Walls, Bridges, Borders, Papers: Civic Literacy in the Borderlands

Abstract

This article reports findings from a qualitative study in a third-grade classroom in the Southwest in the wake of Donald Trump’s campaign and inauguration. In response to students’ concerns about Trump’s rhetoric around immigration and border-wall construction, the teacher provided curricular space for students to study immigration policy and write letters to their congressional representative expressing their positions. Drawing on field notes, interviews, and student writing, this study asks, (a) What sources of knowledge did students draw on in their talk and writing? and (b) How did students respond to such curricular design? Analysis suggests that students drew on border thinking () and politicized funds of knowledge (), positioned themselves as change agents, and developed and displayed knowledge of academic genres and conventions.

“This is a Very Sensitive Point”: Bilingual Teachers' Interactions with Neo‐Nationalism in a Two‐Way Immersion Program in the United States

“…Furthermore, teacher preparation courses and professional development efforts can create spaces where bilingual educators share experiences of engaging with children's politicized funds of knowledge and developing relationships of confianza (trust) with minoritized students and families. Bilingual teacher education can also support in‐service TWI teachers in leveraging critical literacies as an approach to foster meaningful conversations with children about immigration and marginalizing discourses about immigrants in ways that position them as politically active and engaged citizens (Brownell & Rashid, 2020; Degollado, Nuñez, & Romero, 2022; Durán & Aguilera, 2022; Souto‐Manning, 2011). For example, Durán and Aguilera (2022) showed how one third‐grade educator gave students curricular space to explore their concern with the rhetoric around building a border wall during the 2016 presidential campaign and election.…”

“…Bilingual teacher education can also support in‐service TWI teachers in leveraging critical literacies as an approach to foster meaningful conversations with children about immigration and marginalizing discourses about immigrants in ways that position them as politically active and engaged citizens (Brownell & Rashid, 2020; Degollado, Nuñez, & Romero, 2022; Durán & Aguilera, 2022; Souto‐Manning, 2011). For example, Durán and Aguilera (2022) showed how one third‐grade educator gave students curricular space to explore their concern with the rhetoric around building a border wall during the 2016 presidential campaign and election. By critically listening to students, the educator proposed a unit of study in which the children engaged with news articles about Trump's immigration policies and, among other literacy activities, wrote formal letters to their congressional representatives advocating for change.…”

“…By critically listening to students, the educator proposed a unit of study in which the children engaged with news articles about Trump's immigration policies and, among other literacy activities, wrote formal letters to their congressional representatives advocating for change. Through productive discomfort, community‐based lesson planning, and leveraging critical literacies, TWI educators are poised to go beyond understanding bilingual education students through a linguistic lens (Gallo & Link, 2016; Oliveira et al., 2020) and learn from children's insights into immigration and the effects of immigration policy (Durán & Aguilera, 2022).…”

“…Yu (2020) reported on an Asian American ethnic studies curriculum that she codeveloped with her first‐grade students, disrupting dominant narratives by building on students' experiential knowledge, teaching multiple perspectives, and centering marginalized voices in the curriculum. Others explored how elementary classroom educators mobilized various pedagogical moves to discuss immigration‐related issues in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and election (Brownell, 2022; Brownell & Rashid, 2020; Durán & Aguilera, 2022; Payne & Journell, 2019). Payne and Journell (2019) showed how a fifth‐grade teacher allocated time and space for students to make connections to current issues and openly reference immigration status, race, and gender.…”