Description
Book SynopsisThis edited volume brings together voices of Latinx students, teachers, teacher educators, and education allies in Latinx communities to reveal ways in which today’s sociopolitical context has given rise to politically-sanctioned hateful anti-immigrant rhetoric. Contributors—key stakeholders in the education of immigrant Latinx children, youth, and college students—share how this rhetoric has exacerbated existing systemic injustices within K-Higher Education. They draw attention to counternarratives that speak to leadership and strength of community. Contributors include high school and college students and faculty, community organizers, and early career academics, whose voices are too often underrepresented in academic conversations. This book highlights professional and personal acts of courage, community organization, and the transformation of students and educators who are stepping into leadership roles to affect change. Understanding that teaching and learning are political acts, we call all those vested in Latinx communities to engage in small and large acts of agency to collectively impact change in our K-Higher Education systems.
Trade ReviewThrough the voices of students, teachers, teacher educators, and education allies, Latinx Experiences in U.S. Schools provocatively debunks the anti-Latinx rhetoric and racial hegemony in the Age of Trump. If you are interested in challenging educational inequality head-on, then this is a must-read volume that elevates the lived experiences of Latinx youth—in and out-of-school—and turns school failure on its head.
-- Gilberto Q. Conchas, Wayne K. and Anita Woolfolk Hoy Professor at the Pennsylvania State University
Editors Jiménez-Silva, Bempechat, and Gómez have delivered a volume of profound significance for readers seeking to understand the impact of institutionalized racism on the Latinx community. The book allows us to enter into the lives of students, families, teachers, and teacher educators linked by a common, heart-wrenching event – in this case, the election of Donald Trump. Through powerful and illuminating accounts in first-person voices and keen analyses of trauma-informed, meaning-making processes, the authors expertly demonstrate the importance of lifting up the wisdom and knowledge of students, communities, and educators. Prepare for full engagement of your emotions, intellect, and educator’s sensibilities.
-- Gloria M. Rodriguez, Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy, University of California, Davis
Table of ContentsIntroduction
Margarita Jimenez-Silva & Janine Bempechat
Section I: Voices of Students
Introduction: My Experience at the City Council Meeting, Joey Luevanos
Chapter 1: “I don't like the way he acts with Mexicans:” An Analysis of Persuasive Pre-Writing Sessions with Fifth-Grade Bilingual Latinx Students, Evelyn Baca
Chapter 2: “What Do You Mean, You Feel Latina?:” Use of Pan-Ethnic Identity Labels Among Middle School Bilingual Youth, Jenny Jacobs
Chapter 3: “Why isn’t Cinco de Mayo 365 days a year!” Culturally Sustaining Practices in an Age of Distrust, Orlando Carreon
Section II: Voices of Teachers
Introduction: The Making of a Radical Educator, Melody Esqueda
Chapter 4: Rising Up to Lead: A Teacher's Path from the Classroom to City Hall, Laura Gomez & Ruth Luevanos
Chapter 5: Unshifting Practices and Perspectives: Disrupting the Cycle through Anti-Racist Pedagogy, Christine Montecillo Leider, Megan Schantz, & Molly Ross
Chapter 6: A Funny Thing Happens on the Way to the Classroom…: Positioning Latinx Students, Families, and Teachers as Knowers while Promoting Cultural Competence for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy through Study Abroad in Chile, Kenny Varner
Section III: Voices of Teacher Educators
Introduction: The Journey from Student to Teacher to Teacher Educator: A Cry for Change, Ofelia Schepers
Chapter 7: Educating Teachers to Work with Latino Children and Families in Challenging Socio-Political Contexts and Times, Eleanora Villegas-Reimers
Chapter 8: What Counts as Official Knowledge?: Pursuing Accreditation in a Post-Truth Era, Jaclyn Caires-Hurley, Anne Ittner, & Andrea Emerson
Chapter 9: Preparing Bilingual Teachers through a Bilingual Undergraduate Teacher Corps: Nidos de Lengua y Comunidad, Nadeen Ruiz, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, & Samantha Smith
Section IV: Voices of Education Allies
Introduction: Passion, Resilience, Community, and Education: Core Values as Educational Allies, Karen Kay
Chapter 10: Undocu-Ally Trainings: Reducing Stigma and Prejudice via Educational Interventions, Jesus Cisneros
Chapter 11: Voces Unidas: Advocating for Emergent Bilinguals while Navigating Arizona’s Socio-Political Context, Ashley Coughlin, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, & Karen Guerrero
Chapter 12: Preparing Teachers to be Allies in Addressing Mental Health with K-12 Students, Gabriella Luu
Call to Action: Conclusion
El Movimiento and the Imperative to Sustain Relationships and Build Community
Patricia Quijada Cererer & Leticia Alvarez Gutiérrez
