In the article, “Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: A Needed Change in Stance, Terminology, and Practice,” author Django Paris states: “Culturally sustaining pedagogy seeks to perpetuate and foster—to sustain—linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism as part of the democratic project of schooling” (95). In collaboration with Dr. Martinez, as an educator at Niwot High School, Colorado, we plan to present the analysis of Crystina Falero’s lesson plans, a component of her written thesis entitled “10th Grade Literature Curriculum: Ni de aquí ni de allá: Finding Place and Voice in the Latinx Counterstory.” Although Falero’s bilingual website and written thesis include three other Latinx authors, the lesson plans focus on The Poet X by Dominican American writer Elizabeth Acevedo. Documentation of Martinez’s process of delivery perspective and how the curriculum reflects social justice will bring to the forefront the enriching study of Latinx literature; highlighting literature and author that have been historically underrepresented in the US education system and classroom curricula. Falero’s lesson design will be presented as it relates to social justice and the research produced under the umbrella of “cultural connectedness” (95) ensuring the fluidity of embracing language and culture, in this case, Latinx literature and culture, more specifically, U.S. Dominican.
Funded by Social Justice Research Center, the project “Ni de aquí ni de allá/Neither From Here Nor There: Finding Place and Voice in the Latinx Counterstory: 10 Grade Literature Curriculum Unit 2” supports the culturally sustaining pedagogy, the multiethnic, multilingual and additionally includes the various places where one belongs, including the space of “Ni de aquí ni de allá,” (Neither from here nor there) a theme in Latinx literature.