research overview
- My research focuses on how immigrant families search for a sense of belonging in their school and neighborhood as they seek to shed light on the needs of their children. I recently have written about the role of acompañamiento in transnational spaces where Latin American mothers attempt to bring about social change and engage in decision-making. I also have written about how school administrators can engage in acompañamiento to create spaces of belonging for transnational and/or marginalized families in educational spaces. In my dissertation “Te Acompaño: Belonging in the Face of Urban Renewal and School Choice Reform,' I explore a largely Black and Brown neighborhood in Denver dealing with the fragmentation of its community from gentrification, school choice policies, and migration and displacement. In this critical ethnography, I use participant observation, ethnographic interviews, and participatory action research to document causes of distrust in the community that have led to racial divisions and complicated school and community relations, especially with its growing Latin American immigrant population. I analyze how school leaders design parent engagement efforts and engage in humanizing practices to create a place of belonging in the neighborhood and in their school for immigrant parents.
