37. Bridging Activism and Teaching in Latinx Studies

Abstract

This chapter reflects on the responsibility of teaching Latinx studies as praxis of social justice and accompaniment. Insisting on the classroom as a space for co-creating, the author challenges Latinx Studies teachers, calling them to enact in the classroom the change they want to see in the world. Reflecting on her personal experiences as a Latinx Studies teacher, the author provides examples of the ways in which pedagogy, the creation of a safe classroom environment, and the engagement with Latinx critical thought can produce effective changes within the university walls and beyond. The approaches emphasized in this chapter provide some of the epistemological ways in which we can challenge hegemonic models of teaching and learning in higher education in order to recenter social justice and reimagine a more hopeful future.