Publications
With an interdisciplinary academic background, my research bridges the fields of educational linguistics and the anthropology of education to examine the sociocultural, linguistic and political contexts surrounding educational language policies, bilingual teacher preparation, and bilingualism and biliteracy practices, particularly in border regions around the world.
Teaching
Through my teaching at SDSU I ensure that the teaching candidates, in-service educators, M.A. and Ph.D. students that take my courses or professional development workshops are able to recognize and articulate 1) the legal and moral obligations we have to provide all students and families with the type of educational experiences our country’s most privileged students and families take for granted, and 2) the pedagogical and leadership skills to move our urban public schools in that direction. Through my border-connected and critical scholarship, I engage linguistic and cultural diversity as part and parcel to my research agenda.
Research Projects
My personal experiences as a Latina and first-generation college student influence my research agenda and commitment to equitable conditions for immigrant, racialized and historically minoritized communities. Drawing from my professional experiences as a classroom teacher and my personal experiences as a student within our educational system, I am keenly aware of how sociopolitical systems such as race, social class, gender, immigration, and language mediate educational experiences and outcomes. My work has made contributions to the fields of dual language education, bilingual teacher education, and binational and international education. My scholarship has integrated three active lines of research: 1) bilingual teacher education and professional development across borders, 2) raciolinguistics in dual language education, and 3) humanizing and decolonial approaches to research and teaching with and for Latinx students and families.
