Learning Through Labor: Knowledge, Dignity, and One Child's Work at a Neighborhood Taco Truck

• In Event: Beyond the Classroom: Meaningful Learning in Informal Spaces

Abstract

In this paper, we explore how one Latino student makes sense of his work experiences at a taco truck in the Los Angeles neighborhood where he attends school. Drawing primarily on analysis of data from an interview conducted when he was in fifth grade, we examine his reflections on his daily work, including how he talks about what he knows in relation to this work. We argue that the meanings that he attributes to his labor reflect his wide-ranging knowledge across various domains, as well as his perspectives on family, society, and his future aspirations. Highlighting the relationship among knowledge, dignity, and work, we argue for a critical re-framing of labor and learning in the lives of children of immigrants.

Authors

• Ramon Antonio Martinez, Stanford University

• Alexander Mejia, Stanford University

• Leslie Patricia Luqueno, Stanford University