Our work is based upon data collected from an ongoing training program funded by a Hispanic Serving Higher Education Institution partnership grant, by the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families and administered at California State University San Marcos. In particular, the training program assists teachers in developing and legitimating pedagogical practices that focus on early literacy efforts for bilingual/bicultural students. We introduce mural making by introducing Head Start teachers to the muralists of Chicano Park, Mexican and Chicano musical styles by local musicians, culturally relevant bilingual children’s literature, Chicano history, Chicano and Mexican culture, and many other aspects in the hope of bridging the home culture/school culture divide that places many Latino students at a disadvantage at an early age.
This project, highly aware of the cultural politics of promoting a positive view of Chicano/a culture, is situated in the larger political forces that attempt to impede its full actualization. As racialized minorities take on a numerical majority in urban San Diego, it is the aim of our work to both detail the current attacks on immigrants, language rights, and cultural pluralism, as well as document the substantial progress made by Latina soldaderas-maestras (soldier-teachers) who succeed in imparting culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate knowledge formation to early learners.
After a delineation of the social demographics that relate to the San Diego Head Start population, a historical periodization of Head Start will show how the federal program has had to alter its aims, missions, and directions to ensure continued funding. Our training program on bicultural/bilingual cultural competencies will demonstrate how we view our work, and the work of Head Start teachers in San Diego, as attempts at stemming the tide of anti-Latino, anti-immigrant activities.

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Keywords

• Head Start
• Training
• Bicultural/Bilingual Children
• Pre-School

(60 min. Workshop, English)