CCCC 2005: ReviewReview: F.34 Literate Practices/Language Practices: What Do We Really Know about Our Students? Dr. Isabel Araiza, a sociologist, described the survey done of 470 first-year students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Students identified their own race including 279 white, 182 Hispanic, and 9 other. The surveys were administered in a freshman seminar course and collected sociodemographic data, school and family cultural activities, English oriented academic activities and 64 indicators of language and literate practices. The results were surprising, given the rhetoric of “at risk” students that surround Hispanic serving institutions. The survey found that 56% of Hispanic students use no Spanish in any of their literate practices and only one student used Spanish or Tex-Mex more than 50% of the time. The literate practices engaged in by Tex –Mex and Spanish speakers were negligible different on all but 12 indicators. Isabel concluded by reiterating that whether TAMUCC’s freshman students were White or Hispanic they tend to have modest exposure to cultural events, parents with limited college, and similar experiences in public high schools. Isabel concluded that TAMUCC’s freshman students were all equally “at risk.” Dr. Susan Loudermilk spoke about the implications such a study might have on a program like TAMUCC’s where the “at risk “discourse is prevalent among faculty members who may or may not be familiar with the students. She quoted widely from a 2004 Paper published by the Pew Hispanic Center entitled “Federal Policy and Latinos in Higher Education.” Dr. Loudermilk indicated that the report said that Hispanics were more likely to go to local institutions, work while attending college, be the first in their families to attend college, maintain a low income and have little academic preparation. The Pew paper also indicates that over 50% of Hispanic students are in schools in California and Texas. While there is a concentration of Hispanic research in Texas, it focuses mainly on the Rio Grande Valley. So, given this description, concerned well intentioned Professors and instructors may alienate and even potentially interfere with students learning if they assume that Hispanic students are culturally different from white student in the first-year program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Dr. Loudermilk cautioned that if teachers were not aware of their student population even critical teachers may accidentally set up alienating and oppressive conditions. Humberto (Tito) Cardenas, an MA Student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, concluded the panel with a description of what it was like to teach at two Hispanic serving institutions. The first was a secondary school in Laredo where he had to focus more on traditional reading and writing literate practices. He contrasts this with his experience as a first-year composition instructor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Tito, having been inculcated into thinking of Hispanic students as inordinately at-risk, thought that he would be expected to teach “basic” writing and reading literacies. However, because not all Hispanic serving institutions serve a demographically similar student body, Tito was able to expand the literacy practices of his classroom. The presentations were followed by vigorous discussion among the attendees. Most pressingly, the applicability of this study that found Hispanics and Whites to be on more or less equal footing in TAMUCC’s first-year program may not be generalizable. Further, it was brought up, that this equivalency may show that the school attracts only a certain demographic of Hispanic students who can imitate White literacies. |
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