Racist and Raciolinguistic Teacher Ideologies: When Bilingual Education is “Inherently Culturally Relevant” for Latinxs

Abstract Many schools attempt to address the needs of “English-language learners,” who usually are Spanish-dominant Latinxs, by offering dual-language (DL) bilingual education. While undertaking a larger ethnographic study one such secondary-level program, I examined how teachers understood program as equitable for Latinxs. found that believed DL met Latinxs’ providing Spanish-language/biliteracy schooling, which deemphasized need explicitly enhancing youths’ critical consciousness. This teacher ideology assuming is “ inherently culturally relevant ” led significant issues. For example, would improve academic achievement, but when perceived Latinx achievement was not on par with White students’ outcomes, made sense underperformance in through racist explanations and did interrogate program’s cultural relevance. Specifically, pointed Latinxs needed Spanish input even though students self-identified were “Spanish-dominant” students, familial deficits. argue overlooked critical-racial consciousness an important component Implications include cultivate their consciousness, raciolinguistic ideologies, define centering