ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the intersections among language, literacy, and culture, and what these intersections have meant for the author personally, and what they can mean for students who have been marginalized, neglected, or made invisible by traditional understandings of the role of education. It explores a number of these tenets, illustrating them with examples from the author's own experiences to demonstrate why a sociocultural and socio-political perspective is invaluable in uncovering some of the tensions and dilemmas of schooling and diversity. The school was a sad place, with angry and disenchanted students, and tired and burned-out teachers, some of whom were racist and dismissive of the students. At the Bilingual School, language and culture were cherished and affirmed, and they had equal status with English and mainstream American culture. Hegemonic language policies are not limited to feeling pride or shame about one's language. Hegemony goes much deeper than personal idiosyncrasies: it can keep people in positions of subservience and powerlessness.
