I Always Knew I Was Gifted: Latino Males and the Mestiz@ Theory of Intelligences (MTI)

Mujeres truchas: urban girls redefining smartness in a dystopic global south

“…This is so despite the many critiques of the IQ concept as being culturally biased, pseudo-scientific and limiting (Mirza 1998;Kincheloe and Steinberg 1997), and of the standardized curriculum and assessments as Eurocentric (Apple 1990). Also, while other explanations of intelligence have become popular, such as Gardner's (1985) multiple intelligences theory -which includes abilities beyond what is measured by IQ and standardized assessments -it still fails to critically consider the role that power and history as related to race, class, and gender relations play in understanding intelligence, and undermines the unique abilities of those living at the margins of the dominant group (Kincheloe 2004;Carrillo 2013).…”

“…Hatt's findings are particularly relevant in this study of Juarez girls, as they suggest that there is much more in the lives of marginalized youth who must navigate complex and precarious living conditions, violence, and the policing of their communities. Carrillo's (2013) research with Mexican-origin scholarship boys also provides important insights in alternative definitions of smartness among marginalized youth. He explores how high-achieving Downloaded by [University of Nebraska, Lincoln] at 04:24 12 June 2016 working class Latino males perform and embody gifted identities by introducing a Mestiz@ theory of intelligence (MTI).…”

Access to gifted education among African-American and Latino males

“…The national graduation rate for Latino males, in the 2012-2013 school year, was 65 per cent compared to 80 per cent of White males (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2015). In the scientific literature, minimal research has examined the experiences of gifted Latino males; to date, two empirical studies have specifically explored this population (Carrillo, 2013;Hébert, 1996). Thus, in this section, we focus on extant research on highachieving Latino males in particular and Latino males in general.…”

Racializing smartness

“…For example, Carrillo (2013) has created a Mestiz@ Theory of Intelligence that, emphasizes the talents, improvisations, and intelligences used by some working-class Mexican-origin students in an effort to excel academically, spiritually, and culturally (71).…”