The goal of this article is to examine different conceptions of identity and different processes of identity negotiation to make visible the implicit and explicit links between social practices and perceived risk, equity, and opportunities to learn for linguistically and culturally diverse students. The authors discuss analytic frameworks for the study of identity as a socially constructed, locally situated, and culturally reified construct, and they focus on how the empirical study of identity in educational contexts has contributed to different theoretical and practical uses of the term. The authors begin by discussing the theoretical, epistemological, and methodological issues related to the broader concept of identity as a basis for understanding the negotiation of linguistic and cultural identities. As such, they focus on the negotiation processes of linguistically and culturally diverse students because their identities are often marked as being nonnormative or "other," in ways that provide salient insights into what is at stake when identity is connected to learning. They then review how linguistic and cultural identities are associated with the different ways in which minority status and risk have been socially constructed in the literature on identity and educational practice and performance. Following that, they engage in a review of empirical literature on the negotiation of linguistic and cultural identity as it relates to risk, minority status, and academic performance. This discussion highlights the persistent challenges associated with navigating categories and normativities, such as linguistic practices, race, class, gender, and ability, in the context of diversity and the attendant issues of access, equity, and risk that accompany perceived salient social differences. Finally, they present recommendations and considerations for future research and practice. (Contains 2 notes.)