Recovering Community Cultural Wealth
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June 2016 Issue No. 5 Reclaiming Our Histories, Recovering Community Cultural Wealth Critical race theory (CRT) is a dynamic interdisciplinary framework used to identify, analyze, and challenge the ways race and racism intersect with multiple forms of subordination to shape the experiences of People of Color (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012). Informed by critical community and academic traditions naming race as a social construction, scholars have applied CRT to the field of education to closely examine and change the very real social consequences of racism within and beyond schools (e.g. Zamudio, et al., 2011; Parker & Stovall, 2004). Collectively, this work has taken up Richard Delgado’s (2003) challenge to “consider that race is not merely a matter for abstract analysis, but for struggle. It should expressly address the personal dimensions of that struggle and what they mean for intellectuals” (pp. 151-152). In this brief, we focus on the naming an array of knowledges, skills abilities, and networks of communities of color “not merely for abstract analysis,” but as a part of the larger struggle to survive and resist racism. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE The question posed in Tara J. Yosso’s 2005 Whose Culture Has Capital article positioned the ways of knowing and being of Communities of Color as sites of urgent struggle. Mari Matsuda (1989), encouraged scholars to engage in this struggle as a conscious effort “to know history from the bottom,” and careful consideration of “sources often ignored: journals, poems, oral histories, and stories from their own experiences of life in a hierarchically arranged world” (pp. 2323–24). Only by listening to those “faces at the bottom of society’s well,” as Derrick Bell (1992) described, would we recover forms of knowledge long misrepresented and misunderstood, and “learn from those whom we would teach” (p. 198). There, in the margins, we name community cultural wealth as an array of knowledges, skills, abilities, and networks possessed and utilized by Communities of Color to survive and resist racism and other forms of oppression. 1 Scholars have astutely outlined the origins and evolution of deficit thinking as foundational to the project of racism and colonialism (e.g. Valencia & Solórzano, 1997). Community cultural wealth takes CCRS at UCLA Tara J. Yosso University of Michigan Rebeca Burciaga San José State University
Transcript of Recovering Community Cultural Wealth
June2016� IssueNo.5
ReclaimingOurHistories,RecoveringCommunityCulturalWealth
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Criticalracetheory(CRT)isadynamicinterdisciplinaryframeworkusedtoidentify,analyze,andchallengethewaysraceandracismintersectwithmultipleformsofsubordinationtoshapetheexperiencesofPeopleofColor(Delgado&Stefancic,2012).Informedbycriticalcommunityandacademictraditionsnamingraceasasocialconstruction,scholarshaveappliedCRTtothefieldofeducationtocloselyexamineandchangetheveryrealsocialconsequencesofracismwithinandbeyondschools(e.g.Zamudio,etal.,2011;Parker&Stovall,2004).Collectively,thisworkhastakenupRichardDelgado’s(2003)challengeto“considerthatraceisnotmerelyamatterforabstractanalysis,butforstruggle.Itshouldexpresslyaddressthepersonaldimensionsofthatstruggleandwhattheymeanforintellectuals”(pp.151-152).Inthisbrief,wefocusonthenaminganarrayofknowledges,skillsabilities,andnetworksofcommunitiesofcolor“notmerelyforabstractanalysis,”butasapartofthelargerstruggletosurviveandresistracism.
OV E RV I EW O F L I T E RA TURE
ThequestionposedinTaraJ.Yosso’s2005WhoseCultureHasCapitalarticlepositionedthewaysofknowingandbeingofCommunitiesofColorassitesofurgentstruggle.MariMatsuda(1989),encouragedscholarstoengageinthisstruggleasaconsciouseffort“toknowhistoryfromthebottom,”andcarefulconsiderationof“sourcesoftenignored:journals,poems,oralhistories,andstoriesfromtheirownexperiencesoflifeinahierarchicallyarrangedworld”(pp.2323–24).Onlybylisteningtothose“facesatthebottomofsociety’swell,”asDerrickBell(1992)described,wouldwerecoverformsofknowledgelongmisrepresentedandmisunderstood,and“learnfromthosewhomwewouldteach”(p.198).There,inthemargins,wenamecommunityculturalwealthasanarrayofknowledges,skills,abilities,andnetworkspossessedandutilizedbyCommunitiesofColortosurviveandresistracismandotherformsofoppression.1
Scholarshaveastutelyoutlinedtheoriginsandevolutionofdeficitthinkingasfoundationaltotheprojectofracismandcolonialism(e.g.Valencia&Solórzano,1997).Communityculturalwealthtakes
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CCRS at UCLA
TaraJ.YossoUniversityofMichigan
RebecaBurciagaSanJoséStateUniversity
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andresourcesilluminatesamultifacetedviewofcommunityculturalwealth:
• Aspirationalcapitalreferstotheabilitytomaintainhopesanddreamsforthefuture,eveninthefaceofrealandperceivedbarriers.
• Linguisticcapitalincludestheintellectualandsocialskillsattainedthroughcommunicationinmultiplelanguagesand/orlanguagestyles(includingcommunicationthroughart,music,poetry,theatre,anddance).
• Socialcapitalcanbeunderstoodasnetworksofpeopleandcommunityresources.
• Navigationalcapitalreferstoskillsinmaneuveringthroughsocialinstitutions.Historically,thisimpliestheabilitytomaneuverthroughinstitutionsnotcreatedwithCommunitiesofColorinmind.
• Familialcapitalreferstothoseculturalknowledgesnurturedamongfamilia(kin)thatcarryasenseofcommunityhistory,memory,andculturalintuition.
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• Resistantcapitalreferstothoseknowledgesandskillsfosteredthroughoppositionalbehaviorthatchallengeinequality.
Eachoftheformsofcapitalwithinthekaleidoscope,andtheirmultifaceteddimensionsbuildsonanextensivebodyofcriticalsocialscienceresearchthathasconsistentlyreframedcultureasaresourceforCommunitiesofColor,ratherthanasadetriment(e.g.Asante,1991;Gómez-Quiñones,1977;Grande,2004;Kelley,1997;Trueba&Delgado-Gaitan,1988).Itisonlythroughethicalapproachestolisteningandlearningaboutstrengthsthatthekaleidoscopecanhelpusdocumenthowtheseknowledgeshavebeenpreservedandpasseddown–oftenindifficultcircumstancesincludingviolence,threats,humiliations,andunjustlaws.Asweconsiderthegenerationsofcommunitieswhohavepreservedandpasseddownculturalwealthdespiteharshconditions,letusbefiercevisionariesforgeneratingopportunitiestocultivatecommunityculturalwealthasatoolofreclamation–atoolforsocialjustice.2
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particularaimatdeficitinterpretationsofPierreBourdieuandculturalcapitaltheory(Bourdieu&Passeron,1977).Bourdieuarguedthatsocialhierarchyisnotreproducedbychance,butratherthatthoseinpower(eliteWhites)restrictaccesstotheformsofknowledgeandnetworks,ortheformsofcapitaltheyacquiredthroughtheirfamilyand/orthroughformalschooling.Heexposesthemeansbywhichdominantgroupswithinsocietymaintainpower—bylimitingaccesstoacquireandutilizeveryspecificformsofcultural,social,andeconomiccapital.Throughadeficitlens,however,Bourdieu’scritiqueofhowhierarchyreproducesitselfisutilizedasa‘how-to’model,whereinStudentsofColorneedtoacquiretheappropriateculturalcapitalorsocialcapitaltoachieveacademically.
D I SCU S S I ON
CRTpushesusto“see”CommunitiesofColorinacriticalhistoricallight.ExaminingthelivedexperiencesofCommunitiesofColorthroughCRTasourprimarylens,wecanseeatleastsixdynamicandoverlappingformsofcapital.Thisinterplayofculturalassets
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CONS I D ER I NG OUR P A S T A S A B R I DG E TO T H E F U TURE
Forthosegenerationscurrentlystrugglingthroughtheeducationalpipelineandthosewhohaveyettoarrive,weurgentlyneedamorein-depthhistoricalanalysisofcommunityculturalwealth.Establishingarchivalcollectionsandcreativelymakingthesehistoriesmorepubliclyaccessiblecontributestothepreservationofpreciouscommunitymemory.WeappreciateKrisGutiérrez’s(2016)callforresearcherstoemploy“asocioculturalimagination,withanexpansiveunderstandingofhowpeoplecanlearnresonantly,asthey
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livetogetherproductivelyandinterculturally”(p.188).SheillustratesthisapproachbylookingtoherownpastandconsideringthewaysapredominatelyMexicanAmericanminingtowninArizonagenerateda“grammarofhope,possibility,andresilience”(p.188).There,Gutiérrezfinds“despitethesegregation,andinstitutionalattemptstotransformdifferenceintodeficit,thecommunity,itspeople,andpracticeswereresilientinwaysthatwouldnotbeevidentfromfocusingsolelyontheactionsofthoseinpower”(p.189).Tofostersuchacriticalhistoricalperspectiveofourpresentmaterialconditions,wemust
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shifttheresearchlensnotonlyawayfromthosepeoplewithpower,butawayfromdeficit-ladendefinitionsand‘how-to’modelsofacquiringandenactingpower.Wemustalsorecommitourselvestopraxis—actionthatistheoreticallyandhistoricallygrounded.Indeed,byrecoveringancienttraditionsofpassingonculturalknowledge,inspiteofandtospiteeffortsofhistoricalerasure,wedomorethanhonorthebrilliantingenuityofthosewhoemployedcommunityculturalwealthinspaces,places,programs,andaction-researchagendas—were-writeourplaceinhistoryandre-inscribeourplaceinbuildingthefuture.3
NO T E S DedicatedtoDr.ErnestoGalarza,whoutilizedafullarrayofculturalknowledges,skills,abilities,andnetworksinhisfierceadvocacyofMexicanlaborersandtheirchildrenintheUnitedStates.
1bellhooks(1990)encouragesustoembracethemarginasasiteofresistance,asserting,“Locatingoneselfthereisdifficultyetnecessary.Itisnota‘safe’place.Oneisalwaysatrisk.Oneneedsacommunityofresistance(p.149).2GloriaAnzaldúa(2002)remindsusthat“Changerequiresmorethanwordsonapage—ittakesperseverance,creativeingenuityandactsoflove”(p.574).
ResearchBriefIssueNo.5C en t e r f o r C r i t i c a l R a ce S t u d i e s
Familialcapital
Naviga-onalcapital
Linguis-ccapital
Resistantcapital
Socialcapital
Aspira-onalcapital
AKaleidoscopeofCommunityCulturalWealth
ModeloriginallyappearedinYosso&García(2007).AdaptedfromVillalpando&Solórzano(2005),Yosso(2005,2006).
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CenterforCriticalRaceStudiesatUCLA
1041FMooreHallLosAngeles,[email protected]
3WeareinspiredherealsobyNataliaMolina’s(2015)analysisofthewaysgentrificationerasesculturalknowledgespreviouslysharedinparticularplaces.InherexaminationofherchildhoodneighborhoodofEchoPark,California,shefindsrestaurantsfunctioningasempowering“socialspaces”cultivatedbytheeffortsof“place-makerswholeaveamarkontheurbanlandscapeforgenerationstocome”(p.3).
RE F E R EN CE S Anzaldúa,G.E.(2002).“Nowletusshift…thepathofconocimiento…innerwork,publicacts.”In,G.Anzaldúa&A.Keating(Eds.).Thisbridgewecallhome:Radicalvisionsfortransformation(NewYork,Routledge),540–578.
Asante,M.K.(1991).Afrocentriccurriculum.EducationalLeadership,49(4),28-31.
Bell,D.(1992).Facesatthebottomofthewell:Thepermanenceofracism.NewYork:BasicBooks.
Bourdieu,P.,&Passeron,J.C.(1977).Reproductionineducation,society,andculture.London:Sage.
Delgado,R.(2003).Crossroadsandblindalleys:Acriticalexaminationofrecentwritingaboutrace.TexasLawReview,82,121-152.
Delgado,R.S.,&Stefancic,J.J.(2012).Criticalracetheory:Anintroduction.2ndEdition.NewYorkUniversityPress.
Gómez-Quiñones,J.(1977).Onculture.PopularSeriesNo.1.UniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles,ChicanoStudiesResearchCenterPublications.
Grande,S.(2004).Redpedagogy:NativeAmericansocialandpoliticalthought.NewYork:Rowman&Littlefield.
Gutiérrez,K.(2016).Designingresilientecologies:Socialdesignexperimentsandanewsocialimagination.EducationalResearcher,45(3),187-196.
hooks,b.(1990).Yearning:race,genderandculturalpolitics.Cambridge,MA:SouthEndPress.
Kelley,R.D.G.(1997).Yomama’sdysfunktional!FightingtheculturewarsinurbanAmerica.Boston,MA:BeaconPress.
Matsuda,M.(1989).Legalstorytelling:Publicresponsetoracistspeech:Consideringthevictim’sstory.MichiganLawReview,87,2320-2381.
Molina,N.(2015).Theimportanceofplaceandplace-makersinthelifeofaLosAngelescommunity:WhatgentrificationerasesfromEchoPark.SouthernCaliforniaQuarterly,97(1),69-111.
Parker,L.,&Stovall,D.O.(2004).Actionsfollowingwords:Criticalracetheoryconnectstocriticalpedagogy.EducationalPhilosophyandTheory,36(2),167-182.
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Trueba,H.T.,&Delgado-Gaitan,C.(1988).Schoolandsociety.Learningcontentthroughculture.NewYork:PraegerPublishers
Valencia,R.R.,&Solórzano,D.G.(1997).“Contemporarydeficitthinking.”In,R.Valencia(Ed.).Theevolutionofdeficitthinkingineducationalthoughtandpractice(pp.160-210).NewYork:Falmer.
Villalpando,O.,&Solórzano,D.G.(2005).“Theroleofcultureincollegepreparationprograms:Areviewoftheliterature.”InW.Tierney,Z.Corwin,andJ.Kolyar(Eds.).Preparingforcollege:Nineelementsofeffectiveoutreach(pp.13–28).Albany:StateUniversityofNewYorkPress.
Yosso,T.J.(2005).Whoseculturehascapital?Acriticalracetheorydiscussionofcommunityculturalwealth.RaceEthnicityandEducation,8(1),69-91
Yosso,T.J.(2006).CriticalracecounterstoriesalongtheChicana/Chicanoeducationalpipeline.NewYork:Routledge.
Yosso,T.J.,&García,D.G.(2007).‘Thisisnoslum!’:AcriticalracetheoryanalysisofcommunityculturalwealthinCultureClash’sChavezRavine.Aztlan:AJournalofChicanoStudies,32(1),145-179.
Zamudio,M.M.,Russell,C.,Rios,F.A.,&Bridgeman,J.L.(2011).Criticalracetheorymatters:Educationandideology.NewYork:Routledge.
TARAJ.YOSSOisaprofessorintheSchoolofEducationattheUniversityofMichigan.Herresearchandteachingapplytheframeworksofcriticalracetheoryandcriticalmedialiteracytoexamineeducationalaccessandequity,emphasizingthecommunityculturalwealthStudentsofColorbringtoschool.
REBECABURCIAGAisanassociateprofessorofEducationalLeadershipatSanJoséStateUniversitywheresheteachesintheM.A.andEd.D.programs.Herresearchisfocusedonthesocio-historicalconditionsanddeficitideologiesthatshapeeducationalopportunitiesfrompre-schoolingthroughprofession,therolesthatfamiliesandcommunitiesplayinsupportingstudents’personalandacademicsuccess;andthecommunityculturalwealthofhistoricallymarginalizedstudents,teachers,andschooladministrators.
CriticalRaceStudiesBriefs.AnongoingseriesofferingresearchoncriticalissuesfacingCommunitiesofColor.Editor:DanielSolórzanoPublicationsCoordinators:RyanSantos,TanyaGaxiola,NoraCisneros,AlmaFlores,&NicholeGarcia
ThisBriefSerieswasmadepossibleinpartthroughfundingfromtheofficesoftheDeanoftheGraduateSchoolofEducationandInformationStudies(GSE&IS).
MISSIONSTATEMENTTheCenterforCriticalRaceStudiesatUCLAsupportsinterdisciplinary,collaborative,andpolicy-orientedresearchonissuescriticaltoCommunitiesofColor.
MISSIONSTATEMENTTheCenterforCriticalRaceStudiesatUCLAsupportsinterdisciplinary,collaborative,andpolicy-orientedresearchonissuescriticaltoCommunitiesofColor.
CenterforCriticalRaceStudiesBriefs.AnongoingseriesofferingresearchoncriticalissuesfacingCommunitiesofColor.Editor:DanielG.Solórzano.Co-Editors:TanyaGaxiolaSerrano,RyanE.Santos,NoraCisneros,AlmaItzéFlores,&NicholeM.Garcia.
ThisBriefSerieswasmadepossibleinpartthroughfundingfromtheofficesoftheDeanoftheGraduateSchoolofEducationandInformationStudies(GSE&IS).
CriticalRaceStudiesBriefs.AnongoingseriesofferingresearchoncriticalissuesfacingCommunitiesofColor.Editor:DanielSolórzanoPublicationsCoordinators:RyanSantos,TanyaGaxiola,
