"They Can't Expect to be Treated Like Normal Americans so Soon": Reconceptualizing Latinx Immigrants in Social Studies Education

Abstract

This autoethnography examines the experiences of an assistant professor of elementary social studies methods at a predominantly White institution (PWI). Drawing on the Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) methodology of testimonio, the assistant professor in this study, who self-identifies as Chicano, intentionally situates Latinx immigration counter-narratives as oppositional stories to the master narrative of “who belongs.” Using a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework for analysis, this paper argues that counter-narratives serve as necessary correctives for reconceptualizing racist, essentialist, and nativist master narratives. This paper shows how social studies education courses in teacher preparation programs (TEPs) can serve as sites for counter-hegemonic resistance to the master narratives that racialize and criminalize recent Latinx immigrants.