Decolonizing the curriculum via Gloria Anzaldua
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to draw out the use of decolonization efforts in children’s literature to deterritorialize and reterritorialize what counts as knowledge through the writings of Gloria Anzaldua. Anzaldúa exhibits what Paraskeva might describe as an itinerant curriculum theory (ICT) which typically employs the use of multiple epistemological frameworks in addressing issues of social and cognitive justice. Via critical content analysis, I outline some critical components of Anzaldúa’s two children’s books that were published in 1993 and 1995. This critical analysis of Anzaldúa’s books follows the analytical process illustrated by Mathis. A careful analysis of Friends from the Other Side/Amigos del Otro Lado and Prietita the Ghost Woman/Prietita y La Llorona resulted in the identification of three overarching themes across both storybooks. These themes speak to the decolonial nature of resistant traditions in the RGV as a vehicle for cultural and linguistic sustainability. By harnessing other knowledge and other perspectives on what constitutes knowledge, students in the region can bring more of their experiences into the classroom as leverage for engaging with other systems of knowledge.
Presentation Description
Unavailable
Location
Stream C
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Garza, Raul, "Decolonizing the curriculum via Gloria Anzaldua" (2021). Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative. 6.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cssc/2021/2021/6
Decolonizing the curriculum via Gloria Anzaldua
Stream C
The purpose of this paper is to draw out the use of decolonization efforts in children’s literature to deterritorialize and reterritorialize what counts as knowledge through the writings of Gloria Anzaldua. Anzaldúa exhibits what Paraskeva might describe as an itinerant curriculum theory (ICT) which typically employs the use of multiple epistemological frameworks in addressing issues of social and cognitive justice. Via critical content analysis, I outline some critical components of Anzaldúa’s two children’s books that were published in 1993 and 1995. This critical analysis of Anzaldúa’s books follows the analytical process illustrated by Mathis. A careful analysis of Friends from the Other Side/Amigos del Otro Lado and Prietita the Ghost Woman/Prietita y La Llorona resulted in the identification of three overarching themes across both storybooks. These themes speak to the decolonial nature of resistant traditions in the RGV as a vehicle for cultural and linguistic sustainability. By harnessing other knowledge and other perspectives on what constitutes knowledge, students in the region can bring more of their experiences into the classroom as leverage for engaging with other systems of knowledge.
