Interview with Cynthia Bredenberg
Dublin Core
Title
Description
Conducted by Lindley Andrew, an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this interview explores Bredenberg’s fifteen-year experience working in a predominantly Latinx school. The conversation highlights demographic shifts, socio-economic challenges, and the struggles faced by her immigrant students, including financial instability, housing insecurity, and limited access to higher education.
Navigating the New Latino South
The interview was created as part of a broader academic project to document migration experiences in North Carolina. It provides valuable insights into the intersection of migration, education, and community support in the U.S. South. Bredenberg also describes the role of community organizations, such as El Vínculo Hispano, in supporting migrant families and the grassroots efforts educators take to help their students. These grassroots efforts include personal mentorship from teachers, connecting students with scholarships and local organizations, and direct advocacy for bilingual education programs.
The interview serves as a firsthand account of how migration policies, public perceptions, and economic conditions shape educational experiences. It was primarily created for an academic audience, including researchers, educators, and policymakers interested in understanding Latinx migration experiences in the South.
Personal Narratives & Historical Parallels
This primary source is valuable for understanding the educational challenges faced by Latinx immigrant students in the U.S. South. It provides qualitative evidence of how migration impacts students' educational trajectories, mental health, and access to resources. The firsthand perspective of an educator working directly with immigrant students offers insights that statistical reports often lack.
The challenges faced by Latinx students today mirror past migration waves in the U.S. The early 20th-century experiences of Eastern European and Italian immigrants, who faced language barriers and were often tracked into low-wage jobs, parallel Latinx students' struggles with bilingual education and limited access to higher education. Similarly, the Great Migration of African Americans saw systemic segregation and limited resources in schools, challenges that continue to impact Latinx students in new destination states.
This source reinforces the argument that schools either facilitate or obstruct migrant students’ success. The interview offers concrete examples of grassroots efforts and systemic challenges, contributing to discussions on racialization, identity formation, and bilingual education policies.
Future research questions may include: How do migration patterns in North Carolina compare to other southern states? What are the long-term effects of bilingual education on Latino students? How can policies better support mixed-status families? This source provides essential context for understanding migration’s impact on education in the "Migrant South."
Further Readings
Wainer, Andrew. The New Latino South and the Challenge to American Public Education. International Migration, Vol. 44, No. 5, 2006, pp. 129-163. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2435.2006.00389.x.
Weiner highlights how rapid Latino migration in North Carolina strained public schools, leading to segregation and resource disparities. These findings align with Bredenberg’s reflections on financial burdens and limited support systems for immigrant students.
Portales, Rita, and Marco Portales. Quality Education for Latinos and Latinas: Print and Oral Skills for All Students, K-College. University of Texas Press, 2005.
Additionally, Rita and Marco Portales' book, Quality Education for Latinos and Latinas, underscores systemic barriers in public schools, such as the lack of culturally competent educators and limited access to advanced coursework. Without targeted interventions like bilingual education and culturally relevant curricula, disparities in achievement will persist.
Hamann, Edmund T., Stanton Wortham, and Enrique G. Murillo Jr., eds. Education in the New Latino Diaspora: Policy and the Politics of Identity. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2001.
Chapters from Education in the New Latino Diaspora: Policy and the Politics of Identity further examine migration and education policies in new destination states. This book highlights schools' struggles to accommodate Latino students due to insufficient bilingual support. Hamann discusses bilingual education politics in Georgia and tensions between assimilation and dual-language programs.