A Raciolinguistic Analysis of the Languaging Experiences of Racialized Bilinguals as They Transition to College

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session Four
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT035 (Saturday)

Abstract

This in-progress dissertation examines how bilingualism is racialized within educational institutions and how these dynamics impact racialized bilingual students’ access to and persistence in higher education. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, raciolinguistic ideologies, and Critical Language Awareness, the study centers students’ counterstories to explore how language and race co-construct experiences of marginalization and resistance. Using a critical ethnographic approach, data collection includes interviews, a co-constructed CLA workshop series, and a culminating focus group. Preliminary findings reveal tensions between students’ linguistic identities and dominant norms of “college-ready” English, as well as the empowering potential of critical language awareness. This research contributes to reimagining college readiness through a racially and linguistically just lens, offering implications for equity-driven practices and policies.

Author

• Alexandra Federico McGrath, University of Colorado - Boulder