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Adolescent Street Literacy: The Art Of The Hustle, Regina L. Welch
Adolescent Street Literacy: The Art Of The Hustle, Regina L. Welch
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This thesis is an ethnographic analysis of street youths, runaways and foster children. It focuses on the rhetorical and literacy practices that serve as a foundation for an underground community. Very little research, within the English field or from a literacy perspective, has been done on this demographic. This study includes data from interviews conducted with eight individuals who were “homeless” between the ages of 12 and 18 years old. Homeless is being defined as any duration spent absent of a stable living situation, including, but not limited to, foster homes, sleeping on the streets or in temporary settings, with …
E Pluribus Unum: The Pursuit Of Linguistic Equality Through Adequation And Denaturalization, Natalie A. Tupta
E Pluribus Unum: The Pursuit Of Linguistic Equality Through Adequation And Denaturalization, Natalie A. Tupta
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The oppressive ideology of standard language in the US perpetuates linguistic discrimination in all facets of life, from the classroom to the housing market to politics. Many Americans justify the degradation of non-standard language users by identifying the imagined cognitive deficiencies of those who do not use standard language. In response to previous research providing evidence of linguistic injustices, this research confounds existent ideology and exposes the gravity of the injustices perpetuated by the US government and educational system. By comparing this linguistic social justice movement to the American Civil Rights Movement and by borrowing the philosophy of Martin Luther …
Eavesdropping On The Past: An Oral History Exploration Of English And Spanish In Contact In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, 1904-1945, Aaron B. Cummings
Eavesdropping On The Past: An Oral History Exploration Of English And Spanish In Contact In Texas' Rio Grande Valley, 1904-1945, Aaron B. Cummings
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This thesis investigates the interaction of English and Spanish L1 communities in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas from 1904 to 1945 (an era of mass English L1 migration from the Northern United States and Canada to this historically Spanish-speaking region) via analysis of oral interviews that record both language communities’ memories of the era’s social structures. Collectively, the interviews tell the story of the region’s sociocultural and sociolinguistic environment with a view to exploring how members of each community reacted to the presence of the other language during the first years of significant English/Spanish language contact in previously …
Learning To Speak: Poems, Celina A. Gomez
Learning To Speak: Poems, Celina A. Gomez
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This project is a collection of poetry that weaves together past, present, and the hopes of a future that causes change. It is set in South Texas and discusses borders spanning from social class, language, and identity. The collection primarily focuses on the Chican@ voice and the shame that comes from the borderlands. I have drawn from the Rio Grande Valley as a source of inspiration while also using family experiences, my own reaction to shame, and the possibilities of an empowered voice.
Shifting Policies Of Educational Desegregation And Its Effects On The Resegregation Of The Aldine Independent School District, Tonya Elisette Juarez
Shifting Policies Of Educational Desegregation And Its Effects On The Resegregation Of The Aldine Independent School District, Tonya Elisette Juarez
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study examines the desegregation process for the Aldine Independent School District located in Houston, Texas. Beginning with an analysis of the development of public education in Texas, this study observes the educational conditions for blacks and Mexican Americans prior to the end of de jure segregation. Thereafter, it assesses the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision that required desegregation of American public schools. I argue that the shifting policies that occurred after Brown requiring mandatory integration resulted in white flight in the school district. With the end of mandatory integration, Aldine I.S.D. reverted back to …
The Soul Of Man Under Capitalism, Joe L. Cantu
The Soul Of Man Under Capitalism, Joe L. Cantu
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This paper examines the consciousness of three literary characters, divided by space and time, from mid nineteenth century Russia, mid twentieth century Italy, to late twentieth century American society. This paper exposes literature’s rendition of modern man’s varying consciousness as shaped by the changing social conditions around him. This paper recognizes these varying social conditions as different stages in capitalism’s development. Capitalism has a history; the literature this paper examines discloses its negative impact on the consciousness of its characters. In analyzing Notes from the Underground, Contempt, and American Psycho, three novels separated by geography and spanning a timeframe of …
La Joya Isd Fine Arts: Teaching Mexican Identity Through Music And Dance, Katrena H. Henry
La Joya Isd Fine Arts: Teaching Mexican Identity Through Music And Dance, Katrena H. Henry
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The La Joya Independent School District has made a serious effort to cultivate and promote mariachi, conjunto, and folklórico programs at the middle school and high school level. Students give numerous performances throughout the year and these programs have exposed thousands of people to the music and traditions of Mexico and the border region. What draws so many students to these particular programs in La Joya ISD? What sense of "Mexican identity" do these programs create for its participants? Through observing various performances, interviewing educators, students, and community members, I explore why these programs are considered essential by the school …
An Analysis Of Narrative Types And An Investigation Into The Privileging Of Narrative Types On Standardized Testing, Rachel Villarreal Garza
An Analysis Of Narrative Types And An Investigation Into The Privileging Of Narrative Types On Standardized Testing, Rachel Villarreal Garza
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Research on the narrative writing of males and females shows significant differences between the two, and scores for standardized writing tests consistently demonstrate females outperforming males. Based on this information, it is important to investigate whether there are links between narrative content and this gender gap. In this study, I selected fifty officially scored essays written in response to an eleventh grade English Language Arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam. Essays were coded for broad and specific narrative types according to categories adapted from research on the writing of males and females. I then determined whether certain narrative …
Walking Out: The Success Of The Edcouch-Elsa Student Walkout Of 1968 Through The Media, David Robles
Walking Out: The Success Of The Edcouch-Elsa Student Walkout Of 1968 Through The Media, David Robles
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study demonstrates how the success of the Edcouch-Elsa walkout of 1968 was brought upon not only by its organization, non-violent tactics, land mark victory in federal court, and support from several of Mexican American organizations. What also aided the student movement in Edcouch-Elsa was the media attention and how it influence the Rio Grande Valley community not only to question the tactics being used towards Mexican American students in the local educational institutions, but also created public discourse over the issues of race, equality, and students’ rights. Using various academic books of the subject, newspaper clippings of the time …
La Educación Cultural A Través De La Danza Folklórica Mexicana, Karla Y. Uvalle-Castro
La Educación Cultural A Través De La Danza Folklórica Mexicana, Karla Y. Uvalle-Castro
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
El presente proyecto pretende abordar la educación cultural a través de la danza folklórica mexicana, incluyendo otros aspectos fundamentales como la historia, música, vestuarios, costumbres etc. Se muestra una programación curricular alineada a los Conocimientos y Destrezas Esenciales del Estado de Texas (TEKS). Dicho programa ofrece a los estudiantes la posibilidad de aprender y experimentar diversos ritmos, música, bailes, trajes típicos de varios estados de la República Mexicana, a través de danzas sencillas (de pareja o grupo), acercándolos al conocimiento de la cultura, entendiendo la danza, y utilizándola como modo de expresión, motivador y generador de enriquecimiento cultural.
Life Stories Of Four Conjunto Musicians: Adding To The Culturally Relevant Curriculum Of The Rio Grande Valley Schools, Andres Martinez
Life Stories Of Four Conjunto Musicians: Adding To The Culturally Relevant Curriculum Of The Rio Grande Valley Schools, Andres Martinez
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study examines music and culture and their importance in the learning process. As early as 1838, Horace Mann and later John Dewey (1916), Tim Brophy (1992) and others were expounding the benefits of music as a necessary element of the school curriculum. Julio Cammarota (2008), Geneva Gay (2000), Alan Singer (1994), Banks and Banks (1989) and others have argued for the importance of culture in the curriculum to enhance learning. Both elements have a unique place in the school curriculum. A brief history of the genre is presented beginning with the early years (mid 1800s), the development years (early …
After “Borderlands” The Making Of An Academic Chola: Poems, Veronica Sandoval
After “Borderlands” The Making Of An Academic Chola: Poems, Veronica Sandoval
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This poetry collection is by a Mexican American spoken word, performance poet, Lady Mariposa, from Sullivan City turned Chican@ feminist after coming to terms with her mestizaje through Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands La Frontera: The New Mestiza. In Lady Mariposa’s journey as an “Academic Chola,” the term “chola” articulates her Chican@ identity and creates a new space in academia by using “chola” as a hybrid of identity and style in the formation of her poetics. Her poetry can also be called pocho, pocha, Tex-Mex and code switches. She is inspired by Chican@ literature and history, lowriders, cholo culture, cholas, jazz, hip …
Juntos, Pero No Revueltos: Actitudes Entre Monolingües Y Bilingües En El Aula, Miriam Cruz
Juntos, Pero No Revueltos: Actitudes Entre Monolingües Y Bilingües En El Aula, Miriam Cruz
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Por ser el sur de Texas, región de nuestra universidad de estudio, una comunidad principalmente bilingüe, y dada su ubicación geográfica fronteriza con México, existe en las aulas un número elevado de estudiantes bilingües. Por lo tanto, este trabajo de investigación se interesa en el estudio comparativo de las actitudes de los estudiantes monolingües frente a los bilingües en un curso de español para principiantes no hispanohablantes. En mi estudio distinguiré éste factor entre estudiantes bilingües, es decir, aquellos capaces de hablar o entender el español, en comparación con estudiantes monolingües que sólo hablan y entienden el inglés. Considero también …
Wrestling Windmills, Christopher Girman
Wrestling Windmills, Christopher Girman
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This manuscript explores the teaching process by following the protagonist‟s four year journey at a middle school in Edinburg, Texas. The narrator passes through four distinct phases: first-year angst, pedagogic subversion, converting the natives, and, ultimately, personal and professional acceptance. Daily interaction disrupts the narrator‟s worldview, complicating his relationships with peers, colleagues, family, and the local community. In a series of moves designed to make himself more accessible to students, the narrator encounters sexual, racial, and gender bias—much of it his own. Finally, after a serious accident in Central Mexico during Spring Break, the protagonist relies on his students to …
The Importance Of Continuity In First Language Education For Learning A Second Language, Stephen M. Shepherd
The Importance Of Continuity In First Language Education For Learning A Second Language, Stephen M. Shepherd
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Scores from the Texas Reading Proficiency Tests in English (RPTE) for ninety-four Newcomer ESL students were analyzed to understand the differences between students who had attended school continuously and those who had discontinuity in their first language (LI) education in their home country. This research was performed in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, a few miles from the border with Mexico. The hypothesis is that students who have gaps in their L1 education will not learn to read as quickly in English as those who had none since the former are lacking cognitive skills which the latter already …
Maintaining An Immigrant Heritage Language Other Than Spanish Or English In The Bilingual Culture Of The Rio Grande Valley Of South Texas, Sonia A. Shepherd
Maintaining An Immigrant Heritage Language Other Than Spanish Or English In The Bilingual Culture Of The Rio Grande Valley Of South Texas, Sonia A. Shepherd
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
A 2005 study in the bilingual Spanish/English Rio Grande Valley of South Texas investigates the language strategies used by immigrant families from China, Greece, Hungary, Japan, the Philippines, Russia, Taiwan, and the Ukraine to preserve their heritage languages and pass them on to their children. Personal interviews determine that all the parents are well-educated and from an above average socio-economic level. This investigation categorizes the various strategies used by the parents. All the immigrant parents emphasize that the main reason they want to preserve the heritage language with their children is to insure that the children can continue to communicate …
Attitudes Of Mexican Nationals Toward The Use Of Code Switching In The Rio Grande Valley, Jennifer M. Vojtko
Attitudes Of Mexican Nationals Toward The Use Of Code Switching In The Rio Grande Valley, Jennifer M. Vojtko
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The purpose of this study is to establish the beliefs and attitudes of Mexican Nationals living in the Rio Grande Valley toward the use of code switching, or the use of two or more languages during a speech act. Because of the high influence of the Spanish language in the Rio Grande Valley, code switching is more commonly referred to as Spanglish. Researchers have been studying code switching since the early fifties; however, limited research has been conducted on attitudes toward code switching. The goal of this study is to offer a comprehensive look at the attitudes demonstrated by Mexican …
An Investigation Of Pre-Nursing And Second-Year Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Perception Of Spirituality, Jacquelyn Kay R. Williams
An Investigation Of Pre-Nursing And Second-Year Baccalaureate Nursing Students' Perception Of Spirituality, Jacquelyn Kay R. Williams
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This pilot study investigated whether spiritual care education is a part of the baccalaureate nursing curriculum at a south Texas university. This study used two standardized scales to compare the pre-nursing students' and senior baccalaureate nursing students' attitude about spirituality at different levels in the nursing program. Two quantitative questionnaires were used to investigate the nursing students' personal spiritual involvement and beliefs and their opinions about the spiritual role of the nurse in meeting patient spiritual needs. No statistically significant differences in the two group's personal spiritual involvement and beliefs were found. Statistically significant differences were found in the opinions …
Herstory, Rita Kathryn Roney
Herstory, Rita Kathryn Roney
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of Theatre at the University of Texas - Pan American in the 20th Century, from its inception in the Fall of 1934 through the Summer of 2001. It is written as a series of oral interviews with two women whose tenure at The University of Texas - Pan American covers that period. Mrs. Ruth Owings Blalock founded Theatre at the then Edinburg Junior College in 1934. Dr. Marian F. Monta was hired as her replacement in 1971 and continues to serve as area head of Theatre.
Poems As Mnemonic Devices To Aid Grammar Recall, Carolin A. Metzger
Poems As Mnemonic Devices To Aid Grammar Recall, Carolin A. Metzger
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study was implemented to explore the extent to which students' performance on grammar editing exams might be affected by exposure to poems used as mnemonic devices intended to aid recall of grammar rules. The poems were used as mnemonic tools to assist subjects memory of specific grammar points. The place of grammar in writing instruction, the use of mnemonics, and the use of rhyme and rhythm are reviewed. The subjects for this study came from developmental level classes at the university level and from advanced level English as Second Language classes. The results emphasize the need for teacher-student interaction …
A Content Validity Analysis Of The University Of Texas-Pan American English 1320 Grammar And Usage Exam, Cynthia Eilene Elder
A Content Validity Analysis Of The University Of Texas-Pan American English 1320 Grammar And Usage Exam, Cynthia Eilene Elder
Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
This study examines the degree of content validity of the grammar and usage exam administered to The University of Texas-Pan American's developmental writing classes (English 1320). Final exam essays from the freshman composition course (English 1301) were divided into groups according to their scores and examined for the occurrence of adjective agreement, apostrophe, pronoun usage, punctuation of clause, sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, and tense usage errors, which are tested on the exam. An Analysis of Variance was then calculated for each error type; none of the error types proved statistically significant at the.05 level. The students within each group did …