The Latinization of Indigenous Students: Erasing Identity and Restricting Opportunity at School

Based upon research in rural central Florida, The Latinization of Indigenous Students examines how schools perceive and process demographic information, including how those perceptions may erase Indigeneity and impact resource access. Based on multiyear fieldwork, Campbell-Montalvo argues that languages and racial identities of Indigenous Latinx students and families may be re-formed by schools, erasing Indigeneity. However, programs such as the federally funded Migrant Education Program can foster equitable access by encouraging pedagogies that position teachers as cultural insiders or learners. Anchored by pertinent anthropological theories, this work advances our ability to name and explain pedagogical phenomena and their role in rectifying or reproducing colonialism among marginalized and minoritized groups.