ABSTRACT
Using a translanguaging framework, we examined the language and literacy practices of racialized, emergent bilingual children in a bilingual (English/Spanish), community-based writing program in urban Philadelphia. Located in South Philly’s Italian Market, the program’s target audience was emergent bilingual, Latinx children who were 7–17 years old. The center offered an afternoon academy program, weekday evening and Saturday morning workshops, and summer writing camps. When we began research at the center in 2015, we noted that despite its bilingual name, the center operated primarily in English. For instance, teachers and volunteers spoke overwhelmingly in English to the children, and the focal texts of lessons and the children’s writing pieces were produced only in English. We were concerned about the apparent lack of bilingualism, and specifically the lack of active use of Spanish at the center. To address this, we approached the center’s director about offering bilingual writing workshops on Saturdays that would model a critical, translanguaging pedagogy. This chapter reports the findings from these workshops.
