Learning from las maestras: experienced teacher activists who remain in the classroom

An ethnographic research study was conducted with seven Chicana activist teachers in a large metropolitan area in California to investigate the strategies they employed to remain teaching in urban classrooms. Results showed they sought out colleagues with a common ideological framework and who shared their borderlands identity. In addition, they created networks among other Chicanos/Latinos, and enacted their identity and activism within their classrooms to precipitate social change for their students and families. These experienced activist teachers gave advice to new teacher activists to help them stay in the classroom where their work is about changing the face of education for Latino children.