Listening to the Voices of Bilingual Brilliance: Youth Reflections on Elementary DLBE (Dual Language Bilingual Education)

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Equity and Representation in Bi-/Multilingual Education (Table 1)

Abstract

Although Spanish is a colonial language in Latin America, in the United States, it symbolizes resistance to English dominance. This study explores the experiences of eight alumnae of Huerta Elementary School (HES), a Spanish Dual Language Bilingual Education (DLBE) public charter school. The Community Cultural Wealth Centric Framework for Latinx Schooling, advanced in this study, conceptualizes community cultural wealth (CCW) (Yosso, 2005) as a form of resistance to the racialization of Latinxs in the United States. Key research questions address how Latinx students' experiences at HES reinforced CCW and influenced their academic trajectories. Using a critical phenomenological paradigm, this interpretive interview study found that HES’ focus on bilingualism, biculturalism, and positive relationships fostered students’ academic success, family connections, and cultural identity.

Author

• Rosie Ojeda, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo