<i>“I didn’t even know we had enough history to make a class about us!”:</i> learning from elementary bilingual Latina preservice teachers’ reconceptualization of cultural citizenship in the social studies

Purpose This critical case study focused on how five Latina bilingual preservice teachers reconceptualize citizenship for a more inclusive and robust understanding of citizenship in the teaching of the social studies and asked the question- How do bilingual Latina elementary pre-service teachers conceptualize cultural citizenship in the social studies? The research question was viewed through the theoretical framing of cultural citizenship with an emphasis on reclaiming, as well as LatCrit, with an emphasis on naming systemic and institutional racism, affirming the experiences of Latine and recognizing the vortex and power of intersecting identities, including citizenship status and gender. This article focuses on two themes that emerged from a larger data set analysis of this critical case study which show the challenge of the curriculum as a civic narrative and the participants navigating citizenship as only they astutely can do. This study illustrates the importance of reimaging the civic curriculum to prepare actively engaged participants, and has implications for teacher educators, researchers, teachers and school administrators. Design/methodology/approach Designed as a critical qualitative study (Esposito and Evans-Winters, 2021), five participants were purposefully selected from a bilingual teacher education program at a large university in the Southwest. Data for the study was collected from spring 2021 to fall 2022. The participants participated in semi-structured recorded interviews that focused on their understanding of citizenship/cultural citizenship and their own experiences as learners and student teachers. As the instructor of their bilingual elementary social studies methods course, I also gathered written reflections regarding dominant civic narratives and counter-civic narratives that participants wanted to construct as bilingual classroom teachers. Data analysis followed the coding cycles mapped out by Saldana (2016) with a critical qualitative framing foremost in my chunking, coding, categorizing, theming and findings that emerged through my use of the LatCrit and cultural citizenship frameworks. Findings Two themes emerged from the initial data analysis of a larger data set: the challenge of the curriculum as a civic narrative and the participants navigating citizenship as only they can. Research limitations/implications First, traditional and well-entrenched approaches fail to capture the experiences and knowledge acquired and are essential for Latinx communities. If our role as social studies educators and public schools is to prepare citizens to be actively engaged participants, then crucial changes to the civic curriculum and instruction are needed. Second, the ability of Latinx bilingual preservice teachers to articulate the failure of civic instruction and narrative is further evidence that their experiences and knowledge are tools of resistance and resilience that we cannot ignore. Originality/value There can be no doubt that traditional models of citizenship education as well as marginalizing civic narratives, can no longer withstand the claims to citizenship that are endemic to linguistically and culturally diverse public schools. Standing as “civic guardians,” Latinx teachers and citizenship education and narratives are compelled to create inclusive understandings of belonging and civicness.