This qualitative study explored the ways that two ninth and tenth grade teachers and their newcomer immigrant students engaged in HRE using elements of critical pedagogy at an urban pubic high school. Research data included eight months of classroom observations and interviews with two teachers and nineteen of their students across four of their classrooms. In this study, the complexity of engaging in HRE with newcomer students was brought to light as two teachers enacted their vision of critical pedagogy, human rights content and learning goals, as well as English language instruction.

The findings in this study conveyed that engaging in HRE was relevant to students' lives and provided meaningful opportunities to learn English while developing skills to articulate their struggles with racism, discrimination, gender issues, and immigration through the language of human rights. This study also highlighted the complications of HRE in practice with vulnerable youth.