Bilingual, Biliterate, and Bicultural: Dual Language in Westside Schools

Bilingual, Biliterate, and Bicultural

Dual Language in Westside Schools

Meghann M. Peace and Yamilet Munoz

Dual language programs, in which classes are given in English and Spanish, have exploded in popularity within San Antonio. In the school districts of the historically Mexican American Westside, there are 23 dual language programs, ranging from early childhood to high school, and including Washington Irving Academy, an entirely dual language campus (EISD, 2019; SAISD, 2021).

Dual language programs seek to promote bilingualism, biliteracy, biculturalism, and high academic achievement, and to empower students by recognizing their cultural identity (e.g., Malik, 2019; SAISD, 2019). The idea of empowerment is essential, as U.S. Spanish speakers suffer from insecurity. While they believe their language is an important part of their identity, they also tend to see it as deficient, incorrect, and useless outside of the family (e.g., George & Peace, 2019; Villa, 2003; Zentella, 2007).

This project presents the story of Spanish on the Westside, its diminishing over time, how the school system historically limited its reach, and how schools today are fighting to give it a place of importance in society. Included are articles, statistics, and interviews with multiple generations of Westside residents and students. We showcase the great work that dual language programs do and encourage other educators to recognize their students’ culture, identity, and language.

To view the research above on a larger page, check out this link.

The Effect of the Housing Crisis on Westside Community Health: A Focus on Historical and Present-Day Epidemics/Pandemics

The Effect of the Housing Crisis on Westside Community Health

A Focus on Historical and Present-Day Epidemics/Pandemics

Sue Nash and Angely Noriega Baron


The Effect of the Housing Crisis on Westside Community Health:
A focus on historical and present-day epidemics/pandemics

San Antonio’s Westside boasts one of the oldest public housing developments built between 1939 and 1942, the Alazán-Apache courts. The Westside, due to redlining, is made up of predominantly Hispanics (93%) who are of lower socioeconomic status (40% poverty rate). Residents in the past were vulnerable to disease due to poor public health infrastructure. For example, Westside neighborhoods lacked clean water and adequate sewage system. These were breeding grounds for disease. Deplorable living conditions made it more likely for residents to contract various diseases.

San Antonio, has experienced its fair share of outbreaks. In 1849 San Antonio witnessed a cholera outbreak which resulted in approximately 600 deaths. Lack of adequate health care contributed to the high death count. In 1866, another cholera outbreak resulted in 292 deaths. This prompted the city to consider its infrastructure and implement ways to remove and drain stagnant water. In 1913, San Antonio’s Fourth Ward Health Auxiliary recognized the impact of poor sanitation and worked with city council to put measures in place for garbage disposal. In 1939 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt commented on the high tuberculosis rates in San Antonio and the need for public housing which initiated the building of the Alazán-Apache courts. In 1946 San Antonio experienced the polio epidemic and in 1970 a diphtheria outbreak. Many of the cases of the diphtheria outbreak were in the poorer Mexican American neighborhoods. The high infection and death rates were a result of inadequate public health infrastructure.

Poor Mexican American neighborhoods, including San Antonio’s Westside, have experienced several public health crises. Many of these crises are due to poor housing conditions. A past and present burden on Westside communities is the shortage of affordable housing. As it was with past epidemics, today, with talk of demolishing Alazán-Apache courts, it means, many Westside citizens may find themselves displaced from their communities. The stress of displacement often leads to social problems such as: depression, drug abuse and increased risk of teen pregnancies. It also highlights how housing policies contribute to racial segregation and social inequalities. Continued research focuses on how social interventions (eg. housing) may alleviate or exacerbate inequalities in the way people experience epidemics.


Westside Stories: A Virtual Platform to Showcase the Research of the Westside San Antonio Humanities Project

Westside Stories

A Virtual Platform to Showcase the Research of the Westside San Antonio Humanities Project

Amanda Hill and Student-Filmmakers

Abstract

The Westside Stories documentary filmmaking project was completed in Spring 2019 to fulfill the requirements for the undergraduate course, Media Production II. The students in this course creating documentary films about business owners and employees on San Antonio’s Westside. The upper division course included eight students, seven of whom completed a Westside Stories documentary.

The project intended to teach students the practical skills of creating short documentary films such as interviewing, sound and video recording, and audio-visual editing; work with community partners to create narratives; grow the connection between St. Mary’s University and the immediate Westside San Antonio community; and help students hone their ability to listen for and to diverse stories, and create an understanding of the value of vernacular, everyday stories, and the specific stories of the people within this community.

Student Filmmakers


Videos


Map

The map above can be understood by using the color key below. Click on the map above to see the location of the videos and select the following buttons to see the video.

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