Involving Parents in Dual Language Education: Mamas Con Poder
Xochtil Oseguera is an incredible leader in the dual language community. She serves as the Campaign Director of the Spanish language Program of MomsRising, named MamásConPoder, and is an advocate for the dual language community.
Developed in 2006, MomsRising is an online grassroots organization helping to build a community where businesses and families can thrive; they aim to promote and increase family economic security, as well as decrease the discrimination against mothers and women. The members of MomsRising speak out to improve public policy to change pressing matters to improve the wellbeing of families in America, including immigration policy reform, criminal justice reform, and gun safety.
Oseguera started to volunteer with MomsRising in 2011. Three years later, MomsRising launched MamásConPoder.org in response to their growing demand for a Spanish language community.
Oseguera and her team organize Latina mothers to take action on the issues of importance to their families, including immigration reform, paid family leave, affordable and high-quality childcare, access to healthy food, gun safety, and fair pay for mothers.
The leaders of MomsRising and MamásConPoder will send any stories, messages, and signatures collected to policy-makers and political leaders, be it in the White House, Congress, of business office.
In addition, Oseguera has managed SpanglishBay social media, as well as helped kickstart Escuela Bilingüe Internacional. She became interested in bilingual education after the birth of her first child. A group of parents and her had sat down to brainstorm about a bilingual school, and from that meeting Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (ebinternacional.org) was formed.
Continue to the next page to learn more about Xochtil Oseguera
Oseguera believes that the creation of a multilingual world can help individuals better understand people of other backgrounds and have an increased respect for other cultures. This can develop at a young age through bilingual education. According to Oseguera, it is so important for children to learn other languages to be able to not only develop empathy, but also to compete in a global economy.
Additionally, Oseguera hopes that parents will stop being apprehensive about a bilingual education; it has been proven that students in dual language programs do not get behind in their studies.
As a parent, she has seen her children thrive in dual language programs and has noticed that they have become more comfortable in the way they interact with others.
Balancing motherhood and a career can be difficult at times, but Oseguera sets realistic goals and works hard to keep herself balanced. Her biggest piece of advice for other women whom are hoping to have a successful career while being a loving mother is to not strive for perfection and take it one day at a time, while enjoying the little moments.
I am a Parent Community Rep. at one of the LAUSD schools. I would like to know how can we start a relationship with our families, especially our moms to gain such an amazing treat. By either, presentations or workshops with sessions were their ideas, voices, interest, and to empower them to embrace who they already are as Campeonas moms.
Let me know if this is something possible and FREE or charge.