Tales of (Under)Representation: Afro-Latinx in Spanish as a Heritage Language Textbooks

Abstract: The present study examines the lack of representation of minority communities in the existing literature by examining the representation of Afro-Latinxs in texts and visuals in seven Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) textbooks, and the ideologies behind these representations. Drawing upon Norman Fairclough's (1995) model for conducting Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen's (2001, 2006) grammar of visual design, this current study analyzes text (readings, descriptions, labels, among others) and visuals (people, pictures, buildings, artifacts, among others) in these textbooks. The findings suggest that Afro-Latinx are hardly represented in SHL textbooks. There were only 38 textual representations in the seven SHL textbooks examined and only 18 images clearly referencing Afro-Latinx. This underrepresentation is in line with the ideology of erasure. In addition, ideologies of collectivization and tourism discourse were found throughout the textbooks analyzed. The present study's findings confirm the invisibility of Afro-Latinx in educational discourse and emphasizes the need to examine representations in Spanish language textbooks and teaching materials.