The power of ethnic studies: portraits of first-generation Latina/o students carving out un sitio and claiming una lengua |
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| Authors: | Norma A Marrun |
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| Institution: | Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, USA |
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| Abstract: | For more than 50 years, college and high school students, families, and community activists have fought for the preservation of ethnic studies. Qualitative research studies consistently have shown positive outcomes, including increased academic engagement and affirmation, for students who take ethnic studies in K-16. In this article, I argue that Latina/o students who enrolled in ethnic studies courses benefited academically and personally from culturally responsive pedagogies. The portraits presented in this article are part of a larger ethnographic study of the schooling experiences of Latina/o students. Data were collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and field notes at two universities. Findings show that the students’ experiences in the courses served as sitio y lengua a space and a language/discourse] in which they experienced:(1) intersecting sitios of home and school pedagogies; (2) (re)claimed an academic space and identity; and (3) (re)defined and (re)connected the boundaries of community space. Ultimately, this article advocates for the expansion of ethnic studies. |
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| Keywords: | Latina/o students higher education culturally responsive ethnic studies |
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