Research Circle

Our research circle first came together in 2015 to present at the Ethnography in Education Research Forum at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. At this conference, a group of CCATE families and teachers presented family perspectives on home-school communication for Latinx immigrants. Based on this experience the circle co-wrote its first article on the topic of documentation status and schooling, which was published in 2016 in the Journal of Diaspora Indigenous and Minority Education. The Circle formally established itself in 2018 and since then has conducted research to address challenges faced by the Latinx immigrant community and to develop policy interventions and recommendations.

We are a community of researchers that has emerged from the Latinx immigrant community, and  who are conducting dignifying and humanizing community-based research. Together we work towards a better future in which our research will affect public policy, facilitate full access to education for and from the community, and create counter-narratives that challenge the dominant systems that dehumanize our families and other minoritized groups. To achieve these goals, we work collectively with critical perspectives and the commitment to work tirelessly from, with, and for the community.

Somos una comunidad de investigadores que ha surgido de la comunidad de inmigrantes latinos y que estamos realizando investigaciones comunitarias dignificantes y humanizadoras. Juntos trabajamos hacia un futuro mejor en el que nuestra investigación afectará las políticas públicas, facilitará el acceso total a la educación para y desde la comunidad y creará contra narrativas que desafíen los sistemas dominantes que deshumanizan a nuestras familias y otros grupos minoritarios. Para alcanzar estos objetivos, trabajamos en colectividad con lente crítico y compromiso de hacerlo incansablemente desde, con y para la comunidad.

2020:

• “All the Knowledge of the World for and from Everyone,”  CCATE Community-based Participatory Research Circle invited as Featured Speakers at the Ethnography in Education Research Forum, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, February 2020.

2019:

• “The Exploration of New Epistemologies through Participatory Research,” Obed Arango and Holly Link invited as Plenary Speakers, representing CCATE’s Community-based Participatory Research Circle at the Fourth International Colloquium, “Derecho al bienestar humano ética global y educación [Human Rights to Health, Global Ethics and Education], University of Guanajuato, Mexico, November 2019.
• “La vida” y “Sueños” [“Life” and “Dreams”]: Dialogic Arts Pedagogy for New Epistemologies. Presentation by CCATE Teachers and High School Students at the Ethnography in Education Research Forum, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, February 2019.

2018:

• “Walls Down, Knowledge for All: Community Circles for Empowerment.” Presentation by CCATE Community-based Participatory Research Circle at the Tenth Annual Latino Communities Conference, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, September 2018.
• “La vida tiene muchas curvas [Life Has Many Curves]: Contemplating a Translanguaging Praxis.” Presentation by Obed Arango and Holly Link on language pedagogy at CCATE, Annual Conference of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, Chicago, IL, March 2018.
• “Using Your Voice to Affect Change in Your Community.” Presentation by CCATE high school group, Students Today, Leaders Tomorrow, at Norristown Area High School Diversity Day Conference, Norristown, PA, April 2018.

2017:

• “Counterstories from the villa inmigrante,” a participatory research project by CCATE adult reading circle. Paper presentation at the Annual American Anthropologist Association Meeting, Washington, DC, November 2017.
• “Bilingual Community Education in the villa inmigrante,” by Dr. Holly Link. Invited plenary talk on CCATE at the Third International Colloquium, “Derecho al bienestar humano ética global y educación [Human Rights to Health, Global Ethics and Education], University of Guanajuato, Mexico, November 2017.
• “Revolución Arte: Social Transformation in the Villa Inmigrante.” Presentation by high school leadership team, at the Ninth Annual Latino Communities Conference, West Chester University, West Chester, PA, September 2017.
• “Revolución Arte: Social Transformation in the Villa Inmigrante.” Panel presentation by high school leadership team, film class and adult reading circle at the Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, Philadelphia, PA, February 2017.
• “Villa inmigrante,” by Obed Arango. Invited presentation on CCATE at the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom School, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, January 2017.

2016:

• “Building Pathways for Elementary School.” CCATE Research Group invited presentation at Rutgers University Conference, “Building Inclusive Pathways for Undocumented Students” October 2016.
• “Revolución Arte: Researching our Practice as Educators, Parents and Students.” Panel presentation by high school leadership team, writing collective and girls empowerment groups at the Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, Philadelphia, PA, February 2016.

2015:

• “¡Cámara, Acción!.” Presentation of the CCATE film class at the Screening Scholarship Media Festival, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, March 2015.
• “Breaking the Silence: Immigrant Families’ Experiences with Immigration Policies and Schooling.” Panel presentation by CCATE families and scholar, Sarah Gallo, at the Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, Philadelphia, PA, February 2015.