La comunidad puede (The Community Can): How Public Spaces Challenge Social and Educational Inequities

• In Event: 66.033 - Partnerships for Justice: Centering Family and Community Perspectives

Abstract

Moving beyond the conventional approaches of educational research, we consider how public spaces counteract social and educational inequities through the lived experiences of the community it serves (Delgado Bernal, Elenes, & Villenas, 2006; Tate, 2012). By utilizing Salazar Park in East Los Angeles as our unit of analysis, we also look beyond race, class and gender to explore issues of spatial and environmental justice (Anyon, 2005, 2011; Johnson Jr., 2012). Our findings suggest that Salazar Park provides a culturally-responsive environment, the availability of community services, and the accessibility of developmentally-focused programs that contribute to reducing class and educational-based inequities; therefore, also serving as a model for conducting educational research that examines the intersections among neighborhoods, environments, and schools (Tate, 2012).

Authors

• Maria Estefani Reyes, Claremont Graduate University

• Rocio Mendoza, Claremont Graduate University