Addressing the Educational, Cultural, and Linguistic Challenges of Indigenous Mexican Students in California

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

In California, there are more than one hundred and sixty-five thousand indigenous Mexicans who come from regions where native languages other than Spanish are spoken. However, little is known about their educational trajectories.

Relying on language socialization theory (Ochs & Schieffelin 2012), the papers in this panel shed light on the multilingualism within these families, the cultural wealth and linguistic practices (e.g., linguistic brokering) they bring (Author 2016; Zentella 2005). The papers also contribute to an understanding of the linguistic landscape and educational barriers experienced by the students, including linguistic and cultural isolation for their families, discrimination, and institutional barriers. The papers also discuss civic participation efforts that students and families rely on in meeting challenges (Fox & Gaspar-Salgado 2004).

Sub Unit

• Division G - Social Context of Education / Division G - Section 2: Studies of diversity and variation within social contexts of education

Chair

• Amelia Kyratzis, University of California - Santa Barbara

Papers

• The Politics of Indigeneity and Linguistic Purity: Indigenous Maya Families at a California K–5 School - Patricia Baquedano-Lopez, University of California - Berkeley

• Meeting Educational Challenges for Indigenous Mixtec Families of Young Children in California: A Community Approach - Amelia Kyratzis, University of California - Santa Barbara; Jacqueline Kemp, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Cultural and Linguistic Socialization Challenges Among Mexican Indigenous Families in the United States - William Perez, Claremont University - Claremont Graduate University; Rafael Vasquez, University of California - Davis; Melissa Mesinas, Stanford University

• Educational Trajectories of Indigenous Students in California - Elizabeth Villa, University of California - Santa Barbara

Discussant

• Ana Celia Zentella, University of California - San Diego