A
Changing
Society
EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations
Learning from Latino/a Stories
Chapter 7
LEARNING FROM LATINO/A STORIES
God the Father was not so much a stern judge as One
with the power to change our lives. My family turned to
God not in guilt so much as in need. We prayed for
favors and at desperate times. I prayed for help in
finding a quarter I had lost on my way home. I prayed
with my family at times of illness and when my father
was temporarily out of a job. And when there was
death in the family, we prayed.
Richard Rodriguez, Hunger of a Memory: The
Education of Richard Rodriguez (2004), p. 90.
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
CULTURAL FACTOR 1: HISTORICAL AND
CURRENT TREATMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
• Following the U.S. conquest and annexation of
Mexican territory in 1848 came their resulting
domination.
• Puerto Rico struggled to become independent from
Spain while fighting subjugation and imposed
citizenship by the US. Puerto Ricans chose to become
a commonwealth, which gave them greater control of
their lives.
• Cubans immigrated to the U.S. in at least two major
waves (one affording for support more than the other).
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
Current Conditions
• Two factors: close clustering in 9 major cities in the
U.S. and rapid growth, have provided both strengths
and challenges for members of the group.
• These two factors have served to help preserve
traditional culture and provided the group with a degree
of political power in states heavily populated by
Latino/as.
• On the other hand, these factors have led to poverty,
enrollment in poorly funded schools, overcrowded
housing, and neighborhood violence.
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
CULTURAL FACTOR 2: INITIAL TERMS OF
INCORPORATION INTO U.S. SOCIETY
• The history of Chicanos (Mexican Americans)
resembles that of involuntary minority groups in the
United States. It seems these Mexican residents did
not cross the border, instead the border crossed them.
• Like the conquered Mexicans, Puerto Ricans did not
choose to become U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico became
an unincorporated territory of the United States in
1898, ceded by Spain at the conclusion of the
Spanish–American War.
• The first Cuban immigrants were highly educated,
middle-class, skilled workers.
• Many Latinos entered the United States illegally in
search of jobs or challenges stemming from civil war
and have lived like refugees in fear of deportation.
CULTURAL FACTOR 3: SHARED VALUES
AND TRADITIONS
• Traditionally, Latino families are patriarchal. Fathers are
authoritarian, and wives do not publicly question their
husbands' decisions. However, the appearance of power
distribution between Latinos can be deceiving.
• It is important to be aware that Latinas hold a special
position of respect in the household. They are revered by
their husbands and children for their guidance, protection,
strength, and work.
• Familismo (familism), which extends kinship beyond
nuclear-family boundaries, is also highly valued.
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
CULTURAL FACTOR 4: VIEW OF SPIRITUALITY
AND HUMANS' RELATION TO NATURE
• Latino/as extend the value of interdependence to
include nature. However, nature is not conceptualized
as something to be controlled or mastered. With a
strong, agrarian background, Latino culture values
nature, seeing in it a partner for life.
• Richly colored by Catholicism, Latino spirituality
reflects a strong belief in cultural fatalism. The belief
often takes the form of a resolution to the way things
are and as the way they are meant to be.
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
CULTURAL FACTOR 5: ACCULTURATION
AND EXPERIENCE WITH EXCLUSION AND
ALIENATION
• Unique stresses created by the process of immigration
to another country and discrimination faced in the new
country can create psychological distress for many
Latino/a immigrants.
• The process of acculturation and adaptation is believed
to proceed through a series of stages. These stages,
while not rigidly linear might include: (1) initial joy and
relief, (2) disillusionment with the new country, and (3)
acceptance of the good and the bad in the host
country.
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
CULTURAL FACTOR 6: LANGUAGE
DIFFERENCES, STRENGTHS, AND CHALLENGES
• Language usage relates to issues of identity, racial
stigma, and social power relations.
• Language for traditional Latinos is inextricably linked to
cultural identity. It is not only an instrumental tool for
communication but also an expression of cultural
values.
• The Spanish language continues to be devalued in
U.S. society. Such discrimination facilitates a loss of
cultural identity that weakens Latino connections with
others in the Latino community once the English
language is acquired.
• ELL Learners – Bi-lingual/ESL/Immersion
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
Problems associated with ESL
instruction in the U.S.
• Even though proficiency in one's native language positively
correlates with proficiency in a second language, English as
a Second Language (ESL) programs, in which only the
English language is taught, continue to be the main method
for accommodating students' needs to acquire the language
of dominant culture in U.S. schools.
• Special-education classrooms have become a dumping
ground for students whose first language is not English—
mistaking their lack of English-language proficiency for
learning disabilities. Such occurrences greatly stigmatize
and disadvantage these students.
• Early Childhood Programs in ISD’s for ELL students
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
POTENTIAL BARRIERS IN LEARNING–TEACHING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH DOMINANT-CULTURE TEACHERS
AND SCHOOLS
•
A focus on interdependence and cooperation
in the attainment of goals conflicts with
dominant-culture emphasis on individualism.
• Teaching styles and preferences that transmit
information without actively engaging students
in the learning process negatively affect Latino
student achievement.
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.
For Reflection and Discussion
1. What are the significant traditional values
commonly shared by Latino/as that would be
in conflict with dominant-culture perspectives
and practices?
2. Why is devaluation of the Spanish language
a central concern for Latino/as?
©2012 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.