Digital Commons Network^™

Life In/Verse: A Poetry Collection, David A. Estringel

Theses and Dissertations

Life In/Verse: A Poetry Collection embodies the collected poetic works of Xicanx writer/poet David Estringel. The collection sequentially follows his growth as a poet and overall creative development, highlighting organic shifts in poetic voice, use of language and space, theme, and rhythm. Through poetry, the nuances and multiple facets of his identity are explored, ultimately leading to a clearer sense of self and poetic voice, demonstrating maturity and seasoning that can only come with time, experience, and acceptance. Pulling from literary influences, such as Homer, Raymond Carver, and Federico Garcia Lorca, significant and all too human …

Understanding The Intersectionality Of Bilingual Identities: Language And Biliteracy In Emergent Bilinguals, Natalia Carrillo

Theses and Dissertations

Cummins (2018) argued that “emergent bilingual students struggle, often unsuccessfully, to escape from the externally imposed identity cocoon within which they find themselves” (p. x). This struggle leads to negative views and deficit thinking approaches to educating these students. In today’s educational context, meeting the cognitive needs of bilingual students is not sufficient. Schools must provide learning opportunities to affirm their identities to support their academic success. Research indicates that we must develop a deep understanding of the intersectionality of language, students’ identity construction, and language use (Norton, 2010; Potowski, 2007; Poza, 2016).

This study aimed to examine …

Implications Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In Online Environments Where Emergent Bilinguals Participate, Myrna Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study aimed to better understand if culturally relevant pedagogy practices are happening in an early childhood dual-language classroom, and what knowledge does a bilingual teacher have of culturally relevant pedagogy. The theoretical framework is guided by the landmark theory of culturally relevant pedagogy by Gloria Ladson-Billings (1995). The research questions that guided this study were: (1) To what extend was culturally relevant pedagogy practices happening in an early childhood dual-language classroom? (2) What is the level of an early childhood bilingual teacher’s knowledge of culturally relevant pedagogy? The findings in this study suggest that the teacher, who …

Life And Love In Young Adult Literature: A Critical Analysis Of Fragments, Lissette Monrroy

Theses and Dissertations

Fragments will be a series of short stories based on events that have occurred in my life and how they impacted me and my family. They will tell the stories passed down to me, beginning with my grandparents, their lives in Mexico, and their journey to the United States. It will go on to tell stories of my parents’ struggles with raising kids in a society that tries to suppress our Mexican culture, how other family members have struggled with their own families and identities, and how my life has been influenced by these stories.

Significance and Scope of Fragments …

"La Reyna Es El Rey": Expressions Of Gender Identity By Female Mariachis In The Southwest, Erika J. Soveranes

Theses and Dissertations

Since the 1990s, the popularity of all-female mariachis has grown in the United States. These ensembles push the boundaries, both socially and stylistically, of a genre which has traditionally disregarded female participation. In this thesis, I study two all-female mariachi groups in the Southwest in which I have participated: Mariachi Buenaventura from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Mariachi Margaritas from Brownsville, Texas. These two groups struggle to establish their reputation and aspire towards equal recognition to their male counterparts on the basis of musicality. Based on musical analysis and ethnographic reflections, I argue that the mariachi tradition embodies patriarchal values …

Lipan Apache Tribe Of Texas: Ethnic And Racial Identity, Ashley S. Leal

Theses and Dissertations

The findings presented in this study are based on a series of semi-structured interviews, focused on racial, ethnic and cultural identity, with 20 registered members of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas. Analysis of the interviews show that while members are spread across the country the basic cultural identity still remains the same: they are all cultural and tribal ambassadors to future generations and the world around them. Results indicate that interviewed members share the same aspirations of becoming federally recognized by the United States government, not for any type of benefits but to be seen as real Indians through …

Un Testimonio Del Abismo: The Figuring And Disfiguring Effects Of Trauma, Addiction, And Autobiography, Erin D. Knobloch

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the paradox present in trauma, addiction, and autobiography, which are all capable of figuring and disfiguring the self. The object of the study is the written testimonio of Liliana López Cabrera, a Cuban former sex worker, survivor of sexual abuse, and recovering drug-addict, who lives on the U.S.-Mexican border.

Using Paul de Man’s idea of defacement and Jacques Derrida’s concept of pharmakon, which shows how something can embody two opposite essences simultaneously, a critical deconstruction is offered, by acknowledging rather than dismissing the incongruous nature of her work. López Cabrera’s testimonio del abismo, spoken through …