Corridos as Anzaldúan Praxis in a Chicana/o Studies Community College Classroom

• In Event: Anzaldúan-Informed Pedagogies in Higher Education: Corridos, Research Methods, Ethnic Studies, and Beyoncé

Abstract

Objective: This presentation explores the use of corridos and other artforms as an example of an Anzaldúan praxis in a Chicana/o studies community college classroom in Southern California. Anzaldua’s Borderlands theory (1999) and corridos not only serve as examples of creative and historical texts that document the experiences of Mexican and Chicanx communities, but also provide the opportunity to engage in an Anzaldúan pedagogical praxis. I use Anzaldúan thought as a way to challenge myself as an educator to imagine and create liberatory practices and curriculum in Chicana/o studies classrooms that makes room for music, storytelling, resistance, creativity, art for the purposes of teaching/learning, but also healing.

Theoretical framework: This paper is informed by Chicana/Latina feminisms, and specifically Anzaldúan thought and the contributions these fields of study make to educational research (Elenes, 2010). Through Chicana/Latina feminisms and Anzaldúa specifically, I explore what a recentering of critical pedagogy can look like through the knowledges, philosophies, and pedagogies of Gloria E. Anzaldúa. I do this to problematize the privileging of white and male scholars within the field of education to center women of color who have been in an historic struggle for educational equity and have been pivotal in producing radical approaches to teaching and learning (Delgado Bernal, 1998).

Methods: This lesson plan on corridos was created in my Introduction to Chicana/o Studies course at a community college in Southern California. The students were introduced to the work of Anzaldúa through Borderlands/La Frontera. Then, students were presented with a guideline on critically analyzing artwork and were asked to view and take notes on a series of corridos played in class, to include Los Tigres del Norte, Banda La Maravillosa, and El Quemazón. Students were then invited to share their knowledge of corridos and song suggestions, before drafting their own corridos in class. This presentation features an analysis of the student’s work, their reflections, as well as my own reflections from field notes taken during and after the lesson.

Findings: Findings generated from my analysis of my fieldnotes/reflections and the written work and reflections of the students reveal 1) the transformative potential of Anzaldúan thought and praxis in Chicana/o Studies classrooms; 2) the necessity of centering healing in educational institutions; and 3) the role art plays pedagogically and holistically in transforming education for Chicanx/Latinx students.

Significance: Given the persistent struggle to develop ways to transform historically colonizing schooling institutions, Anzaldúan thought and praxis offer great potential in improving curriculum and praxis in schools. However, the work of Anzaldua as a philosopher and especially as a pedagogue, remains largely overlooked within educational research. The findings and this lesson plan show how an Anzaldúan praxis provides historical context within Chicana/o Studies classrooms, while also providing an opportunity for students to engage in a process of healing through writing and composing their own corridos.

Author

• Sylvia Mendoza, University of Texas at San Antonio