Culturally Responsive Leadership: Developing Social Justice Within Colonized Students’ Population in a Mexican University

• In Event: Roundtable Session 116
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership, Identity, and Culture

Abstract

Controversial immigration laws, restrictive language policies, and Dream Act rejection along the United States have impacted Latino students’ decisions to return to their native country to accomplish a B.A. degree. This paper analyzed return migration to Mexico in order to attain higher education; specifically how these students adapt to the new context, and how school leaders, particularly university administrators, deal with this kind of population. This paper draws upon the literature and qualitative research findings to examine how department heads in the University of Sonora, conceptualize and enact “culturally responsive leadership”. Authors concluded that school leaders need to develop critical perspectives and deeper understandings of culturally responsive leadership and cultural politics for the realization of social justice within colonized populations.

Authors

• Elia Villasenor, The University of Arizona

• Nolvia Ana Cortez, The University of Arizona