We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz

"The development of critical consciousness has historically been a target of those who seek to sustain systems of oppression, with schools the primary contexts where what can be taught is met with disinformation and polarization. The ability of Latina/o/x students to contest marginalization serves as evidence of the power of educators who aim to develop critical consciousness and why We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz is such an invaluable contribution to educators, school leaders, and community stakeholders—especially in our current moment."

—Francesca A. López, Jim and Georgia Thompson Distinguished Professor of Education, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

"This compelling volume is a powerful testament to the brilliance and resilience of Latina/o/x students navigating educational borderlands. As someone whose family migrated from Texas to Michigan to work in both the fields and the auto factories, We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz resonates with me in a deeply personal way. Conchas, Acevedo, and DeAlba beautifully cultivate testimonios, theory, and praxis—offering an essential guide for anyone committed to justice, critical consciousness, and transformative education."

—Julian Vasquez Heilig, Professor of Educational Leadership, Research, and TechnologyWestern Michigan University

"We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz is at the leading-edge of student success theory, practice, and philosophy—just what is needed during an unjust, even brutally inhuman time in the nation’s educational arena. Readers learn that to overcome oppressive structures it is necessary to work not only with resistance, but also with action, healing and courageous, transformative frameworks. The authors draw from Conchas and Acevedo’s groundbreaking Framework of Atrevesada/o/xs Nepantleando and reconnect educators to ancestral knowledge, Gloria Anzaldúa’s visionary philosophy, and pedagogies of liberation to offer evidence-based practices to foster agency, critical consciousness and overall educational success for Latina/o/x students. These students are portrayed as children of the corn, a metaphor that reflects an Indigenous, maíz/corn-based philosophy that connects people to nature and their environment. For all who seek hope and possibility during the tumultuous assault on DEI, the time to read this book is NOW!"

—Laura I. Rendón, Professor Emerita, UTSA, author of Sentipensante Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice and Liberation (2023, 2nd Edition)

"We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz is a timely anthology that highlights the resiliencies of Latina/o/x and Chicana/o/x students and provides numerous examples of ways to help them thrive and succeed academically. This book contributes to and complicates the widely used phrase, ‘They tried to bury us, but forgot we were seeds.’ In utilizing the metaphor about maíz, We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz reminds us that although seeds (Latina/o/x and Chicana/o/x students) are more than capable, they should not be forced to grow on their own and instead we need to carefully attend to them. Thus, Conchas, Acevedo, and DeAlba underscore the importance of planting, cultivating, and harvesting the seeds via our unwavering advocacy, support, and mentorship. It provides an important and necessary analysis of the many wonders that can be accomplished when there is intentional structural support available to Latina/o/x and Chicana/o/x students. We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz is a useful tool for educators, educational leaders, community-based advocates, and researchers to critically reflect on their own educational approaches and practices by exposing us to the continued harsh realities of Latina/o/x and Chicana/o/x students as demonstrated in this book, but also by prompting us to recognize these interventions as inspiring and a call-to-action."

—Martín Alberto Gonzalez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Portland State University and award-winning of

"While grounded in ethnic studies, We are Children of the Corn/Somos Hija/o/xs del Maíz is deeply interdisciplinary and essential for any field committed to understanding, engaging with, and supporting Latino/a/x communities. The metaphor of maíz/corn and its husk powerfully conveys themes of community and nourishment: the maíz/corn represents Latino/a/x students and their communities, while the husks symbolize the protective systems that help them grow and thrive. I, once again, applaud Conchas, the coeditors, and the chapter authors for centering the lived experiences of Latina/o/x individuals across PreK–16 and out-of-school spaces, especially in a political climate where Latino/a/x communities are increasingly being erased, marginalized, and silenced. Bravo!"

—Cristóbal Salinas Jr., Ph.D., Professor, Florida Atlantic University’s College of Education and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education

Series Foreword
Gilberto Q. Conchas and Mahmoud Suleiman

Foreword
Francesca A. López

Introduction
Husks of Hope, Resistance, and Latina/o/x Educational Success
Gilberto Q. Conchas, Victor DeAlba, and Nancy Acevedo

Chapter 1
Undocumented Latina/o/x Students Straddling High School Borderlands: Nepantleando, A Sense of Belonging
Eduardo Mosqueda and Raul Meneses Samperio

Chapter 2
Cultivating Nepantlera/o/x Teachers: Planting the Seed for Knowledge Production and College Preparation Among Latina/o/x Youth
Omar Davila Jr., Thalia Rodriguez, Mikaela Dacanay, Brianna Roberto, Donna Garcia, and Aaron Rivas

Chapter 3
Excerpt From “Arquitecta De Mis Sueños: Activating Students’ Home Pedagogies in an Oakland 8th Grade Humanities Classroom”
Jacey de la Torre

Chapter 4
Advancing An Atravesada/o/xs Nepantlera Summer Bridge Curriculum: Nurturing Latina/o/x Student Facultad in College Access and Transition
Brianna R. Ramirez

Chapter 5
The Ambivalent Experiences of Undocumented Students as Atravesada/o/xs Neplantleando in STEM at a Community College During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Practical Lessons for the Cultivation of College Readiness in Higher Education
Luis M. Andrade

Chapter 6
Cultivating Equitable Outcomes for Latina/o/x Students: Examining the Implications of Implementing A.B. 705
Audrey Baca Lopez and Victor DeAlba

Chapter 7
“Unapologetically and Proudly ... A Young Mexican American”: Capturing the Hope and Resistance of Chicana/o/x Students through Testimonios
Gilberto Q. Conchas and Victor DeAlba

Chapter 8
Cosechando Éxito: Growing Academic Familias That Facilitate Student and Institutional Transformation
Arlene Cano Matute, Alexis Meza, Elizabeth Claassen Thrush, and Louie F. Rodriguez

Chapter 9
“This Space Is Not Open to All”: Nepantleando in McNair Undergraduate Research Programs to Nurture College Completion
Samantha Prado Robledo

Chapter 10
Empowering Latina/o/x Youth by Reconnecting to Our Ancestral and
Indigenous Roots
Nancy Acevedo, Gilberto Q. Conchas, and Victor DeAlba

About the Authors

Index

Gilberto Q. Conchas

Gilberto Q. Conchas is the Wayne K. and Anita Woolfolk Hoy Endowed Chair in the College of Education at Pennsylvania State University. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and his B.A. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author and coauthor of over a dozen books—including The Color of Success; Streetsmart Schoolsmart; Cracks in the Schoolyard; Educational Policy Goes to School; The Complex Web of Inequality; The Chicana/o/x Dream; Race Frames in Education; and Repertoires of Racial Resistance. Dr. Conchas has been a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of California at Irvine and visiting professor at the University of Southern California, San Francisco State University, University of Washington, University of Barcelona, and the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara. He was also Senior Program Officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Nancy Acevedo

Dr. Nancy Acevedo is Professor of Educational Leadership Doctoral Studies and Inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fellow at California State University, San Bernardino. As an interdisciplinary scholar, Dr. Acevedo engages with critical race theory and Chicana feminist theories to examine pathways to and through college for Students of Color, with a focus on college readiness, retention in STEM, and transfer preparation. Formerly, Dr. Acevedo was Director of Faculty Development for the Watson College of Education and Co-Director of Development for Women of Color in Academia at California State University, San Bernardino. She co-led the development of the community college specialization in the EdD program and supports community colleges with staff and faculty development efforts, particularly related to issues of equity, inclusion, and STEM. Alongside Dr. Gilberto Conchas, she co-authored The Chicana/o/x Dream, which received a book award from the American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education. A first-generation student, Dr. Acevedo began her journey working in the agricultural fields of Yolo County, California. With support from various TRiO Program resources, she earned her BA in Chicano Studies, Social Welfare, and Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, an MA in Mexican American Studies from San Jose State University, and her PhD in Education at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Victor DeAlba

Victor DeAlba is a PhD Candidate and graduate research assistant at The Pennsylvania State University. He was raised in the city of Lompoc, located in the Central Coast of California. He earned his AA in sociology from Allan Hancock College. He then transferred to UCLA where he earned his BA in sociology. His current research includes the use of transformative approaches to amplify Latina/o/x student voice, educational opportunity for students of color, and inequity in urban school systems.