UndocuTeacher Voices: Testimonios of Best Practices for Empowering Undocumented Students

• In Event: UndocuTeacher Pathways + Practices: Perspectives From California and Nevada

Abstract

Nationwide, the field of education has seen a pervasive personnel shortage, particularly for licensed teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, and support staff. Exploring pathways inclusive of UndocuTeachers could be a way to mitigate the shortage. In this paper, two locally grown aspiring UndocuTeacher candidates share their testimonios, their first-person accounts of their lived-experiences, as undocumented aspiring educators (Reyes & Rodríguez, 2012). They discuss their persistence as they navigate a teacher-education program in Nevada. While historically significant barriers have been created that have dissuaded undocumented immigrant students from pursuing the education field, recent policy changes are beginning to make the profession more accessible for students. In 2019 the state of Nevada passed AB 275 which authorized state licensing boards to accept a federal taxpayer identification number issued by the IRS as proof of identification for those who do not have a social security number. As a result, professional licenses cannot be denied to anyone solely based on their immigration status in Nevada, including teacher licenses. While this policy has been changed, many processes remain outdated and misleading which continue to contribute to leaks in the teacher pipeline.

By the time of their graduation, the testimonialistas in this paper will be fully licensed and credentialed educators. Nonetheless, their immigration status has been constructed as a barrier to the classroom by a society that continues to devalue and vilify undocumented immigrant communities. In their testimonios, they will explore their experiences as undergraduate students navigating systems and policies that were designed without them in mind. By braiding a community cultural wealth framework (Yosso, 2004) with a Chicana Latina feminist framework (Delgado Bernal, 2008), two testimonialistas use their cultural intuition to bear witness to their experiences as UndocuTeachers and recognize the urgency of addressing the accessibility issues that continue to bar UndocuTeachers from the classroom. Additionally, they will disentangle the assets that promote resilience and resistance in a landscape set on pushing UndocuTeachers out of the classroom.

Through their lived experiences, they will highlight the navigational capital and best practices that enabled their success. They will offer recommendations for higher education institutions, such as embedded opportunities for experiential learning, increased accessibility for licensing processes, and centering community care to enable persistence. Through establishing peer support networks, culturally responsive fem/mentorship, and student advocacy, the testimonialistas center the cultural wealth of their communities. With continued teacher shortages, the testimonialistas offer an urgent call to action to educational leaders to expand access to the classroom so that they may teach within the communities they call home.

Authors

• Estefanny Lopez-Cruz, Nevada State College

• Luisa Cano Lima, Nevada State University