Abstract
Migration has reached crisis levels around the world, with communities struggling to resettle and support increasing numbers of newly-arrived individuals. Adult language and literacy education can empower immigrants to reclaim their voices as they acculturate to their new home. Using qualitative methods of narrative inquiry, this contribution demonstrates the value of an integrated reading-writing approach to English language and literacy tutoring with four, immigrant women attending an urban, adult education center in the northeastern United States. Based on in-depth interviews with each student and over 120 written texts they produced over 2 years, this chapter weaves together the women’s voices –their journeys, aspirations, and reactions to global social justice issues addressed through reading and writing instruction. Their stories, organized around the themes of immigration, language, identity, education, and writing, reflect change and adaptation, resilience, and hope, as the women are empowered through their participation in a reading-writing community.
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The author is deeply grateful to the participants for their openness in sharing their stories and their dedication to learning and personal growth. Many thanks also to Stephanie Ridge for her assistance with interview transcription and data processing.
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Danzak, R.L. (2020). (Re)Constructing Voices: Immigrant Women Read and Write for Social Justice and Themselves. In: Alves, R.A., Limpo, T., Joshi, R.M. (eds) Reading-Writing Connections. Literacy Studies, vol 19. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38811-9_9
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