‘You’re the one that needs help’: Examining racialized bias within a two-way immersion Spanish classroom
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Department/School
Teacher Education
Publication Title
Bilingual Research Journal
Abstract
This article draws on qualitative data from a Two-Way Immersion Spanish environment classroom to explore how African American students lived experiences, language, and cultural practices are regulated and/or constrained. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Bahktin’s heteroglossia and raciolinguistics, the authors present two distinct qualitative scenarios where African American students negotiate their roles, identities, and linguistic and cultural voices within their classroom. Findings showed that African American students contributed in the Spanish environment in unique ways that went unaffirmed by fellow students and the teacher. These findings suggest a need to examine how Two-Way Immersion programs, despite their goals for linguistic pluralism and integration, can also reinforce racial inequity. The authors include implications for Two-Way Immersion programs to adopt a critical and anti-racist pedagogical framework.
Link to Published Version
Recommended Citation
Braunstein, L. B., & Barreto, J. M. (2024). ‘You’re the one that needs help’: Examining racialized bias within a two-way immersion Spanish classroom. Bilingual Research Journal, 47(1), 92–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2023.2296427
Comments
J. M. Barreto is a faculty member in EMU's Department of Teacher Education.