A Xicana Maestra on Politics, Education, y mas
Xicana Ph.D. No one has called me a no sabo kid (or adult). If anyone has they’ve never said it to my face. I would sometimes joke my Spanish was pocha style with people who knew me, but no one ever called me a pocha either. I was unsure if it was the same thing. … Continue reading No Sabo Kid: A Second Generation Story from the Granddaughter of Immigrants
By Irene SanchezXicana Ph.D. When I began teaching Latino studies, I wasn’t surprised when I picked up a U.S. history textbook to see how many times Latinos were mentioned in the book. That school year, the U.S. history books were brand new in our district and as I combed through it to see if there … Continue reading New Report Shows Latino History is Left Out of U.S. History Textbooks
By Irene Sanchez During the East LA walkouts that took place in early March 1968, thousands of students from five East LA high schools demanded classes that focused on their culture, Latino teachers and administrators, use of the restroom during lunch and other demands they presented to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s school board. … Continue reading The Struggle to Learn Our Histories in U.S. Schools 55 years after the East LA Walkouts
By Xicana Ph.D. Irene M. Sanchez We are not settling anymore. Not for crumbs. Not for exposure. Not for the possibility of a future opportunity. Not for your comfort. Not in exchange for our silence. No more. We are not settling. We are getting what we are fairly owed. Compensation for our time and labor … Continue reading We Are Not Settling Anymore
By Xicana Ph.D. Irene Sanchez If our schools are not safe, where are the places we can walk with safety? Our schools are not safe. At least that is what my students told me one morning when they were asked to take a survey. One student said a survey question out loud, “Do you feel … Continue reading C/S: With Safety
“Identity is our way of reminding ourselves that we are beautiful in a society that doesn’t validate us or often makes us feel as if we don’t belong.” By Irene Sanchez Note: A previous version of this article was originally published on Sept. 19, 2016 and republished on Sept. 27, 2017. While in grad school … Continue reading Memory as an Act of Defiance: Latinx Pride All Year Long
Lessons from a Teacher's First Active Shooter Drill By Irene Sanchez (Xicana Ph.D.) 5 years agoYear 1 Public schoolI became a high school teacher My son entered kindergartenWe had our first active shooter drillsHigh school teacherThree schools a day, everydayThat morning Continuation schoolFollow the instruction on the paper Most importantLock the doorLock the door LOCK … Continue reading Lessons From a Teacher’s First Active Shooter Drill
By Irene M. Sanchez Xicana Ph.D. What’s really sad. Representation is important. I see that as a Chicano/Latino Studies teacher everyday. Representation is important, but it is not enough if all our idea of representation does is reinforce tired stereotypes that mock the most powerless within a certain culture/community. I get satire and its importance … Continue reading What’s Really Sad
Xicana Ph.D. 