Pledging Allegiance

"With probing intelligence and graceful, limpid prose, Rippberger and Staudt have written an important book on how the school systems of the U.S. and Mexico manage to instill national identity in their new citizens. Those interested in border issues will find much food for thought in this book." -- Pablo Vila, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at San Antonio and author of Crossing Borders: Reinforcing Borders andEthnography at the Border "The authors probe the geographic, in-between space that is the U.S.-Mexico border to consider, for example, the identities of children who find themselves pledging allegiance to two flags and two countries while living and breathing a syncretic culture. The assessment here, along with the questions asked, will help us to understand the future of two countries whose histories continue to be enmeshed." -- Emma Prez, author of TheDecolonial Imaginary: Writing Chicanas into History "Provides perhaps the best comparative description available of how educational structure, teaching methods, classroom interaction, technology, and language instruction in each country help produce national culture." -- Chad Richardson, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Borderlands Studies at the University of Texas-Pan American

Susan Rippberger is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations and Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Texas, El Paso. Kathleen Staudt is Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Introduction: Public Schools and Nationalism 1. Contextualizing Nationalism and Education 2. Nationalism, Civics, and Education 3. Classroom Organization and Management: Lessons on Civics 4. Bilingualism: Language Policy and Use 5. Technology: Control and Autonomy 6. Conclusions Bibliography