“Don’t Put My Kid in a Box”: Motherwork and Aspirational Capital Among Mothers of Color in Urban Public Schools

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the educational aspirations and advocacy practices of five mothers of color in and around Jackson Heights, Queens. Framed by Collins's motherwork and Yosso's aspirational capital, the analysis centers on how mothers enact care, resistance, and cultural transmission within school systems not built for their families. Drawing on three semistructured interviews per participant (August 2022–February 2023) alongside local policy and media documents, I identify four themes: (1) intergenerational lessons and transformation; (2) advocacy against systemic barriers; (3) parenting through transition and crisis (relocation, selective admissions, pandemic disruptions); and (4) safety, belonging, and stability as prerequisites for educational success. Mothers described protecting children from racialized harm, supplementing instruction, securing opportunities, and sustaining identity-affirming spaces. Findings reframe “family engagement” as political, emotional, and strategic labor—everyday motherwork that converts aspirational capital into concrete practices. This article discusses implications for leaders and policy makers, arguing for structures that recognize parent expertise, reduce institutional burden on families, and resource culturally sustaining partnerships.