Rural Cultural Wealth and Minoritized Communities: Educators’ Perspectives on Teaching Multilingual Learners in Rural Schools

• In Event: Embracing Place and Identity: Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Pedagogies in Rural Education

Abstract

Traditional narratives of rurality present rural as white and monolingual without acknowledging the sociocultural, linguistic, and economic contributions of linguistically-minoritized communities that live in those areas. Using the framework of rural cultural wealth, the study examines the affordances and challenges faced by rural educators of multilingual learners. Drawing from a larger project, data for this study includes initial interviews and observations of fifteen rural educators across four school districts in Wisconsin. Findings indicate that while educators highlighted the community’s assets, they often overlooked the contributions of minoritized communities. Findings suggest the need for a comprehensive understanding and leveraging of rural diversity to create an inclusive learning environment for all students.

Authors

• Diego Xavier Roman, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Anshika Bhasin, University of Wisconsin - Madison