Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2025
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Urban Education
Advisor
Ariana Mangual Figueroa
Advisor
Wendy Luttrell
Committee Members
Reva Jaffe-Walter
Michelle Fine
Subject Categories
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Keywords
Choreographies of Care, Immigrant Youth, Multilingual Learners, Acompañamiento Alumni Educators
Abstract
This dissertation provides a nuanced, ethnographic exploration of the schooling experiences and trajectories of immigrant, multilingual learner (MLL) alumni from Global High, a member of the International Network of Public Schools (INPS) in New York City. Framed by the theoretical concept I developed Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah the study reconceptualizes accompaniment as both praxis and a process. As a praxis Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah is built on collective practices that are solidarity-driven and grounded in choreographies of care, presence and the proactive pursuit of equity and justice. Especially for migrant students living at the intersecting margins of race, ethnicity, class and language. As a process Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah is a fluid, holistic, and student-centered practice that is rooted in the imagery of weaving interconnected lives and grounded in deep relational presence the kind that transcends physical space to honor solidarity, empathy, and shared journeys by blurring hierarchies and woven together support agency and care in educational communities.
Drawing on 30 semi-structured alumni interviews and six focus groups, complemented by reflexive journaling rooted in my positionally as both insider and participant, the research foregrounds the lived realities, voices, and adaptive strategies of students offering a window into Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah. The dissertation deeply examines the role students and alumni educators play in cultivating Nasij Al- Ma’iyyah through choreographed care. This is made possible through the non-traditional school model of teaching English language learners utilizing culturally responsive pedagogy, translanguaging, and intentional choreographies of care to underpin students’ holistic development and sense of belonging. Findings demonstrate that accompaniment at Global High is dynamically co-constructed by students and alumni, who embody Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah and fluid networks of support that bridge community, classroom, and diaspora. Alumni who return as educators and mentors, engage in and co-create Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah through their vital border broker roles leveraging shared linguistic, cultural, and migratory experiences to foster trust, belonging, and agency among current students. Through an analysis of both institutional processes and personal narratives, this work highlights the limitations of standardized, “one-size-fits-all” models, advocating for localized, relational practices that honor students’ home languages, cultures, and identities through implementation of translanguaging practices and culturally relevant pedagogies. It also calls for reimagined policies and educational structures that institutionalize alumni involvement, dismantle deficit‑based categorizations (such as ELL/LEP), and nurture organic solidarities within immigrant communities.
Ultimately, this research advances works on acompañamiento and introduces Nasij Al Ma’ iyyah as a transformative and ethical framework for immigrant education centering healing, affirmation, and reciprocal care that is created by and for immigrant youth and stakeholders in their school. The implications of this work extend to educators, policymakers, and researchers, urging a shift from transactional banking model to transformative engagement and from hierarchical to collaborative models of learning and community. By amplifying the testimonios and contributions of immigrant youth and their alumni networks, the study offers a blueprint for more just, equitable, and humanizing educational futures that recognize the central role students play for one another in both academic and non academic spaces.
Recommended Citation
Almansouri, Orubba, "“Al-Rafiq Qabla Al-Tariq”: Nasij Al-Ma’iyyah Acompañamiento by and for Immigrant Multilingual Multicultural Youth" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6490
