ABSTRACT
This chapter is drawn from a larger ethnographic study (Del Valle, 2002) investigating
language and literacy practices in the home and school experiences of three Puerto Rican
families living in two Chicago neighborhoods: Humboldt Park and Logan Square. The
larger project was a topic-focused ethnography following Hymes’ (1974) hierarchical
model for types of ethnographic research. I observed, took field notes, and audiotaped
literacy events as a participant observer in different settings for 4 years, focusing
especially on the high school and the home. My fieldwork was triangulated with native
informants, and I relied additionally on my own experience as a Chicago Puerto Rican to
check the validity and reliability of my observations.
