Muxerista Portraiture: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Latina Teachers in the Deep South

• In Event: Humanizing and Transforming Gendered Narratives in P-20: Feminista, Muxerista, and Queer Ideologies and Methodologies

Abstract

Using muxerista (womanist) portraiture (a humanizing and narrative qualitative methodology), this paper highlights the portrait of one Latina teacher-participant from a larger study, while also providing findings and information from the original study. The study was conducted in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Birmingham, Alabama during a time of extreme political polarization and a global pandemic. The featured portrait centers the lived experiences of a Latina teacher who struggled to heal from racial and linguistic violence at her school, despite having had caring relationships and rapport with her students before the 2016 election. The findings indicate the need for cultural inclusion of teachers, particularly teachers of color, as shared by counter-narratives centering família, belongingness, and empowerment.

Author

• Vanessa E. Vega, University of Central Florida