Advancing Border Pedagogies: Understandings of Citizenship Through Comparisons of Home to School Contexts

Abstract

Border pedagogies recognize citizenship as a contentious privilege afforded to some but not others. In reconciling the multiple and often conflicting renditions of citizen/citizenship, this qualitative single case study found that preservice teachers benefit from examining the great civic divide between home and school and in confronting spaces that value citizens/citizenship differently. In doing so, we argue that dislodging a teacher education candidate’s previously held assumptions works to broaden understandings of a community of wealth and the importance of linguistically and culturally diverse experiences as preservice teachers embody opportunities for participation in a democracy.

From Margins to Center: Developing Cultural Citizenship Education Through the Teaching of Asian American History

“…Tensions about what it means to "be American" continue to pervade society as people of every age struggle to define what "makes" someone an American. While youth of color may already be civically engaged in home and community spaces (Knight, 2011;Salinas, Vickery & Fránquiz, 2016), schools are an ideal site to nurture broader understandings of citizenship (Parker, 2003). In response to Asian Americans finding themselves "in between," Goodwin (2003) urges, "We need to embrace the in between, take ownership of where we are.…”

“…First, cultural citizenship views difference as a resource, not a threat (Flores & Benmayor, 1997). Second, cultural citizenship emphasizes the dynamic nature of citizen construction (Rosaldo & Flores, 1997;Salinas, Vickery, & Fránquiz, 2016). Third, cultural citizenship includes the voices, experiences, and perspectives of students of color (Banks, 2001;Rosaldo, 1997;Urrieta, 2004).…”

Translanguaging Practices of Multilingual Learners of German

“…While Anzaldúa (1987) differentiates the various languages she speaks in Borderlands/La Frontera as standard English, standard Mexican Spanish, standard Spanish, working class English, North Mexican Spanish dialect, Chicano Spanish with regional variations in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, Tex-Mex and Pachuco, translanguaging is moving away from the concept of different distinct language systems that exist inside the multilingual person's mind but it maps those as part of one fluid language repertoire. Translanguaging is the lived practice of students around the border (Cervantes-Soon & Carillo, 2016;Collins & Cioe-Pena, 2016;Creese & Blackledge, 2010;Esquinca, Araujo, & de la Piedra, 2014;García, Homonoff Woodley, Flores, & Chu, 2012;Lewis, Jones, & Baker, 2012;Mazak & Herbas-Donoso, 2015;Melo-Pfeifer, 2015;Ramirez, Ross, & Jimenez-Silva, 2016;Rios, 2013;Salinas, Vuckery, & Franquiz, 2016;Velasco & García, 2014). Speakers effortlessly include both elements of their Spanish and English language repertoire into a conversation, students who are learning an additional language such as German in the case of this study will include German into their available register and make use of Spanish, English and German depending also on the communicative needs of their interlocutor.…”

“…Through the enactment of border pedagogy students developed critical consciousness together with their teachers in this nepantla space (Ramirez, Ross, & Jimenez-Silva, 2016, p. 304). In a similar qualitative case study with one focal teacher education candidate observing one high school student labeled as having limited English language skills, LatCrit was used in order to deconstruct majoritarian tales of what it means to be a citizen in the United States (Salinas, Vuckery, & Franquiz, 2016). The findings indicate that the student teacher's prior assumptions could be transformed, and Latina/o students could challenge dominant discourses by using mestiza consciousness (Anzaldúa, 1987).…”

Untitled

“…While Anzaldúa (1987) Rios, 2013;Salinas, Vuckery, & Franquiz, 2016;Velasco & García, 2014). Speakers effortlessly include both elements of their Spanish and English language repertoire into a conversation, students who are learning an additional language such as German in the case of this study will include German into their available register and make use of Spanish, English and German depending also on the communicative needs of their interlocutor.…”