"I Feel It's Not About Ability, It's About Power": A Bilingual Teacher's Interpretation of a Gentrifying Two-Way Immersion Program

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Dual-Language Programs: Identifying implementation Barriers and Addressing Inequities

Abstract

As two-way immersion (TWI) programs continue to grow in the U.S., it is urgent that teachers counter deficit ideologies about bilingual children who come marginalized backgrounds. Neoliberalism ideologies have contributed to the growth of TWI programs because parents from mostly white and upper middle-class backgrounds see the economic/global advantage in their children becoming bilingual (Valdez, et al, 2016). This paper examines one teacher’s interpretation of a gentrifying TWI program. Data includes researcher fieldnotes, memos, video/audio recordings and informal interviews over the course of 6 weeks in a 3rd grade classroom. Drawing from a Xicana feminist framework, allows us to consider how Latinx teachers have the potential to draw from their identity and experiences to advocate for equitable TWI programs.

Authors

• Suzanne García-Mateus, California State University - Monterey Bay

• Deborah K. Palmer, University of Colorado Boulder