Dis-connections in “American” Citizenship and the Post/neo-colonial: People of Mexican Descent and Whitestream2 Pedagogy and Curriculum

In efforts to create “good” and “responsible” citizens, social educators have sought solutions (assimilation, acculturation, etc.) to the “problem” of racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity in U.S. society (Houser & Kuzmic, 2001). The “greater good” of this neo-colonial endeavor often focuses on maintaining the privileges of the white, upper middle class, whose cultural capital is the model of its hegemonic social normality (Cary, 2001). This article uses a postcolonial and cultural studies lens to challenge this denial of connected citizenship to historically colonized, subaltern groups in U.S. society, since being “American” has historically implied and still implicitly implies being “white” (Ladson- Billings, 2004). The main focus of this article is on Chicana/o educators as they reflect on their K-12 social studies experiences and how these experiences shaped their notions of their citizenship status in U.S. society. The narratives reveal an unequal, denied, racialized, and disconnected membership in U.S. society. The article concludes by examining the implications of this study for current and future practices of social and citizenship education.