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Justice and Space Matter in a Strong, Unified Latino Community provides a detailed analysis of colonias along the Mexico-United States border, examining the intersection of culture, education, language, literacy, race, religion, and social class in Latino immigrant communities. The researchers investigated Corazón, a colonia in South Texas, as a case study of these unincorporated border settlements, consisting of mostly Mexican heritage residents and lacking many basic living necessities. Highlighting over ten years of research findings, the authors consider structural inequalities alongside the unique strengths of Corazón. Their acute observations dispel myths about such high-poverty communities and demonstrate how residents overcome the odds through activism, faith, and ganas. In presenting a portrait of the Corazón colonia, the authors offer a deeper level of understanding of one Latino community to inspire the development of a more equitable, compassionate world. This book will be invaluable to students and scholars of all fields who work with culturally diverse people in poverty, and will be ideal for courses in ethnic studies, multicultural studies, ethnographic methods, and socio-cultural applications for education.
List of contents
Acknowledgements - List of Figures - Authors' Preface - Introduction - Section I: Building Background - Entering-The Field and Our Positionality (with Claudia Troncoso and Irma Guadarrama) - Texas Colonias - Corazon (with Irma Guadarrama, part of entrepreneurial sections) - Key Places and Spaces (with Claudia Troncoso) - Section II: Sociocultural Contexts or Religion, Language, and Literacy - Religion and a Space for Justice - Language and Literacy - Digital Literacies: Multimodal Pushback - Section III: Education - Tutoring and Gardening: Towards Libertory Literacy Space - Education in Corazon (with Claudia Troncoso) - Conclusions and Implications - References - Index.
About the author
Kathy Bussert-Webb is Professor in the Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She received a Ph.D. in language education from Indiana University.
María Eugenia Díaz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She received an Ed.D. in curriculum instruction from the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Krystal A. Yanez is a doctoral student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in curriculum instruction, specializing in higher education.
Summary
Justice and Space Matter in a Strong, Unified Latino Community provides a detailed analysis of "colonias" along the Mexico-United States border, examining the intersection of culture, education, language, literacy, race, religion, and social class in Latino immigrant communities.
Report
«[...] the ideas in this book are applicable to anyone interested in Latino education in the United States, community activism, or social justice work.»
(Mary Amanda Stewart, Journal of Latinos and Education Vol.17 2018)
