Latinos and Educational Civil Rights: Narratives and Counternarratives

• In Event: Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Voices of the Latina/o Community

Abstract

This paper is a critical analysis of the history of civil rights in education from the perspective of diverse Latino/a leaders in the United States. Narratives of seventeen Latina/o activists- teachers, sociologists, historians, attorneys and academics from the civil rights movements of the 1960’s to contemporary times were analyzed. Using Freire’s theory of emancipatory education, five themes were found: 1) perceived devaluing and deficit orientations toward Latino community experiences; 2) enactment of the democratic principle of the right to protest; 3) institutional racism perpetuating lack of access to equitable schooling; 4) historic practices of struggle and resistance and 5) enduring self-affirmation of culture, identity and dignity as foundational aspects of the experiences and resistance of people of color.

Authors

• Magaly Lavadenz, Loyola Marymount University

• Anaida Colon-Muniz, Chapman University