Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Leadership

First Reader/Committee Chair

Dr. Carmen Beck

Abstract

My testimonio, presented as my dissertation, is a deep and personal reflection on my experiences as an immigrant and multilingual student. I share my story by trenzando—braiding—lived experiences, critical analysis, and relevant research on immigration and trauma, language and identity, and the links between multilingualism and academic success. Through deep reflection and analysis, I draw on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1943), Giles and Johnson’s Ethnolinguistic Identity Theory (1981), and García’s (2009) translanguaging framework to explore the following questions:

  1. How does the oppression of one’s linguistic and cultural practices affect identity development?
  2. How does my story—my testimonio—empower the mother, the daughter, the wife, maestra, and the leader?
  3. What can schools and teachers do to support multilingual students in maintaining their home language and cultural identity?

Chapter One introduces the study, including the problem statement, purpose, and research questions. Chapter Two reviews the literature, theories, and frameworks that inform the study. Chapter Three outlines testimonio as methodology, grounded in resistance and storytelling. Chapter Four presents the findings, illustrating the intersections between research, lived experiences, and critical analysis. Chapter Five concludes with key insights, recommendations for future research, guidance for educational leaders and reform, and a discussion of limitations.

By using testimonio, a methodology that is rooted in resistance, political struggle, and urgent calls for change (Huber & Aguilar-Tinajero, 2024), my dissertation challenges dominant narratives and traditional research methods and offers alternative ways of knowing, thus contributing to the decolonization of educational research.

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