This session discusses advocating for cultural empowerment of bilingual students. It focuses on how cultural wealth and funds of knowledge from diverse cultures, particularly Hawaiian and Hispanic cultures, can be used as an asset to build agency and empowerment. These cultures influence language, literacy, and learning. The presentation explores parallels between Hawaiian and Hispanic cultures in how students use cultural influences to mediate their learning both inside and outside the classroom. It discusses defining bilingual, English language learners, and discusses culturally responsive pedagogical practices to reflect cultural awareness and sensitivity of diverse students. Specific examples of how Hawaiian and Hispanic cultures shape identity and literacy through practices like hula dancing, surfing, cooking, and storytelling are also provided.

1. Advocating for Cultural Empowerment of Bilingual
Students: Building Bridges Across Learning,
Language and Literacy
DR. ISELA ALMAGUER
UTRGV
National Social Science Association Conference 2020
Virtual
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2. Description of
session
This session will focus impact of cultural wealth
and funds of knowledge should be used as an
asset to build agency and empowerment across
diverse cultures – in particular the Hawaiian and
Hispanic cultures - along with its manifestations
and its multidimensional implications on
language, literacy and learning in our
multicultural world.
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3. Parallels
There are many parallels that exist between
the Hawaiian and Hispanic cultures, language
and literacy and how students use these
components to mediate their learning.
This session will explore how students use their
cultural influence to mediate their learning in
and out of the formal classroom setting.
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4. Texas Definition of
BLs/ELs/DLL s
The increase in linguistic diversity in the US population is linked to
growing education challenges. Our nation is rapidly becoming
increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse as an estimated
one in five children now live in homes in which a language other than
English is spoken.
The proportion of dual language learning (DLL) students in the United
States from homes where a non-English language is spoken is
projected to nearly double from 21% in 2009 to 40% in 2030; the
majority of them come from primarily Spanish- speaking homes 71%
(National Center for Education Statistics, 2010; Thomas & Collier,
2002).
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5. Hispanic & Native Hawaiian Parallels
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The Hawaiian people are the
majority of the island’s
population; however, just as in
many states, including Texas,
the majority (ELs) are identified
as a sub-group in the schools.
There are suggestions that it
takes only one generation for a
language to become extinct.

6. Hawaiian State
DoE
The statewide English Language Learner (ELL) Program
ensures students with limited English proficiency
(1) have access to educational opportunities by providing
services that assist these students with the attainment of
English language proficiency,
(2) develop high levels of academic attainment in English;
and
(3) meet the same challenging State academic content and
student achievement standards all students are expected to
meet.
Services to ELL Program students include instructional
services consisting of English as a Second Language (ESL)
type instruction and acculturation activities (Hawaiian State
Department of Education, 2016).
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7. Definition of culture
Understanding Culture
“Culture is always a collective phenomenon, because it is
at least partly shared with people who live or lived
within the same social environment, which is where it
was learned. Culture consists of the unwritten rules of
the social game. It is the collective programming of the
mind that distinguishes the members of one group or
category of people from others” (Hofstede and Hofstede,
2005, p. 4).
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8. What impact does
culture have on literacy?
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9. Using
Cultural
Resources to
Mediate
Learning
Hawaiian
Culture
Hispanic
Culture
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10. Let’s look at
how we
develop life
literacies…
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11. Culture forms a person’s
identity-Hawaiian culture
Culturally Responsive Pedagogical Practices in Education -
practices are needed to reflect a cultural awareness and
cultural sensitivity of an increasingly diverse student
population
Importance of connecting to student’s cross-cultural life
outside of school, such as:
Hula Dancing – as a means to ‘talk story’ as a way of
telling a story to teach about life and customs, religious
and ceremonial occasions
Surfing – part of culture, history and way of life –
historical rugged boards carved out of koa wood – 1,000
years ago with the immigration of the Polynesian people
from Sumatra in Indonesia – stand up paddle boarding
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12. Culture forms a person’s
identity-Hispanic culture
Culturally Responsive Pedagogical Practices in Education -
practices are needed to reflect a cultural awareness and
cultural sensitivity of an increasingly diverse student
population
Importance of connecting to students’ cross-cultural life
outside of school, such as:
Cooking – recipes passed down throughout generations
with specific details about ‘process’ involved – making
tamales- Remedios caseros – home remedies to cure
ailments homeopathically – using the egg to ward off evil
Dichos – Pearls of Wisdom passed down through elders,
for example: When you spoke evil or spread gossip of
others: "El que escupe para arriba, en la cara le cae." -
When you spit into the air, spit will fall in your face.
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