Motherwork Post-Displacement: Love, Trust, and Kinship through Freirean Culture Circles

Abstract

This study, guided by Woman of Color feminist epistemologies, implements culture circles to highlight the agency of displaced Puerto Rican mothers. Participants expanded their social/kin networks and shared resources from which they drew to meet their family’s needs. Our space provided support for each participants’ reality based on their positionalities while centering love and trust. This work can inform how schools envision engaging with families for their own and children’s success in schools.

Keywords:

• Motherwork
• culture circles
• Puerto Rico
• Woman of Color feminist epistemologies
• critical pedagogy
• culturally and linguistically diverse communities