A Decolonial Trauma Lens on Latinx Students' Life Stories in the Spanish Heritage Classroom

• In Event: Stories and Voices of the Self as Frameworks for Qualitative Research

Abstract

While experts in the Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) field acknowledge discrimination faced by Latinx students in the United States, they have yet to consider these environments as potential sources of trauma. Using narrative inquiry as the methodological approach, this study explores the life stories of four second-generation Latinx students in the SHL classroom from a decolonial perspective on trauma (Comas-Diaz, 2021; Zembylas, 2022). The findings reveal that the participants encountered doubts about their Mexican authenticity, questioned their sense of belonging, and experienced second-class treatment, leading to feelings of shame, guilt, and inadequacy. This highlights the importance of addressing the emotional well-being of these students in SHL curriculum and instruction to address the lasting impact of their experiences.

Author

• Melisa Miralles, University of Washington