A Case Study of the Experiences and Perspectives of Hispanic Immigrant Parents on Heritage Language Maintenance and Bilingual Education in the Rural Community of Brandon, Manitoba - Research Report

Oct 15, 2026

This qualitative embedded case study examines how 16 first-generation Hispanic immigrant parents in Brandon, Manitoba understand heritage language maintenance and bilingual education. Using five face-to-face semi-structured interviews and three focus groups with 11 parents, the research analyzes perspectives on sustaining Spanish, obstacles tied to socio-economic conditions and language barriers, and home-based strategies for preserving Spanish. Findings also address power relations between parents and school authorities and how these interactions shape children’s home language maintenance and bilingual development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Participants and data collection

Research questions

Spanish as heritage language

Challenges and difficulties

Relationship with the school

Home strategies

Support from authorities and community

Results

Views on Spanish, identity, and cultural values

Bilingualism as human capital

Differences between CHS and non-CHS participants

Language brokers and intrafamilial impacts

RESEARCH REPORT A Case Study of the Experiences and Perspectives of Hispanic Immigrant Parents on Heritage Language Maintenance and Bilingual Education in the Rural Community of Brandon, Manitoba Erika Serrano-Hidalgo This qualitative embedded case study investigated the experiences and perspectives of 16 first-generation Hispanic immigrant parents on heritage language maintenance and bilingual education in the City of Brandon , Manitoba. I conducted 5 individual face-to-face semistructured interviews followed by three focus group interviews with 11 Hispanic immigrant parents. The participants were divided into two subunits of analysis: Colombian, Honduran, and Salvadoran (CHS); and non-Colombian, non-Honduran, and non-Salvadoran (non-CHS) . The study first examined the views that Hispanic immigrant parents have about the maintenance of Spanish among their children. Second, the study identified the difficulties that Hispanic immigrant parents experienced in their efforts to preserve Spanish as the heritage language. Third, the research identified strategies that Hispanic immigrant parents used in their homes to help their children to preserve Spanish. Fourth, the research examined power relations reflected in the experiences of Hispanic parents in their interactions with the school and examined how the nature of these relations impacts the home language maintenance among children. Finally, the study described the parents’ perspectives of how school authorities, teachers, and the community can support them in preserving their native language and making informed decisions regarding heritage language maintenance and bilingual education. The main research question was “How do Hispanic immigrant parents in the City of Brandon view their experiences with the issue of heritage language maintenance and bilingual education?” To explore this inquiry in detail the following sub-questions were addressed: 1. How do Hispanic immigrant parents perceive the maintenance of Spanish as heritage language? 2. What Hispanic immigrant parents view as challenges and/or difficulties in their effort topreserve Spanish as heritage language? 3. How do Hispanic immigrant parents perceive their relationship with their children’s school and how the nature of this relationship impacts the home language maintenance among Hispanic immigrant children? 4. What are some strategies that Hispanic immigrant parents are using in their homes to help their children to preserve Spanish as their native language? 5. What are parents’ perspectives of how the school’s authorities, teachers, and the community can support them in preserving the native language of their children and in making informed decisions regarding heritage language maintenance and bilingual education? Results All of the Hispanic immigrant parents participating in this study viewed the preservation of Spanish as fundamental in the development of their children, and they wanted their children to maintain the Spanish language, the Hispanic cultural values, and identity. In general, despite the challenges to maintain the home language, a few parents were succeeding in raising their children bilingually while a majority was not. All parents considered crucial the maintenance of Spanish as the home language because they perceived their language as an essential key to fostering a sense of unity, continuity, and understanding not only among the members of their nuclear and extended family but also among the Hispanic community. Most Hispanic immigrant parents were resisting assimilative pressures by implementing practices and strategies to preserve their native language at home. Parents in this study also viewed the bilingual ability of their children as a human capital that allows children to maintain strong family ties and serves as a door opener and as a valuable tool for achieving academic and professional success. The CHS immigrant parents perceived the maintenance of the hom

FAQs

What is the main research question of the study?

How do Hispanic immigrant parents in the City of Brandon view their experiences regarding heritage language maintenance and bilingual education?

What methods were used to collect data?

The study used five individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews and three focus group interviews with 11 Hispanic immigrant parents.

How did parents generally view preserving Spanish and bilingualism?

All parents viewed preserving Spanish as fundamental to their children’s development and identity, while experiences with maintaining bilingualism varied, with some parents succeeding and most reporting challenges.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Anna Hans