom level, the data reveal processes of segregation, wherein classroom-level structures – such as seating arrangements and grouping practices – perpetuate the physical separation of immigrant students from their Chilean peers.