| dc.description.abstract | In this study, the author interviewed and observed six third generation Mexican American teachers in the South Texas borderlands region to examine their perceptions of the connections that they believed to be making with their first, second, third generation, and beyond Mexican American students. The author analyzed the participants’ narratives using constant comparisons: (a) racialized experiences, (b) social advocacy, (c) language, (d) ethnic pride, (e) social economic challenges and class experiences, (f) age range, and (g) family roles. The seven constant comparisons allowed the researcher to systematically analyze the participants’ contextualized stories. The participants’ contextualized narratives were further analyzed using the critical race theory lens to document their experiences with class, gender, and race discrimination in the South Texas borderlands region.
In addition, the six participants’ stories and practices during their observations were analyzed to determine if they were being “conductors.” The researcher also utilized Trueba’s (1973) tenets: (a) examine the framework of cultural experiences of the Mexican American, (b) determine whether their experiences were polarized and reflected different philosophies of education, and (c) take into account the expectations of Mexican American educators and see programmatic developments from their point of view to further analyze the research findings. The author found that third generation Mexican American teachers in two South Texas borderlands region school districts were making culturally relevant connections with their students, and that translates into academic success. | en |
