Working Toward Social Justice and Equity: Chicana Agency and Activism Within a Teachers' Union

• In Event: Resistance in and Across Policy-Making Forums

Abstract

Drawing from Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, and Cain’s (1998) theory of identity and their concept of figured worlds, this project will explore how two elementary bilingual teachers go about to enacting their Chicana activist educator identities through their teacher union. Teaching has often been described as a political process (Bartolome ́, 2004; Cochran-Smith, Piazza, & Power, 2009; Freire, 2002). Teachers turn to these alternate sites to discuss and plan actions to restrictive practices (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Montaño, López-Torres, DeLissovoy, Pacheco, & Stillman, 2002). Bilingual teachers in particular, often have an added layer of activist identity as they are forced to defend their programs.

Authors

• Katherine Espinoza, The University of Texas

• Enrique David Degollado, The University of Texas