The Ethnic Studies-Heritage Spanish Project: Partnering to Explore Crosscurricular Possibilities in Politicized Times

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Advancing Equitable Pedagogies Through Cross-Curricular and Cross-Context Partnerships

Abstract

As California mandates Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement, districts face implementation challenges including teacher preparation and navigating sociopolitical tensions. This presentation examines an innovative university-school partnership that explored integrating Ethnic Studies content into Spanish for Heritage Speakers courses as a viable entry point for ES implementation. Using engaged partnership research design, three heritage Spanish teachers developed instructional units addressing ES's four pivotal themes: identity, history and movement, systems of power, and social movements and equity. Results demonstrated high student engagement, Spanish language production exceeding typical participation, and significant teacher professional growth despite concerns about potential backlash. The partnership successfully navigated political sensitivities while producing transferable curricular materials, demonstrating how collaborative, assets-based strategies can create sustainable curricular ecosystems for equity.

Authors

• Eduardo Rafael Munoz-Munoz, San José State University

• Margaret Peterson, Stanford University

• Amado M. Padilla, Stanford University

• Vicky C. Xiong-Lor, California State University - Fresno