Braiding Identities: Testimonios of Culturally Diverse Educators in Early Childhood Education

• In Event: Educators at the Margins: Pathways of Belonging and Resistance

Abstract

This study explores how culturally and linguistically diverse pre- and in-service early childhood educators construct their teaching identities. Located within an urban, Midwestern university’s inclusive teacher preparation program, we use Chicana feminist frameworks, including testimonio, pláticas, and education journey maps, to center the lived experiences of educators of color navigating systemic inequities. Findings reveal three core themes: intergenerational influence and cultural identity, dynamic educational pathways, and teaching as empowerment and advocacy. These braided narratives illuminate how identity, community, and resistance shape inclusive pedagogies and praxis. By foregrounding trenzas de identidades múltiples, this work challenges dominant narratives in teacher education and affirms the embodied wisdom of marginalized educators as vital to reimagining equitable futures in early childhood education.

Authors

• Maria J. Ruiz-Martinez, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Margaret Bartlett, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

• Leanne M. Evans, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee