I really enjoyed reading Shang’s work, but what stuck out most to me was the structure she used to write about her experience in the Spanish classroom in chapter 3. Like other ethnographies we have read so far, she gave a detailed firsthand account of her experience. However, what I felt set her apart was the fact that she intertwined lessons and historical context within these accounts. There was less separation between her observations and arguments, making both all the more salient. Additionally, the more casual nature of this writing made it much easier to follow and digest. The way that she narrates the students’ voices really brings them to life and gives a better picture of the environment in which she was working.
I also found the conversation surrounding education and incarceration very interesting. The following quote specifically really made me reflect on everything I know about education and race: “The first strike against Black children does not happen at the moment of arrest, but rather enrollment into an educational system designed to depoliticize Black rage and criminalize Black joy.” I think education is often romanticized as the key opportunity to break out of poverty and provide a chance for upward mobility. However, higher education is not for everyone, and I think that should be normalized. Sometimes it is more beneficial to enter a trade profession rather than go into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.
The main question that comes to mind for me after reading this work is: how does Shang’s identity as an educator at the school inform her research? Is she biased because she is so close to the environment, or does this provide a greater level of understanding?