Translanguaging in Liderazgo: Linguistic Flexibility as Servingness

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond Metrics: Servingness, Linguistic Justice, and Culturally Rooted Praxis in Higher Education

Abstract

In light of federal regulations in the United States mandating English as its official language (Exec. Order No 14224, 2025), it is crucial to highlight the importance of linguistic diversity and the presence of multilingual people in higher education. Our study draws on raciolinguistic and translanguaging frameworks (García, 2009; Rosa & Flores, 2023) to better understand how Latina líderes engage in translanguaging to describe their leadership roles. We explore three layers of las lideres’ descriptions of their culturally-responsive praxis including: a culture of cariño; centering the Latinx culture; and student servingness. This work extends translanguaging literature from the K-12 space to the context of higher education and highlights the role of linguistic flexibility in culturally-responsive praxis.

Authors

• Margarita Anahi Rodriguez, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Lucy Arellano, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Carlos A Fitch, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Maritza Ordaz, University of California - Santa Barbara

• M. Magdalena Jimenez Aguilar, University of California - Santa Barbara