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Conocimiento as a Framework: Promoting a Culturally Affirming Identity Development for Latinx Engineers

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Page Count

6

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42064

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42064

Download Count

358

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Paper Authors

biography

Joel Mejia The University of Texas at San Antonio

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Dr. Joel Alejandro (Alex) Mejia is an Associate Professor with joint appointment in the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies at The University of Texas at San Antonio. His current work seeks to analyze and describe the assets, tensions, contradictions, and cultural collisions many Latino/a/x students experience in engineering through testimonios. He is particularly interested in approaches that contribute to a more expansive understanding of engineering in sociocultural contexts, the impact of critical consciousness in engineering practice, and the development and implementation of culturally responsive pedagogies in engineering education. He received the NSF CAREER Award for his work on conocimiento in engineering spaces.

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Abstract

This study proposes to use Anzaldúa’s seven stage theory of conocimiento as a lens and set of concepts to explore the narratives of Latino/a/x engineers. The theory’s overall purpose is to describe a process where lived experiences, identities, and interactions can generate new understandings of the sociopolitical realities surrounding the individual. This framework positions Latinos/as/xs as those who not only live between worlds, but as individuals who have the capacity to help others caught between worlds to create their own bridges for wholeness and agency. The goal of this project is to explore how Latinos/as/xs navigate the world of engineering while also making sense of it, as well as describing the discrepancies that exist between the narrative of "equity and access" and the reality created by dominant discourses.

Mejia, J. (2022, August), Conocimiento as a Framework: Promoting a Culturally Affirming Identity Development for Latinx Engineers Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--42064

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