Papers by Eugene Fujimoto
Centering Youth, Family, and Community in School Leadership, Aug 18, 2022
This study examined the development of student voice of a highly diverse group of graduate studen... more This study examined the development of student voice of a highly diverse group of graduate students as they were affected by evolving historical consciousness and social identities. What is the relevance of students learning the history and purposes of education while reflecting on their own personal experiences and beliefs toward understanding their social identities? How did this development of their social identities influence Master's degree students' voices and learning to be transformative, social justice-oriented leaders in higher education student affairs? Using narrative analysis as a methodology, this paper scrutinized student writings to answer these questions. Findings reflected the relevance of historical consciousness and understanding of salient and intersecting identities in beginning to develop critical consciousness (Freire, 1973). There were further indications of the students drawing connections between critical consciousness and being social justice-orie...
The Urban Review, 2014
Latino students are significantly underrepresented in higher education. As the largest and fastes... more Latino students are significantly underrepresented in higher education. As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic population in the US, this is cause for national concern. Additionally, this rapid population growth is a call for community and school leaders from underserved communities to assess their service areas and focus on interventions to increase the college-going rates of youth. Maywood is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles. Like many other urban areas, Maywood's largely Latino population is underrepresented in higher education. This research focused on interviewing Maywood's community and school leaders (n = 24) to gain insight into their perceptions of their role and responsibility to address issues surrounding their community's low levels of educational attainment. A key theme emerged revealing that leaders understand their community's educational issues but do not see their role as leaders to directly address this issue to build a college-going culture. Implications for practice in strengthening community partnerships and developing a college-going culture are provided and a series of recommendations for the creation of a college-going culture are discussed.
As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country, Latin @ educational succes... more As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country, Latin @ educational success is a national priority. In the Los Angeles Unifi ed School district, the country’s largest, high school graduation rates for Latin@s hover at near 40%. Examining this institutional and societal tragedy through the school-to-prison pipeline has yielded crucial insights. Less understood are alternatives to the school-to-prison pipeline and the vital role of educational leaders. This qualitative study of principals and counselors in Southeast Los Angeles schools asks: What is the relationship between the ‘school-to-prison pipeline ’ and the lacking of a ‘college going culture ’ in underserved communities? How do educational leaders perceive their role in creating a “college-going culture” in largely underserved, under-resourced communities? Among the fi ndings is the continued existence of defi cit explanations of school failure and the need for school-community partnerships to move towar...
Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 2013
As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country, Latin@ educational success... more As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country, Latin@ educational success is a national priority. In the Los Angeles Unified School district, the country's largest, high school graduating rates for Latin@s hover at near 40%. Examining this institutional and societal tragedy through the school-to-prison pipeline has yielded crucial insights. Less understood are alternatives to the school-to-prison pipeline and the vital role of educational leaders. This qualitative study of principals and counselors in Southeast Los Angeles schools asks: What is the relationship between the ‘school-to-prison pipeline’ and the lacking of a ‘college going culture’ in underserved communities? How do educational leaders perceive their role in creating a “college-going culture” in largely underserved, ender-resourced communities? Among the findings is the continued existence of deficit explanations of school failure and the need for school-community partnerships to move toward ...
Journal of Latinos and Education
Los Angeles County, the group developed intentionally and horizontally to address the disenfranch... more Los Angeles County, the group developed intentionally and horizontally to address the disenfranchisement of the working-class communities of La Puente and Valinda using the California Voting Rights Act. Drawing from a praxis-oriented approach, ¡Juntos Podemos! explores the process of organizing and its connection to theory and practice. This approach builds from the experiences of members to see how different positionalities influence their participation in the struggle for school transformation. First, we highlight the politics of the school district and history of community-based school organizing from which ¡Juntos Podemos! emerges. Second, we present narratives of two collective members who grew up in different areas of the district at distinct time periods to illustrate how their experiences were shaped by dominant ideologies of schooling and why they became involved in ¡Juntos Podemos! Third, we discuss how our efforts to change the ways school board members are elected as a first step in shifting the composition of the school board. We conclude with a discussion of transformation as an ongoing process that draws on multiple approaches and strategies. KEYWORDS Community organizing; California Voting Rights Act (CVRA); narrative; school board; history of activism; Latino/a families and community On a Wednesday afternoon in October 2019 at the Marie Callender's restaurant in the City of Industry, long-time community activists met with attorney Carlos Perez and demographer Jesús Garcia to discuss the possibility of using the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) to address inequalities in the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District (HLPUSD). Perez had read an opinion article that two of the activists published critiquing class and racial inequities in the district and that ended with a call to move away from at-large trustee voting (Ochoa & Ochoa, 2019). Over a mid-afternoon snack of soup and pie, Perez and Garcia detailed how they have forced school districts in several California communities from Whittier to Bakersfield to address racially polarized voting patterns that disenfranchise working-class communities of color. Perez explained that he could write a demand letter to the district arguing that they were in violation of the CVRA and that the district would have 45 days to either begin the process of moving to trustee areas or fight it through litigation. Garcia, the demographer, graduated from La Puente High School in 1972 and knew the area well. Perez and Garcia enthusiastically listened to the La Puente activists in attendance to discuss the fruits of their decades of community organizing. At the end of the discussion, Perez and Garcia offered to work with the group to develop a demand letter and draft a map with proposed trustee districts.
Journal of Latinos and Education
Los Angeles County, the group developed intentionally and horizontally to address the disenfranch... more Los Angeles County, the group developed intentionally and horizontally to address the disenfranchisement of the working-class communities of La Puente and Valinda using the California Voting Rights Act. Drawing from a praxis-oriented approach, ¡Juntos Podemos! explores the process of organizing and its connection to theory and practice. This approach builds from the experiences of members to see how different positionalities influence their participation in the struggle for school transformation. First, we highlight the politics of the school district and history of community-based school organizing from which ¡Juntos Podemos! emerges. Second, we present narratives of two collective members who grew up in different areas of the district at distinct time periods to illustrate how their experiences were shaped by dominant ideologies of schooling and why they became involved in ¡Juntos Podemos! Third, we discuss how our efforts to change the ways school board members are elected as a first step in shifting the composition of the school board. We conclude with a discussion of transformation as an ongoing process that draws on multiple approaches and strategies. KEYWORDS Community organizing; California Voting Rights Act (CVRA); narrative; school board; history of activism; Latino/a families and community On a Wednesday afternoon in October 2019 at the Marie Callender's restaurant in the City of Industry, long-time community activists met with attorney Carlos Perez and demographer Jesús Garcia to discuss the possibility of using the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) to address inequalities in the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District (HLPUSD). Perez had read an opinion article that two of the activists published critiquing class and racial inequities in the district and that ended with a call to move away from at-large trustee voting (Ochoa & Ochoa, 2019). Over a mid-afternoon snack of soup and pie, Perez and Garcia detailed how they have forced school districts in several California communities from Whittier to Bakersfield to address racially polarized voting patterns that disenfranchise working-class communities of color. Perez explained that he could write a demand letter to the district arguing that they were in violation of the CVRA and that the district would have 45 days to either begin the process of moving to trustee areas or fight it through litigation. Garcia, the demographer, graduated from La Puente High School in 1972 and knew the area well. Perez and Garcia enthusiastically listened to the La Puente activists in attendance to discuss the fruits of their decades of community organizing. At the end of the discussion, Perez and Garcia offered to work with the group to develop a demand letter and draft a map with proposed trustee districts.
Community College Review, 2012
This case study examines why 2-year colleges struggle to increase the racial diversity of their f... more This case study examines why 2-year colleges struggle to increase the racial diversity of their faculty. Through interrogating hiring procedures and identifying reasonable expectations for diversity within a college faculty, ethical dilemmas and practical implications of efforts to increase the hiring of faculty members of color emerge.
Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, Jan 23, 2014
As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country, Latin@ educational success... more As the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the country, Latin@ educational success is a national priority. In the Los Angeles Unifi ed School district, the country's largest, high school graduation rates for Latin@s hover at near 40%. Examining this institutional and societal tragedy through the school-to-prison pipeline has yielded crucial insights. Less understood are alternatives to the school-to-prison pipeline and the vital role of educational leaders. This qualitative study of principals and counselors in Southeast Los Angeles schools asks: What is the relationship between the 'school-to-prison pipeline' and the lacking of a 'college going culture' in underserved communities? How do educational leaders perceive their role in creating a "college-going culture" in largely underserved, under-resourced communities? Among the fi ndings is the continued existence of defi cit explanations of school failure and the need for school-community partnerships to move toward more assetbased frameworks.
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Papers by Eugene Fujimoto