The Moral Ethic of Cariño for Justice and Equity: Amplifying the Voices of Immigrant-Origin Youth through Critical Literacy

Abstract

Supportive, respectful teacher–student interactions are essential to a positive learning environment for linguistically and culturally diverse students. In this article, I focus on one case from a larger study that examined the teaching practices and perspectives of four secondary teachers of immigrant-origin students of generation 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0. In this article, I explore the teaching practices that shape the case of Mr. Sparks, a Social Science teacher at Dreamers High. I describe the practices and perspectives that inform Mr. Sparks’ pedagogical approach to teaching critical literacy and the ways in which it facilitated students’ ability to articulate their connections to critical sociopolitical issues. Using case study and reconstructive discourse analysis, this study's findings highlight how one teacher's perspectives of students shaped immigrant-origin students’ critical literacy practices; the importance of including student voices in curriculum design; and how one teacher crafted critical literacy units centered on advancing equity and justice beyond the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. My data analysis revealed that a moral ethic of cariño emerges at the intersection of the teacher’s practices and perspectives, demonstrating the critical role that teachers play in honoring students’ lived experiences.