Creating spaces for immigrant-origin, linguistically diverse educators: healing through duoethnographic testimonios

In this paper, the authors showcase how they created a sensemaking space for themselves to think and talk through the dissonance they often feel when their roles in education come into conflict with their layered immigrant identities. Through dialectic inquiry, the authors merged duoethnography and testimonios to develop duoethnographic testimonios as a way to collaborate and witness each other's stories and foster transformation. The authors analyzed their duoethnographic testimonios through Gloria Anzaldúa's theorization of nepantla, which lead to the following themes: 1) sensemaking dissonances about meritocracy 2) sensemaking dissonances about language 3) healing through collective sensemaking. The authors conclude by highlighting how a collaborative dialogue centered on linguistic and immigrant identities, experiences, and ways of knowing could offer a path to dismantle external/internal oppressive discourses and ideologies and uncover transformative pedagogical stances.