A Book Talk about Spanish So White by Adam Schwartz, Ph.D. 

Summary: Explicit discussions of race and racial identity have traditionally been omitted from Spanish language education in the US – especially in curricula designed for imagined 'native' speakers of English. Consequences of this de-racialization of Spanish language learning include the perpetuation of institutional racisms and missed opportunities to build productive conversations about the ways race and power are enacted through language. Spanish So White supports the development of language education that centers a racially dynamic Spanish-speaking world and challenges interpersonal and institutional forms of racism.Explicit discussions of race and racial identity have traditionally been omitted from Spanish language education in the US – especially in curricula designed for imagined 'native' speakers of English. Consequences of this de-racialization of Spanish language learning include the perpetuation of institutional racisms and missed opportunities to build productive conversations about the ways race and power are enacted through language. Spanish So White supports the development of language education that centers a racially dynamic Spanish-speaking world and challenges interpersonal and institutional forms of racism.

Bio: Dr. Schwartz (Ph.D., University of Arizona) is an associate professor in the School of Language, Culture & Society at Oregon State University. A critical applied linguist, he specializes in Spanish language education in the U.S., and constructions of culture, borders, foreignness, race and privilege in and outside classrooms.

Sponsored by: WFU Departments of Spanish, Linguistics, Education, Anthropology, Latin American and Latino Studies, American Ethnic Studies, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Center for Literacy Education.