Justice and Space Matter in a Strong, Unified Latino Community

Kathy Bussert-Webb is Professor in the Department of Bilingual and Literacy Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She received a Ph.D. in language education from Indiana University.María Eugenia Díaz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She received an Ed.D. in curriculum instruction from the University of Texas at Brownsville.Krystal A. Yanez is a doctoral student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in curriculum instruction, specializing in higher education.

"Justice and Space Matter in a Strong, Unified Latino Community makes an important and timely contribution to the literature on critical issues facing school and society. Using an engaging case study approach, the volume reveals the hopes and dreams of community members living in Corazon, an unannexed border community in South Texas that, unlike other unannexed colonias, enjoys basic services and is organized politically. Guided by these research questions-What are Corazon's strengths? How do we work with and in the community, while acknowledging power and privilege imbalances? How do residents engage in hybrid or blended practices to confront obstacles?-the researchers conclude that Corazon's strengths include hope, ingenuity, and unity. Despite its positive attributes, however, the researchers note that the community faces many obstacles, including local, state, and national policies, as well as multifactor discriminatory treatment based on group categories. Undocumented Latinos, for example, may more frequently be victims of hate crimes. The book sheds important light on a variety of pertinent issues, concerns, and possibilities facing marginalized communities and schools while reminding scholars, students, teachers, parents, communities, researchers, counselors, school administrators, and policy makers that equity, excellence, inclusivity, and social justice are worth preserving in our nation of nations." Carlos J. Ovando, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University "Justice and Space Matter in a Strong, Unified Latino Community is a labor of love-a testament to the authors' authentic and sustained commitment to Corazon, a South Texas colonia whose inhabitants stubbornly resist marginalization. A vivid chorus of community voices woven throughout the text invites us to reflect on the role of collaborative research in the pursuit of educational justice." Brendan H. O'Connor, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Transborder Studies, Arizona State University "This book makes a unique contribution to contesting the deficit discourses that pervade discussions of the education of the poor. Through long-term engagement with members of a Latino colonia in Texas, the authors demonstrate how different people can work together in third spaces in local neighborhoods to fight for justice. Educational researchers, teacher candidates, religious communities, local elders and advocates, health workers and others can work with youth in slantwise ways to exercise power for change. This book is an intriguing account of collaborative approaches to strength-based analysis and action to build place-based educational capability and enduring community resources across generations." Barbara Comber, Ph.D., Research Professor, University of South Australia "Corazon, the strong, unified, Latino community that Kathy Bussert-Webb, Maria Eugenia Diaz, and Krystal A. Yanez write about, is an unannexed colonia on the Mexico-Texas border. Living in high poverty and abandoned by government, residents develop resilience, resourcefulness and slantwise, rhizomic and translanguaging strategies for contesting power. This is an uplifting story told with care and respect that will fill you with admiration for the many people you will encounter, and indignation at the inequity of the policies that govern their lives." Hilary Janks, Ph.D., Retired Full Professor, Wits University, South Africa

• Acknowledgements – List of Figures – Authors’ Preface – Introduction – Section I: Building Background – Entering—The Field and Our Positionality (with Claudia Troncoso and Irma Guadarrama) – Texas Colonias – Corazon (with Irma Guadarrama, part of entrepreneurial sections) – Key Places and Spaces (with Claudia Troncoso) – Section II: Sociocultural Contexts or Religion, Language, and Literacy – Religion and a Space for Justice – Language and Literacy – Digital Literacies: Multimodal Pushback – Section III: Education – Tutoring and Gardening: Towards Libertory Literacy Space – Education in Corazon (with Claudia Troncoso) – Conclusions and Implications – References – Index.