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" The Politics of Language and Race: Latinx Youth’s Racial Identity Development in Community-Based Educational Spaces "
Medina, Juan Carlos
Baldridge, Bianca J
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1053499
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| Doc. No
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TL52616
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| Main Entry
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Medina, Juan Carlos
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| Title & Author
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The Politics of Language and Race: Latinx Youth’s Racial Identity Development in Community-Based Educational Spaces\ Medina, Juan CarlosBaldridge, Bianca J
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| College
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The University of Wisconsin - Madison
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| Date
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2020
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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2020
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| Note
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253 p.
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| Abstract
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Within the U.S., minoritized populations are made “other” through a system of constantly shifting racial categories that maintain power, and social control, within a select dominant group (Bourdieu, 1984; Omi & Winant, 2014; Said, 2003). For Latinxs, their experience within the U.S. has been a lengthy process of “racialization” within public institutions that is informed by presumed deficits and nativist fears that frame Latinxs as a “threat” to the nation (Chavez, 2013; Menchaca, 1997; Noguera, 2008; Valencia, 1997). With the re-emergence of the “Latino threat” narrative across the Trump administration and its’ presence within both social media and mainstream news, Latinx youth face a perpetual onslaught of racism and xenophobia they must navigate as they develop a racial identity and view of the world. Concurrently, youth receive affirming messages from their families and guardians via home pedagogies (Delgado-Bernal, 2001) that encourage them to be self-confident, love themselves, and hold high college and career aspirations. Considering this contradictory context, this dissertation examines the experience of Spanish-speaking Latinx youth in a community-based educational space and the central role language plays in their exploration and development of a racial identity. Drawing on coloniality of power and LatCrit theories, and employing a critical qualitative approach, this study powerfully reveals the importance of considering the intersections between language, race, and citizenship when theorizing Latinx racialization. This study shows Latinx youth have a deep understanding that others’ assumptions about their language abilities are rooted in racism and anti-immigrant sentiments, which leads to questions about their citizenship status that further their racialization and marginalization in educational spaces. This study also demonstrates youth participation within a community-based space offers the opportunity to build authentic care-based relationships with adults and provides a “counter-space” where they can be their authentic selves, engage in conversation about race, racism, and current events, and foster strong cultural identities. This study offers an important contribution to research on Latinx racialization by providing a deeper understanding of how Latinx youth define race and maintain their humanity in the face of a xenophobic political and educational context, while illuminating the central role language plays in their exploration and development of a racial identity.
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| Descriptor
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Educational sociology
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Hispanic American studies
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Sociolinguistics
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Baldridge, Bianca J
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The University of Wisconsin - Madison
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