Inclusive Education for Disabled Refugee Youth: A (Re)Conceptualization Through Krip-Hop and Translanguaging

• In Event: Cultivating Authentic Language Practices: Learning From Community Translanguaging Practices Outside of Schools

Abstract

Objectives
Inspired by the infusion of Krip-Hop (Moore, 2020) within models of Hip-Hop Pedagogy (Alim, 2007; Peterson, 2013), this contribution shows how inclusive education for multiply marginalized youth in Italy can be reframed to support translanguaging in community spaces. It does so by critically analysing the youth’s outputs produced during the community event “I am Hip-Hop” that took place in June 2019 in Italy. Through this event, disabled migrant youth were provided a creative platform to reflect critically on their identity, and to perform Hip-Hop music using multiple languages. Ultimately, this paper hopes to offer educational stakeholders recommendations to anchor the culture of multiply-marginalized youth in educational practices.

Theoretical Framework
The integrated framework that has shaped the community intervention presented in this contribution is constituted by Hip-Hop Pedagogy (HHP) (Peterson, 2013), Krip-Hop Nation (Moore, 2020) and Disability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit) (Annamma et al., 2013). Hip-Hop Pedagogy is a culturally relevant, counterhegemonic teaching (re)intervention, rooted in the power, politics and pleasure of Hip-Hop music and Black culture (Petchauer, 2015). Krip-Hop Nation addresses ableism in Hip-Hop and align Hip-Hop to disability justice (Moore, 2020).
Dis/ability critical race studies (DisCrit) (Annamma et al., 2013) emphasizes that the experiences of refugees with disabilities is not a product of any singular marker (race, refugee, disabled) but rather the amalgamation of these labels. Regardless of how “good” an immigrant adopts the power majorities social (and linguistic) practices, they are still subject to exclusionary practices on account of their disability and their race and/or immigrant status.

Methods & Data Sources
The methodological approach adopted by the research team and organizers of the community intervention draws from aspects of Ricerca-Form-Azione (Balduzzi & Lazzari, 2018). Data were collected through video recording of the workshops and through lyrical storytelling artifacts, which intended to be used along with pedagogical guidance to highlight the affordances of Hip-Hop pedagogy and Krip-Hop to promote translanguaging and reframe inclusive education practices for disabled migrant youth. The analysis presented in this paper is based on videos and artifacts of 10 randomly selected participants.

Substantiated Conclusion and Scholarly Significance
Initial findings of our artifacts reveal that disabled migrant youth entered the workshops with complex translanguaging abilities, kinesthetic brilliance, creativity and reflective and critical thinking skills. Particularly, disabled migrant youth adopted translanguaging, using their local West African languages, especially Wolof, to produce lyrics, which have subsequently performed. The use of translanguaging for their Hip-Hop lyrics production seemed helpful to express their frustration with the process of social and educational inclusion in Italy, and the difficult relationships they have with white Italian citizens.
This paper expands the knowledge of translanguaging within HHP and explores its impact as an inclusive practice for multiply-marginalized youth in Italy. It opens up possibilities for new interpretations of how translanguaging can be supported in educational community interventions, and how it can enrich Hip-Hop culture, while encouraging disabled migrants to “come as they are” (Love, 2014).

Authors

• Valentina Migliarini, University of Birmingham

• Angela M. Mosley, JustOne Solutions LLC.