Latina Spanish High School Teachers’ Negotiation of Capital in New Latino Communities

Abstract

Based on a qualitative study documenting how Spanish teachers bear an especially heavy burden as unofficial translators, interpreters, and school representatives, this article documents how some Latina high school Spanish teachers struggle to form social networks with Latino students in new Latino school communities. Employing social frameworks, the author uses data from semi-structured interviews with six north Georgia Latina high school Spanish teachers to explore the types of capital these Latina high school Spanish teachers exchanged with Latino students in new Latino school communities. Additionally, she reveals how sociocultural forces impacted participants' negotiation of capital in these contexts. Finally, the author provides suggestions and ideas for further study to better understand how Latina Spanish teachers might increase their own social networks in order to provide more capital to Latino students and their families.

“I’m Not Wanting to be a Martyr”: Learning from Latina Educator Activists in Chicago Public Schools During COVID-19

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Pueblo Pequeño, Infierno Grande: Shifting the burden of Latinx Spanish teacher retention in the rural South

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Biliteracy of African American and Latinx Kindergarten Students in a Dual-Language Program: Understanding Students’ Translanguaging Practices Across Informal Assessments

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