Offering a dialogue about Latino demographic change in the U.S. and its intersections with P–20 education, US Latinization provides discussions that help move beyond the idea that Mexican and Spanish (language) are synonyms. This nativist logic has caused “Mexican rooms” to re-emerge in the form of English to Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, transitional programs, tagging Latinos as “Limited English Proficient” in ways that contribute to persisting educational gaps.
Spencer Salas and Pedro R. Portes bring together voices that address the social and geographical nature of achievement and that serve as a resource for educational leaders and policy makers.
Salas is associate professor of middle, secondary and K–12 education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. At the University of Georgia, Portes is professor and holder of the Goizueta Foundation Distinguished Chair in Latin Teacher Education and executive director of the Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education.
