Se Hace Puentes Al Andar: The Journeys and Testimonios of Latinx Teachers in Chicago Barrios

• In Event: (In)Between: Educators Navigating In Between Identities and Spaces

Abstract

To understand the educational context in which Latinx teachers teach, it is important to capture their lived experiences. Situated within Chicagoland barrios, this paper draws from a small qualitative study, featuring seven Latinx teacher testimonios related to their identification with their students, their reasons for going into the field of teaching, and how self-critical they are of their own practice. Using Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) as our theoretical framework and testimonio as methodology, we unpack Latinx teacher experiences within the third largest school district in the country. As children of migrants from Mexico, many teaching in the same barrios where they attended school, they also discuss their reasons for staying in their profession.

Authors

• Yanelet Delgado, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Joanna Maravilla, Lewis University
  Presenting Author

• Ramona Alcalá, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author

• P. Zitlali Morales, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author