When Immigrant Mothers of Color Become Public School Teachers for English Language Learners: Intersectionality for Transformative Teacher Preparation

Abstract

This article contests the whitewashed ideologies and practices in teacher preparation programs and K–12 schools (Lee‐Johnson, 2019) with a counter‐storytelling analysis (Solorzano & Yosso, 2001, 2002). Based on the analysis of the lived experiences of two immigrant mothers of color (IMC), who had transitioned into certified English Language Learner (ELL) teachers, the researcher proposes a transformative frame, which stems from Crenshaw's (1989) intersectionality and Mezirow's (1990) transformative learning. The data sources include the two immigrant mothers' oral stories told at an ELL parent panel, their written teaching philosophy statements, and blog posts. The findings contribute to the knowledge base of teacher preparation in TESOL and applied linguistics by foregrounding the racially othered experiences of IMC; envisioning intersectionality as an agentive tool for negotiation, emancipation, and advocacy; and proposing a transformative frame for TESOL teacher education. The researcher calls for considerations of using intersectionality for transforming the teaching practices and ideologies in teacher preparation programs and K–12 schools.

Intersectionality in Educational Psychology and Curriculum Studies: A Critical Review

“…Understanding of intersectional identity and positionality could also be leveraged in praxis-oriented teacher training in science and environmental education to develop a more nuanced understanding of culture-nature and co-existence of multiple epistemologies (Burke, 2023, p. 320;Scipio, 2023). Take Lee-Johnson (2023) as an example: immigrant mothers of color used their intersectional identities as agentive tools to negotiate their legitimacy teaching English and resisted racial reductionism in public schools. In addition, teachers are uniquely positioned to engage in the learning process as designers.…”

Intercultural education and social innovation approaches as answers to societal challenges of migration

“…The entire migration cycle provokes deep personal transformations as the changes accompanying a migrant's cultural adaptation affect the entire personality, from psychophysiological aspects to the functional and structural level of his or her selfawareness (Castro-Olivo et al, 2012, Ainslie et al 2013, Huang, et al, 2017, Lee-Johnson, 2023. Nowadays, we can identify a pivotal challenge for society: the need to redefine and structure learning and education to contribute actively to building a sustainable, prosperous, and resilient society.…”