This dissertation study explores a young Japanese heritage language speaker's learning process of formal writing in Japanese. With a rapid increase in immigrants into the U.S. and growing importance of diversity, many researchers have shown interest in immigrant children, i.e., heritage speakers, from educational and research perspectives and have…

Indigenous people of the world fight to maintain our lifeways, culture, and more specifically our languages. Speakers have endured waves of violence and persecution and in the face of that still fought to preserve and bring back languages. Language loss has been observed by communities and linguists and each figures out ways to document and…

In the face of shifting student demographics and persistent disparities in educational outcomes, school leaders are tasked with meeting the diverse needs of their student populations. Recent emphasis on equity initiatives has redefined the role of school leaders, necessitating a deeper understanding of culturally and linguistically sustaining…

The creation of "universidades interculturales" (intercultural universities, UIs) in Mexico at the start of the 21st century was not only a policy response to the need for more accessible higher education for historically underrepresented students, but also to the call for more culturally and linguistically relevant education and…

My study aimed to explore the phenomenon of the deterioration of culture and language in an indigenous population due to the establishment of large development projects. I focused on the historical displacement and forced relocation faced by the Nubian population in Egypt as an example. My study highlighted the role of women in preserving the…

Recent studies have projected that by the end of this century between half and up to 95% of the linguistic diversity in the world will disappear or become severely endangered. In the last four decades, the Latin American region, home to more than 500 Indigenous languages, has introduced intercultural bilingual education policies aimed at…

Often, teachers enter a community in which they are considered the "Outsiders" and are tasked with learning and teaching about the "Other." This qualitative case study focused on how K-12 Hawai'i Department of Education public school teachers, from backgrounds different from their diverse learners changed their perspectives and…

This dissertation explores innovative approaches to preserving and revitalizing the linguistic and cultural heritage of Mayan-speaking youth of Guatemalan descent in rural Nebraska. It delves into the intersection of technology, artistic expression, and cultural practices, emphasizing the revitalization of Mayan languages in Abya Yala (the…

This study provides insight on heritage language to Greek Americans. At an important juncture of acculturation in the United States, Greek Americans risk losing their rich cultural ancestry and language to assimilate fully as Americans. A survey at a national scale was conducted with adult Greek Americans (n=1652) from all 50 states. It was…

A qualitative research with multiple methods, which investigates the phenomena of language shift and sustainment it of one Dine´ family. A Dine´ father was interviewed. The mother tongue should still be use at home however, the Navajo language is taught at school. I spent eighty plus hours interviewing the Dine´ father. I spent countless hours of…

The dissertation focuses on the Chinese literacy experiences of different generations of Thai Chinese families in Thailand, spanning periods characterized by varying ideologies toward the Chinese language, which have either constrained or facilitated its acquisition. This qualitative work examines how evolving national policies and international…

A critical component of resilience for many Native American communities is their ability to sustain their culture and identity through deep connections with homelands, Native language, ceremonial practices, and tribal communities. Native American youth living off of tribal lands, often in urban regions, are faced with unique pressure to negotiate…

This ethnographic study examines the Lipan Apache ("Ndé") Tribe of Texas powwow as a curriculum of culture(s) and a pedagogy of place through which culture is preserved, performed, transmitted, and transformed. Integrating both emic (insider) and etic (outsider) perspectives, I combine personal experiences as a Lipan Apache tribal member…

Immigrant parents are being challenged in several different ways to maintain their heritage language (HL) in the United States. Majority White, affluent communities are one of the many complex language ecologies that exist across the variety of U.S. societies. The research setting of this study, Southern California, is one of the wealthiest…

This dissertation focuses on the racialization of graduate international Black African collegians (IBAC) and the effects it has on their racial identity development. The intercentricity of race maintains that race is a defining factor for how one is situated in US society. However, many international students do not come from communities…