Bi/literacy Ideologies in Nepantla: Stories From South Texas Escuelitas

• In Event: 45.022 - Community-Based Arts: Storying Identities and Praxis

Abstract

In this narrative inquiry, we delve into the stories of nine participants who attended escuelitas in South Texas between 1940 and 1945. Designed to teach Spanish literacy and Mexican culture, the escuetlias—or little schools—operated along the US-Mexico border almost 100 years after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848). As such, the stories of the escuelita attendees are significant in understanding how early bilingual education practices emerged. We use Anzaldua’s theory of nepantla to contextualize the space and time of the escuelitas. In tandem with nepantla, we employ Cadiero-Kaplan’s (2002) literacy ideologies framework. The findings reveal complex and contradictory literacy ideologies. We argue that bi/literacy curriculum demands nuanced bi/literacy ideologies to meet the needs of bilingual learners.

Authors

• Enrique David Degollado, The University of Iowa

• Rosalyn Harvey-Torres, The University of Texas at Austin

• Randy Clinton Bell, The University of North Texas, Dallas