School Disconnections, Community Connections: Latinx Immigrant Parent Experiences in Gentrified Dual-Language Programs

• In Event: Parent Language Perceptions and Ideologies in Bilingual/Dual-Language Contexts

Abstract

Although dual-language programs are often portrayed as prioritizing the needs of immigrant and emergent bilingual students, scholars have noted a trend towards the gentrification of these programs (Valdez, Freire, & Delavan, 2016) in ways that reinforce norms of hegemonic whiteness (Flores, 2016). Less is known, however, about how immigrant parents and families experience gentrified dual-language programs. Framed with theories of Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005) and interest convergence (Bell, 1980), this qualitative study explores how Spanish-speaking immigrant parents enrolled in gentrified dual-language programs critique these programs and position themselves as advocates for diversifying and centering equity within their children’s schools, ultimately bringing attention to the importance of prioritizing immigrant parent voices in discussions of equity in dual-language education.

Author

• Grace Cornell Gonzales, University of Washington - Seattle