"I Am in School to Help My People": Community Cultural Epistemologies of Academic Success

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-2 - Democratizing Access: Factors Supporting Success Among Immigrant Students

Abstract

Drawing on data from a two-year multi-site ethnographic study, this article examines cultural epistemologies around academic success within a Vietnamese refugee community in the U.S. Southeast using a community cultural wealth theoretical lens (Yosso, 2005). Within this community, success is framed as a sociopolitical act tied to collective activism and cultural preservation in Vietnam and in the U.S. Data also reveal a sharp disconnect between these community perspectives and those of school personnel. Implications for research and teaching are presented.

Authors

• Liv Thorstensson Davila, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Lan Quach Kolano, University of North Carolina - Charlotte