Schooling Experiences of English-Speaking Afro-Caribbean Panamanian Students, 1930-1960

• In Event: Histories of International Education: Social Justice, Identity, and Decolonization

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how English-speaking Afro-Caribbean Panamanians navigated the educational system in the province of Panama and the Panama Canal Zone, during the 30s, 40s and 50s. Using an ethnographic methodology with an ethnohistoric approach, this study uses interviews and documentary research to understand the historical context and the experiences of students who attended Panamanian public schools, Canal Zone schools, and/or private schools run by Afro-Caribbean teachers. The findings of this study, help us identify the heterogeneous nature of the experiences of Afro-Caribbean students in Panama such as their access or lack thereof to bilingual options, racial prejudice and xenophobia towards them, and the advocacy on the part of their teachers.

Authors

• Nyasha Warren, Museo del Canal Interoceánico de Panama / Centro de Investigación Educativa AIP

• Kaysha Corinealdi, Rutgers University