The Latino English Language Learner population continues to rise each year in our schools, currently accounting for over 10% of all K-12 students in the United States (Cheung, 2019). Even with this growth in population, Latinos continue to lag behind other races in academic attainment and advancement in postsecondary success (NCES, 2019). This phenomenological study sought to explore the voices and educational experiences of a sample of eight, eighth-grade Latino English Language students, as they navigate their academics and their cultural identity while engaged in either a dual language or English only program. The researcher engaged in semi-structured interviews with each participant, asking for perspectives of their educational experiences and their sense of self as related to their culture and language. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed utilizing a thematic, analytic approach. The researcher identified three themes related to the phenomenon and perceived experiences of the participants. First, participants described language and culture as important aspects of their lives, but participants did not describe this perception as being a result of their language of instruction. Second, participants described connection to peers, school(comfort), culture, and tradition as important factors related to helping shape their identity, yet these factors were not described by participants as being tied to their language of instruction. But these factors appear to be influenced more so by relationships with family and peers both in and out of school. Third, participants described learning and being in a supportive school environment as important aspects in their lives. While academic success is seen as a vital part of life and family success, but this success is not perceived as uniquely tied to the language in which students are being instructed. These themes may be useful for exploring the lived experiences of students experiencing second language learning for teachers, administrators, and policy makers as they consider the design of programs to meet the needs of English Language Learners. Implications for teaching and learning and opportunities for future research are presented and discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]