Through the Lens of a Latino Jewish Teacher: Uncovering Funds of Identity in Teaching and Advocating for Newcomer Immigrant Children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Educating immigrant children requires teachers who are responsive to their complex and unique needs and who advocate for their education and well-being. Yet, few studies have examined teachers who teach immigrant children and their teaching practices, particularly in the field of early childhood education. Framed by the construct of funds of identity, this study focuses on a Latino Jewish immigrant teacher and how his identities, accumulated through lived experiences and knowledge, can be understood in the context of his teaching practices for immigrant children in early childhood education. Relying on his inextricably intertwined thick descriptions of seeing his immigrant students constructed through his own lens, I explore his reasons for teaching immigrant children and highlight his specific ways of advocating and caring for them. Implications for practice and teacher education are discussed.