Cultural alliance: opening spaces for Latino ethos in early teaching

Abstract

Problems continue to pervade the educational experiences of many minority students, especially Latinos. Through a sociocultural framework, this ethnographic study closely examines the experiences of a Puerto Rican family at home and in an English‐dominant school. The study focuses on the school experiences of the family’s kindergarten son. The analysis reveals ways this family can broaden Eurocentric world views. Early educators will realise the extent to which they alter a child’s cultural identity, thus empowering or disempowering them as an individual. Implications for early childhood education include valuing funds of knowledge, code‐switching, and challenging assumptions.

Keywords:

• Latino
• Puerto Rican
• schooling
• kindergarten
• family
• identity