“Teníamos Hilo, Teníamos Tela, y Hacíamos Cosas”: Translingual Writing and Making in an Intergenerational Library Workshop

ABSTRACTThis study explores the translingual writing and making practices of bilingual mothers and their children in a library-based storytelling workshop, where writing and language were positioned as two of many materials that could be used to share stories. Situating this work within literature that positions libraries as “pockets of hope” for Latinx families and drawing on qualitative case study methods, we documented how mothers and their children composed multimodal depictions of memories across national borders, remixed media and materials to highlight the present, and shared in ways that resisted monolingual ideologies. Ultimately, we highlight the power and potential of bringing together translingual writing practices and making activities, discussing how, when combined, these perspectives can amplify opportunities for expression and intergenerational learning. We conclude with implications for practice and research.KEYWORDS: Familiesintergenerationallibrariesmakingstorytellingtranslingual writing Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsEmily MachadoEmily Machado is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. Her research explores the teaching and learning of writing in multilingual early childhood learning spaces. A former first grade teacher, she is deeply interested in making classroom spaces more equitable, inclusive, and humanizing for all young children.Grace Cornell GonzalesGrace Cornell Gonzales is a doctoral student in language, literacy, and culture in the College of Education at the University of Washington—Seattle. She has worked as a dual-language elementary teacher, and her research interests include multilingual literacy pedagogies as well as race and equity in dual-language education.Lauren PlitkinsLauren Plitkins is a doctoral student in language, literacy, and culture at the University of Washington—Seattle where she also serves as a community-based research fellow for a nonprofit that works with youth and young adults who have experienced foster care. Her research explores English language learning contexts as sites for enacting linguistic and social justice with immigrant and refugee communities.