ABSTRACT
Title of Dissertation: USING BORDERLANDS LITERATURE TO
INCREASE INTEREST IN LITERACY IN THE
HERITAGE LANGUAGE: TEACHER RESEARCH
WITH LATINO/A TEENAGE STUDENTS
Magda A. Cabrero
Doctor of Education, 2011
Dissertation directed by: Professor Linda Valli
Department of Education
This ethnographic action research documents my reflective practices as a teacher of Spanish for Heritage Speakers as I worked to engage my Latino/a students in literacy. In pursuit of this goal, I used borderlands literary topics, which deal with the dual experience of the immigrant or child of immigrants who lives a bicultural and bilingual existence, to guide students to explore their linguistic and cultural identities.
I used several strategies to engage students, including independent reading, discussions of class readings, projects, movies and writing assignments. Throughout
the process, I sought to acknowledge students’ agency and draw on their perspectives, seeking their input and making use of reading topics that addressed the issues of socio-economic marginalization with which many students identified. As I lacked previous experience teaching Spanish for Heritage Speakers classes, I also sought the professional advice of five teachers who were veterans of the course. My experience suggests a connection between identity exploration and interest in reading in the
Latino/a teenager, a finding with implication for how to engage the Latino/a student in literacy. My experience also sheds light on the roles played by the teacher of
Latino students and the curriculum, as well as on the use of ethnographic action research as a way to become culturally responsive. This research adds to the body of knowledge about the experiences of 1.5 and 2 nd generation students, including
students of dual Latin American heritage, and emphasizes the heterogeneity within
the Latino/a culture.
USING BORDERLANDS LITERATURE TO INCREASE INTEREST IN
LITERACY IN THE HERITAGE LANGUAGE:
TEACHER RESEARCH WITH LATINO/A TEENAGE STUDENTS
By
Magda A. Cabrero
Dissertation submitted to the Faculty and Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education 2011
Advisory Committee: Professor Linda Valli, Chair/Advisor Professor David Imig Professor Victoria-Maria MacDonald Professor Carol Parham Professor Jean Snell
© Copyright by
Magda A. Cabrero
2011
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Dedication
To my 43 Latino/a students and to all of my other hijos infinitos , I wish for you more visibility in the curriculum and a heightened sense of social and academic identity, that the label at-risk may cease being associated with you.
To the alpha and omega of mis hijos infinitos , my sons Andrew and Zachary, so that you may come out of your young lives with a strong and positive sense of identity as the amazing beings you have the potential to become.
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Acknowledgements
To my venezolana mother Zahydée Chastre de Cabrero whose strength, love, and belief in me have always been major engines of my life.
To my deceased puertorriqueño father Andrés Cabrero Oronoz, whose love and support throughout his short, decent life, continue to inspire my desire to make a difference.
To my deceased best friend, magic realist, oral traditionalist, venezolana grandmother, Hortensia Duque (Ita), who introduced me to magic realism through her countless stories.
To my husband Fawaz Saraf, for his infinite support and encouragement, especially through the times I stopped believing in myself.
To my sister Zaida Cabrero de Llop and my brother Andrés Cabrero, with whom I remain close despite our separation as a result of my borderlands existence.
To my norteamericanas soulmates Phyllis Gottdiener and Annette Leland who provided me with priceless support throughout every stage of my studies.
To the culturally responsive teachers Rosalba Semidey, Maritza Joaquín,
Connie Goodwin, Melvy Jensen and Aurora Ruiz, whose opinions were quite valuable.
To Dr. Valli, for her guidance and support during the last eight years, especially during my most disoriented moments. Thanks to Dr. Valli’s relentless guidance I came to think and write at levels at which I never imagined possible. I also appreciate the help and guidance of my dissertation committee members Dr. David
Imig, Dr. Victoria-Maria MacDonald, Dr. Carol Parham and Dr. Jean Snell.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………xi
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………..xii
Chapter 1: Introduction……………………………………………………………..1
Instilling the Love of Reading……………………………………………….1
Literacy and Empowerment through Exploration of Borderlands
Identity…………………………………………………………….…………3
Methods……………………………………………………………………...6
Description of School and Students………………………………………....7
Overview……………………………………………………………………11
Chapter 2: Review of Literature……………………………………………………13
Borderlands Cultural Experience……………………………………………13
The Social Identity of the Borderlands Adolescent…………………18
Culture of Remembrance……………………………………………31
Borderlands Language Experience …………………………………………33
Spanglish: A Borderlands Language of Complicated Identity……...36
The Benefits of Studying Spanish…………………………………...37
Borderlands Academic Experience……………………………………….....43
Multicultural Pedagogy and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy………..45
Voices of Children…………………………………………………..50
The Voice of a Latina Teacher………………………………………52
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Borderlands Reading Experience…………………………………………….53
Resistant Readers………………………………………………….....58
Building Less Resistant Readers……………………………………..59
Teachers of Readers and Non-Readers………………………………61
Booklovers…………………………………………………………...63
Chapter 3: Methodology……………………………………………………………66
Action Research and Ethnography...... 66
My Spanish for Heritage Speakers Classes and My Homeroom………….....69
My Pedagogy………………………………………………………………...71
My Actions…………………………………………………………………..73
Data Gathering………………………………………………………………80
Interviews……………………………………………………………80
Questionnaires……………………………………………………….83
Journal Writing……………………………………………………....85
Whole Class and Group Discussions………………………………...86
Independent Reading Choices and Essays…………………………..86
Projects……………………………………………………………....87
On-going Data Gathering…………………………………………....87
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………..89
Coding………………………………………………………………90
Data Analysis of Student Linguistic and Cultural Identity…………91
Data Analysis of Student Interest in Reading………………………92
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Action Research Data Analysis……..……………………………….94
Trustworthiness...…………………………………………………………...102
Chapter 4: Borderlands Linguistic and Cultural Identity of the Latino/a
Teenager…………………………………………………………………………….106
Language Identity ………………………………………………………….106
Language/s Latino/a Students Speak Best………………………….106
Spoken Language Preference……………….………………………108
Reading and Writing Language Preference………………………...114
Language Versatility of the Borderlands Student…………………..117
Cultural Identity…….………………………………………………………121
Borderlands Cultural Experience…………………………………...121
Gap between Home and School Cultures…………………..121
Students’ Thoughts on Borderlands Experiences…………..122
Complex and Tricultural Identities………………………...129
Summary of Findings………………………………………131
Identity Exploration…………………..…………………………….132
Identity Exploration According to Grade Level……………132
Connection between Labels, Identification and Identity…...136
Identity Exploration through Projects………………………141
Self-Labels……………………...…………………………..146
Summary of Findings……………………………………….150
Cultural and Linguistic Appreciation……………………………….151
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Finding Cultural Value in Connections to the Past…………153
Summary of Findings…………………………………….…158
Conclusion……………………………………………………………...…..160
Chapter 5: Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher in the Process of Engaging
Latino/a Students in Literacy……...………………………………………………..162
Drawing on Perspectives……………………………………………………163
Drawing on My Own Perspectives……...………………………….163
Drawing on Teachers’ Perspectives…...……………………………165
Drawing on Students’ Perspectives……..………………………….166
Linguistic Experiences…………...…………………………169
Borderlands Experiences…………………………………...173
Literary Experiences……………………………………..…184
Strategies Implemented for Becoming a More Culturally Responsive
Teacher………………………………………………………………...……189
Drawing on Characteristics of the Latino Community…..……..…..189
Drawing on Community at the Library……………………..193
Drawing on Community during Book Discussions………...196
Drawing on my Role as a Community Member and as a
Cultural Mediator….……..………………..………………..199
Drawing on Student Agency and the Power of High Expectations...204
Drawing on a Reading Model…………………...………………….206
Guiding Student Identity Exploration through Literary Topics.……208
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Research as a Vehicle of Identity Exploration…………...…209
Linguistic Exploration……………………………………...210
Borderlands Identity Exploration…………………………...212
Labels Topic………………………………………...212
Exploring the Borderlands Experience …………….217
Exploration of Borderlands Experiences through
Movies………………………………………………222
Exploring Marginalization Topics………………….224
Exploration of Cultural Gender Roles……………...234
Exploration of the Death Topic……………………..235
Identity Exploration through Writing………………238
Conclusion……………………………………………………………...…..240
Chapter 6: Impact on Latino Student Interest in Literacy through the Exploration of
Culturally Relevant Literary Topics……..…………………………………………242
Reading Interest…...………………………………………………………..242
Reasons for Increase and Lack of Increase in Reading Interest……………248
Borderlands Reading Topics………………………………………………..260
Choice in Reading What Was Meaningful to Them………………………..268
Reading Comfort and Reading Interest……………………………………..272
Speaking Comfort and Speaking Interest…………………………………..273
Writing Comfort and Writing Interest……………………………………...277
Conclusion……………………………………………………………...…..280
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Chapter 7: Engaging Latino/a Students in Reading through the Exploration of their Borderlands Experiences………..…………………………………………….282
The Linguistic and Cultural Identity of the Latino/a Student……...……….283
Changes in Latino/a Student Literary Engagement through Culturally
Responsive Teaching…………………………...…………………………..288
Contributions and Limitations of my Research…………………………….291
Implications for Future Research…………………………………………...298
Implications for Teaching and Learning…..………..………………………300
Drawing from Students’ Cultural and Linguistic Experiences..…....301
Guiding Student Identity Exploration through Literary Topics...... 302
The Culturally Responsive Teacher for the Latino/a Student………303
A Culturally Responsive Curriculum for Spanish for Heritage
Speakers Class…….………………………………………………..305
Culturally Responsive Reading Practices………………….……….307
Teacher Preparation and Professional Development for Culturally
Responsive Teachers………………………………..………………312
Conclusion……………………………………………..…………………...316
Appendix A: Glossary of Terms………………..…………………………………..319
Appendix B: Spanish for Heritage Speakers Syllabus……………………………...320
Appendix C: Program of Studies…………………………………………………...323
Appendix D: Culturally Responsive Additional Topics……………………………324
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Appendix E: Catalogue of Themes…………………………………………………327
Appendix F: Data of Borderlands Experiences…………………………………….329
Appendix G: Interview for Teachers……………………………………………….339
Appendix H: Focus Group Questions for Students…………………………………341
Appendix I: Interview for Students to Ask a Family Member…………………..…343
Appendix J: Questions for Students about Linguistic and Cultural Identity……….345
Appendix K: Questions for Students about Reader Identity………………………..348
Appendix L: Questions about Independent Reading and Other Readings…………350
Appendix M: Student Journal Entries………………………………………………351
Appendix N: Speaking Preference………………………………………………….353
Appendix O: Reading & Writing Preference……………………………………….354
Appendix P: Language/s Spoken with Siblings…………………………………….355
Appendix Q: Changes in Reading Interest………………………………………….356
Appendix R: Reasons for Increase and for Lack of Increase in Reading Interest….357
Appendix S: Independent Reading Topics…………………………………………358
Appendix T: Reading Topics Selected by Males & Females………………………359
Appendix U: Comfort in Reading, Speaking & Writing…………………………...360
Appendix V: Relation between Reading Comfort and Reading Interest…………...361
References……………………………………………………………………..……362
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Non-Culturally Responsive Textbook Readings …………………….… …...... 74
Table 2. Culturally Responsive Textbook Readings…………………………………76
Table 3. Triangulation Matrix………………………………………………………..81
Table 4 . Language/s Spoken by Students………………………………………...... 108
Table 5. Language/s Spoken by Parents……………………………………………118
Table 6. Language/s Spoken with Parents……………………………………….....118
Table 7. Language/s Spoken with Grandparents and Other Members of Family…..119
Table 8. Difference Between Home Culture and School Culture…………………..122
Table 9 . Identity Projects…………………………………………………………...145
Table 10. Distribution of Cultural Identity Categories……………………………..148
Table 11. Self-Labels…………………………………………………………….....149
Table 12. Teacher Impact on My Interest in Reading……………………………...204
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Linguistic Identity Web……………………………………..…………….91
Figure 2. Cultural Identity Web…………………………………………………...... 93
Figure 3 . Interest in Reading………………………………………………………...94
Figure 4. Processes Web……………………………………………………………..97
Figure 5. Perspectives Web………………………………………………………….98
Figure 6. Strategies Web…………………………………………………………...100
Figure 7 . Guiding Students on their Identity Exploration through Literary
Topics…………………………………………………………………………….....100
Figure 8 . Integrated Web for Culturally Responsive Teaching…………………….101
Figure 9. Levels of Appreciation of Heritage………………………………………152
Figure 10. Reading Levels………………………………………………………….249
Figure 11. Higher Comfort in Spanish Speaking…………………………………..274
Figure 12 . Writing Comfort, Writing Interest, Identity Exploration and Cultural
Appreciation……………………………………………………………………...…279
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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
Instilling the Love of Reading
“…who can deny the power of a teacher who makes students fall in love with learning?” (Walker-Dalhouse & Risko, 2008, p. 424).
The first day of the 2009-10 school year, I suddenly discovered the obvious.
My primary goal had always been to instill the love of reading in children who had not been read to by their parents. In the two previous years, when my job only consisted of being my high school’s Dean of Students, I shared books from my office’s personal library with students in detention as well as with students who were sent to my office for behavioral reasons. That year I shared several books with and even created a short-lasting book club for the very bright child of an illiterate mother.
I also shared my books with one of our most troubled Latina students who was currently attending an alternative school. The last time I saw her I told her, “Don’t forget to read one book a week.”
Somehow I have always intuited that the most genuine and enduring kind of teaching has to do with the simple, metaphoric act of cultivating a seed. Cultivating the seed of love for reading in children who lack cultural and social capital (Bourdieu,
1977/1990) does not always come easily but may be of great consequence. I have always felt that improved literacy coupled with the love of reading may be valuable for children whose identities may be compromised by their lower status in American society.
Instilling the love of literacy in children whose existences straddle the United
States’ dominant culture and language and the Latin American culture and language
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may be problematic. Curriculum that includes mainstream, monocultural, and monolingual topics which deny or do not reflect the borderlands existences of students may not be optimally conducive to enhancing their literacy. Children with bilingual and bicultural identities may be more inspired to initially develop their literacy through more familiar cultural topics which may be explored in their heritage language, a mixture of their heritage language and English, or English. Those children may be described as borderlands children, defined by Cline and Necochea
(2006) as the “need to negotiate two cultures, two languages, and two worlds” (p.
268).
It is possible that if borderlands students become more literate in their heritage language through the exploration of their identity via literary topics that reflect their experiences, their sense of identity may become less problematic. Developing these students’ bilingualism in addition to facilitating their identification with literary characters who mirror their lives may be beneficial to both their identity and their engagement with literacy. Then, if they develop their literacy in Spanish through such topics, they may be able to transfer their Spanish literacy skills to the English language. In the end, literacy may empower them in more ways than one.
In my own life as a Latina in the United States, I remember the day I fell in love with reading in a Spanish literature class at an American university. I had recently come from Puerto Rico and was going through confusing times, trying to adapt to a culture and learn a language that did not mirror my culture or language in any way. I reminisce that we were studying medieval literature. I was fascinated at how my exposure to medieval literature connected me to my roots in an ancestral
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kind of way (Godina, 2003). While I had never studied medieval Spanish literature
before, I suddenly felt a sense of connection that I had been lacking for quite a while.
As I then majored in Spanish and Latin American literature for both my
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, I grew to appreciate the richness of my language
and culture as they were reflected in the aesthetic experience that reading became for
me (Athanases, 1998). But the moment I fell in love with reading, I was born into a
new identity as a borderlands person as well as a reader. Thus, I was born again at the