Bridging Communities and Public Schools: Latina Women's Roles in Education, 1970s–Early 2000s

• In Event: Latinx Educational Activism During the Civil Rights Era

Abstract

This paper explores Latina women’s active involvement in Latino children’s education in Minnesota between the mid-1970s and the early 2000s. It articulates the multiple ways in which Latina women worked to bring together their communities and public schools in order to devise effective concerted strategies to support Latino students. While Latina women started out at the margins of the public school system, over time, some gradually made inroads into decision-making positions in schools, on boards of education, and within other local and state agencies. Throughout this process, many remained committed to bridging Latino communities and institutions of public education for the benefit of Latino children.

Author

• Alina Vamanu, The University of Iowa