Book Review: Latina Leadership: Language and Literacy Education Across Communities by L. Gonzales & M. H. Kells (Eds.)

Abstract

Latina Leadership: Language and Literacy Education Across Communities, edited by Laura Gonzales and Michelle Hall Kells, begins by reminding readers of the stark fact that as of 2016, only 5% of all full-time faculty in U.S. higher education were Latinx. This scarcity of representation in the academy is particularly lacking among Latina leaders whose presence has “long been at the forefront of justice-driven efforts, particularly in relation to education and community engagement” (p. 2). While the term Latina implies a single identity, as the book’s editors and contributors acknowledge, “the ambiguous label Latina often erase[s] Latinas’ histories and the multiplicity of experiences embedded under a single label” (p. 1). The richness and diversity of these experiences are reflected in the structure, content, and style of the book, a beautifully written and unique tribute to the work and contributions of Latinas in the academy. Latina Leadership seeks to “break down the false binary between K-12 and college-level literacy education and foreground the stories and testimonios of Latina leaders navigating the complex and often hostile territory of the US academy and doing the work of language and literacy education across communities” (p. 8). These goals, according to Gonzales and Kells, allow the book to be a creative space for an “intentionally polyvocal” collection of experiences, stories, and expertise (p. 11). The book is organized into three parts, each of which explores a different aspect of mentorship and leadership. Book Review