Spanish So White: Conversations on the Inconvenient Racism of a ‘Foreign’ Language Education

Explicit discussions of race and racial identity have traditionally been omitted from Spanish language education in the US - especially in curricula designed for imagined ‘native’ speakers of English. Consequences of this de-racialization of Spanish language learning include the perpetuation of institutional racisms and missed opportunities to build productive conversations about the ways race and power are enacted through language. Spanish So White is written specifically for secondary and post-secondary teachers who identify as White and second language learners of Spanish. It supports the development of language education that centers a racially dynamic Spanish-speaking world and challenges interpersonal and institutional forms of racism. Author Adam Schwartz shares stories of his own socialization into Whiteness and Spanish-English bilingualism. He invites readers into the work of reconciling privileges they too may share as White Spanish-language learners and teachers.