The Study and Bilingual Education and Latinx Racialization

• In Event: How Schools Make Race: Teaching Latinx Racialization

Abstract

Objectives/Purposes
Panelist #3 will comment on the intersections of bilingual education and race, focusing on how these programs confront or perpetuate anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity. The Panelist will discuss the first speaker’s contention that the bilingual-education program encouraged seeing the Spanish language as forming the signature boundary of the Latinx group. Panelist #3 aims to discuss how the first Speaker’s approach and conclusions challenge and expand existing theories on anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity within bilingual education programs.
Theoretical Framework:
Panelist #3 will draw upon scholarship focused on raciolinguistic ideologies (e.g., Alim et al., 2016; Flores & Rosa, 2015) to discuss how bilingual education forms the Latinx category. The panelist will examine the first speaker’s findings about the dual role of the bilingual education program in promoting linguistic diversity while potentially reinforcing racial hierarchies and biases, especially pertaining to Afro-Latinx and Indigenous Latinx communities.
Methods/Modes of inquiry
The presentation will be a theoretical commentary on the qualitative empirical data, analysis, and results from the first Speaker. Panelist #3’s comments will draw from examples of the study showing effective strategies and practices that support antiracist education.
Data sources/Evidence
Evidence will be drawn from the first Speaker’s empirical study on a bilingual education program in secondary-level schools. The Panelist will also draw on scholarship focused on raciolinguistic ideologies (e.g., Alim et al., 2016; Flores & Rosa, 2015) to theoretically discuss the first Speaker’s interventions on the intersection of language and race theory. The evidence will highlight specific instances where the Spanish language is positioned as a signature boundary of the Latinx racial category within educational settings.
Conclusions
Panelist #3 will conclude that bilingual education programs must critically address issues of anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity to truly promote racial equity. She will discuss the need for these programs to incorporate anti-racist pedagogies and practices, and she will comment on the challenges to combating anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity. The Panelist will discuss how the first Speaker offers a nuanced view of how bilingual education shapes the Latinx racial category and its fluidity and complexity. The panelist will discuss this intersection influencing future research on racial formation in educational settings.
Scholarly Significance:
This discussion is significant to the education field as it provides a critical examination of how bilingual education programs influence racial group formation. By understanding the role of language in racialization processes, educators and policymakers can develop more inclusive and equitable approaches to teaching and learning. This session is significant as it sheds light on the often-overlooked racial dynamics within bilingual education. By critically examining these programs, the session aims to inform more equitable and inclusive educational practices that address the needs of all racialized students. The speaker highlights the implications for both the potential and the challenges of bilingual education programs in confronting anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity. The Panelist comments on the first Speaker’s recommendations for ensuring that these programs do not perpetuate existing racial inequities. This session aligns with the AERA 2026 theme by discussing research and practice that advances racially just education for the public good.

Author

• María Cioe-Pena, University of Pennsylvania