‘Tanto necesitamos de aquí como necesitamos de allá’: leer juntas among Mexican transnational mothers and daughters

Abstract

This paper presents part of the results of a qualitative study about literacy practices of Mexican transnational mothers, who live in and frequently cross the border between two countries (the United States and Mexico). Drawing on sociocultural approaches to literacy and literature on transnationalism, I analyze one practice: leer juntas (reading together). Leer juntas is a literacy practice that mothers shared with their daughters, as a part of maintaining the Spanish language as well as Mexican ways of living and being. It is also a transnational literacy practice, which connects the mothers with other relatives across the border. Finally, in some cases it is a biliterate practice, where daughters and mothers use both English and Spanish. The paper concludes with recommendations for practice.

Keywords:

• Latina
• mothers
• literacy practices
• minority language
• digital literacy
• transnationalism

Notes

1. Although my study focuses particularly on Mexican transnational mothers, I draw examples from relevant studies not only with Mexican mothers but also other Latina mothers in the US.

2. Literature on transnationals tends to look at people who live in a country other than their country of origin and who usually are not in close proximity to it. In the cases presented here, transnational mothers live on the border between the US and Mexico and have many opportunities to visit or host visitors from their country of origin.

3. In the case of second or third generation linguistic minority youth whose dominant language is English.

4. All names are pseudonyms.

5. In the interest of brevity, I present English translations of interview data originally in Spanish.

6. This phrase explains this mother's view of the fast pace of life in the US.

7. Mocho refers to the use of Spanish or English that is perceived as improper. Spanglish is also seen as mocho.