Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
ESL Education for Latinxs in Appalachia through Community Partnerships
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Estimates posit Appalachia as approximately 90% White and English-speaking in terms of ethnic and linguistic identities. However, ethnic and linguistic diversity within Appalachia is ever-growing, and as such, multicultural advocacy is the lifeblood of our work. Our homes and research areas comprise much of Southwest Virginia and our work as educators and educator researchers has led us to Roanoke, Virginia. Roanoke, on the periphery of the Virginian Appalachia, though not officially part of the ARC's delineation of region due to storied political reasons, embodies Appalachia in many ways. The eponymous county and city both draw members of the region for work and educational opportunities. Moreover, the city of Roanoke is the closest Virginian metropolitan area for many of Virginia's Appalachian counties. Given this metropolitan appeal, Roanoke has attracted an immigrant community with branches spreading throughout the rest of Southwest Virginia. In our roles as educators and educator researchers, we are committed to examining various aspects of schooling, both within and without the traditional bounds of public schools. Our research centers around our work with both adolescent and adult Latino immigrants, especially as we interrogate the influence of place, region, and local culture(s) on English language learning and other educational services. We are in the process of designing and implementing a study on the intersection of Latinos, Appalachia, and education through community, international and school partnerships.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Jameson is a Ph.D. candidate in ESL and Multicultural Education at Virginia Tech. He has worked in Southwest Virginia and Southern West Virginia as a Spanish teacher, and his research interests include multicultural education in Appalachia and regional identity education in schools.
Gresilda (Kris) is an associate professor in ESL and Multicultural Education at Virginia Tech. A great deal of her scholarship and work center around Latino communities, in addition to critical pedagogy and critical autoethnography.
Conference Subthemes
Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Migration
ESL Education for Latinxs in Appalachia through Community Partnerships
Estimates posit Appalachia as approximately 90% White and English-speaking in terms of ethnic and linguistic identities. However, ethnic and linguistic diversity within Appalachia is ever-growing, and as such, multicultural advocacy is the lifeblood of our work. Our homes and research areas comprise much of Southwest Virginia and our work as educators and educator researchers has led us to Roanoke, Virginia. Roanoke, on the periphery of the Virginian Appalachia, though not officially part of the ARC's delineation of region due to storied political reasons, embodies Appalachia in many ways. The eponymous county and city both draw members of the region for work and educational opportunities. Moreover, the city of Roanoke is the closest Virginian metropolitan area for many of Virginia's Appalachian counties. Given this metropolitan appeal, Roanoke has attracted an immigrant community with branches spreading throughout the rest of Southwest Virginia. In our roles as educators and educator researchers, we are committed to examining various aspects of schooling, both within and without the traditional bounds of public schools. Our research centers around our work with both adolescent and adult Latino immigrants, especially as we interrogate the influence of place, region, and local culture(s) on English language learning and other educational services. We are in the process of designing and implementing a study on the intersection of Latinos, Appalachia, and education through community, international and school partnerships.
