Hi Irene! Thank you for this reflection! I chose the other reading instead of Herrera and España's chapter, so it was nice to see a glimpse of what that was like. The point on 'own voices' literature and how it can guide or begin discussions on identity by using texts to rethink the notions of deficiency was really interesting. These texts open up space for children from communities experiencing language oppression to write their own creative stories, which is so inspiring. It made me think about how storytelling can empower children and validate their everyday experiences.
Your reflection on the italics debate also reminded me of the video we watched, and I agree. It's fascinating how such a small typographic choice can carry so much ideological weight. It reveals how English-dominant publishing norms subtly mark bilingualism as a deviation from the 'norm'. I think this connects to what you said about curriculum often tokenizing culture through holidays and food. Both are examples of how surface-level inclusion can stop short of actually understanding the culture.
Your personal note about sharing Korean culture through food and holidays was really relatable. Visibility and linguistic affirmation may not align all the time—students might feel culturally celebrated but still linguistically marginalized. It made me think about how educators can create environments where all aspects of students' identities are understood and recognized.
Your reflection on the italics debate also reminded me of the video we watched, and I agree. It's fascinating how such a small typographic choice can carry so much ideological weight. It reveals how English-dominant publishing norms subtly mark bilingualism as a deviation from the 'norm'. I think this connects to what you said about curriculum often tokenizing culture through holidays and food. Both are examples of how surface-level inclusion can stop short of actually understanding the culture.
Your personal note about sharing Korean culture through food and holidays was really relatable. Visibility and linguistic affirmation may not align all the time—students might feel culturally celebrated but still linguistically marginalized. It made me think about how educators can create environments where all aspects of students' identities are understood and recognized.