UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles De Tal Palo Tal Astilla: Exploring Mexicana/Chicana Mother-Daughter Pedagogies A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Education by Alma Itzé Flores 2016 © Copyright by Alma Itzé Flores 2016 ABSRACT OF THE DISSERTATION De Tal Palo Tal Astilla: Exploring Mexicana/Chicana Mother-Daughter Pedagogies by Alma Itzé Flores Doctor of Philosophy in Education University of California, Los Angeles, 2016 Professor David Gumaro García, Co-Chair Professor Daniel G. Solórzano, Co-Chair This qualitative dissertation examined the role that mothers play in the educational success of Mexicana/Chicana working-class first-generation college students. Research has shown that Mexicana/Chicana mothers are integral to the educational achievement of their daughters, however few studies have explained why, or outlined specifically what it is that they do to inculcate educational success (Gándara, 1982, 1995, Gándara et al., 2013). Using Chicana/Latina feminist theory (Delgado Bernal & Elenes, 2011), this study explored the teaching and learning practices between Mexicana/Chicana immigrant working-class mothers and their first-generation college daughters. I focused on 10 mother-daughter dyads from Los Angeles County. The majority of the mothers are immigrants from México with an average of an elementary school education. Nine of the daughters are enrolled in Ph.D. programs in Los ii Angeles and one is an assistant professor at a local university. I facilitated 30 pláticas: 10 pláticas with the mothers, 10 pláticas with the daughters, and 10 mother-daughter pláticas. Additionally, I conducted 18 home visits, collected photographs and personal items, and kept a journal for self-reflexivity. I analyzed the data using modified grounded theory (Calderon, 2008; Malagón, Pérez-Huber, & Velez, 2009) with a Chicana/Latina feminist sensibility to generate theory from their lived experiences. During my analysis, I recognized the ways systems of oppression impact the lives of Women of Color. When preliminary themes were identified, I shared them with the mothers and daughters in the mother-daughter pláticas to discuss analysis, receive feedback, and engage in a collaborative data analysis process. Following this, I engaged in a final analysis stage where concluding themes were identified. My findings show that Mexicana/Chicana mothers use a pedagogy of the borderlands to raise muxeres truchas. A pedagogy of the borderlands encompasses the creative, defying, and empowering ways in which Mexicana/Chicana immigrant working-class mothers raise their daughters. It uses a bodymindspirit approach to instill a conocimiento of how to navigate, thrive in, and transform the physical and metaphorical borders that inform the everyday lives of Mexicanas/Chicanas. It is grounded in the epistemologies and ways of being of Mexicana/Chicana mothers and used to raise muxeres truchas. These are women who embody a unique form of intelligence of how to live in the world and transform it as Women of Color. Implications for this study point to the importance of improving the connection between Mexicana/Chicana mothers, daughters and schools, particularly for families of first-generation college students, reframing how we understand and measure success and achievement in schools, and the significance of continuing to develop Chicana/Latina feminist pedagogies and methodologies. iii The dissertation of Alma Itzé Flores is approved. Dolores Delgado Bernal Marjorie E. Orellana David Gumaro García, Committee Co-Chair Daniel G. Solórzano, Committee Co-Chair University of California, Los Angeles 2016 iv Dedication Para mi mamá Alma Jovita Flores Bernal, sé que siempre quisiste estudiar y es por ti que este tema se significa mucho para mí. Este doctorado es para ti, tu no pudiste lograrlo pero yo lo logre por ti. Para mi papá Jorge Luis Flores Grajeda, gracias por todo lo que has hecho por mí y por nuestra familia. Yo sé que fue difícil dejar nuestra vida en México, nunca podre regresarte ese tiempo pero este doctorado es una manera de honrar ese sacrificio. Para mi abuelita Mamá Esther, yo sé que desde arriba me sigues guiando, dando el esfuerzo de seguir adelante, y las ganas de siempre sacar puros dieces. Quiero pensar que mi decisión de ser profesora fue en parte por ti, que lo llevaba en la sangre. Te extraño mucho. Para mi abuelito Bolo, por inculcarme que iba ser una doctora algún día. Gracias por tu amor incondicional, por todos tus cuentos, y por regalarme tu amor por los libros. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 The Educational Status of Chicana/Latina Students………………………………………………1 A Cautionary Note on Achievement………………………………………………………............6 Research Questions & Rationale………………………………………………………………….7 A Roadmap of the Dissertation………………………………………………………………........9 Chapter 2: A Chicana/Latina Feminist Literature Review………………………………….11 Chicana/Latina Feminist Theory…………………………………………………………………12 Situating the Study- Pedagogy, Family, & Mothers………….…...………………………..........13 Mother-Daughter Pedagogies………………………...………………………………………….15 Pedagogies of the Home………………………...……………………………………………….20 Epistemology of the Brown Body……………………………...………………………………...25 Anzaldúa’s Borderlands………………………………………………………………………….27 Community Cultural Wealth…..…………………………………………………………………33 Looking Back & Looking Forward………...…………………………………………………….35 Chapter 3: Muxerista Portraiture…………………………………………………………......36 At the Crossroads of Portraiture & Chicana/Latina Feminist Theory…………………………...37 The Art of Portraiture……………………………………………...…………………......38 Chicana/Latina Feminist Theory…………………………………………………………39 The Role of the Researcher………………………………………………………………40 Research Participants- Collaborators…………………………………………………….41 Positionality……………………………………………………………………………...41 The Search for Goodness in Research…………………………………………………...42 Relationships………………………………………………………………………….….43 Creating a Partnership……………………………………………………………………44 Muxerista Portraiture…………………………………………………………………………….45 The Borderlands as Context……………………………………………………………...47 Translating Voice………………………………………………………………………...49 vi Relationships & Spirituality……………………………………………………………...51 Cultural Intuition in Emergent Themes………………………………………………….53 Aesthetic Whole- Piecing Coyolxauhqui together...………………………………….….55 Conclusion- Giving thanks………………………………………………………………………58 Chapter 4: The Methods of this Study…………………………………...……………………60 The Collaborators………………………………………………………………………………...60 Recruitment………………………………………………………………………………60 Las mamás y hijas- Who are they?..……………………………………………………..63 Los Angeles- A City of Immigrants……………………………………………………...69 Platicando Entre Muxeres…………………………………………………………………...…...70 Pláticas…………………………………………………………………………………...............71 Individual pláticas, photographs, & personal items……………………………………...75 Mother-daughter pláticas………………………………………………………………...76 Home-visits………………………………………………………………………………78 Journaling………………………………………………………………………………...79 Summary of Data Collection Methods….…...……………………………………...…...81 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………….82 Tying it all Together- Theoretical Framework, Methodology, & Method………………………86 Chapter 5: A Pedagogy of the Borderlands: Mexicana/Chicana Mothers Raising Muxeres Truchas………………………………………………………………………………………….88 A pedagogy of the borderlands……………………………………………………………...…...88 Muxeres Truchas…………………………………………………………………………………90 A Note on the Presentation of the Findings- A collage of Mexicana/Chicana mother-daughter pedagogies…………………………………………………………………………………...…...93 Chapter 6: Mexicana/Chicana Mother-Daughter Actions…………………………………...94 Working with mamá……………………………………………………………………...…...…98 A rasquache aesthetic……...…………………...……………………………………………….102 An embodiment of hustle……………………………………………………………………….108 vii Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...117 Chapter 7: Mexicana/Chicana Mother-Daughter Rituals……………………………….…119 A discipline of bodymindspirit…………………………………………………………………121 A discipline of the body………………………………………………………………...122 A discipline of the mind………………………………………………………………...127 A discipline of the spirit………………………………………………………………...130 Bodymindspirit…………………………………………………………………………133 Educación……………………………………………………………………………………….134 Eduación as respect………………………………………………………………….….136 Educación as responsibility………………………………………………………...…...138 Educación as valerse por si misma………………………………………………...…...141 Religion/Spirituality…………………………………………………………………………….144 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...150 Chapter 8: Mexicana/Chicana Mother-Daughter Interactions…………………………….153 Nurturing a muxerista voice…………………………………………………………………….155 Muxerista story(telling)………………………………………………………………………...163 Intergenerational sabidurias & tensions………………………………………………………...174 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...183 Chapter 9: The Role of Heteropatriarchy in Mexicana/Chicana Mother-Daughter Pedagogies………………………………………………………………………………......….186 Naming Heteropatriarchy- Y el novio? And the boyfriend?.....……………………...…...……189 Relationships & Heteropatriarchy- All in the family…………………………………………...190 Education & Heteropatriarchy- The threat of being an overly ambitious Mexicana/Chicana....196 Religion & Heteropatriarchy- Ni santas, Ni putas, Solo mujeres……………………………....207 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...212 Chapter 10: Conclusion- A Letter to my Colegas………………………………………...…215 viii Appendix A: Recruitmetn Flyer……………………………………………………………...226 Appendix B: Daugther Pláticas………………………………………………………………227