Not Just a “Mother,” Not Just One Child: Untangling “Parental Engagement” for Mothers of Emergent Bilinguals with Disabilities

Abstract

Parental involvement/engagement has been shown to increase social and academic achievement for all children, particularly for students with connections to multiply-marginalized communities. However, parental engagement discourses often fail to acknowledge or even recognize the multiple roles and identities that parents, particularly mothers, carry with them and how these roles can impact their level of engagement with/in schools. Using data gathered through a large ethnographic study of Latinx mothers who identified as monolingual Spanish users, immigrants, and mothers to EBLADs, this paper names and explores how nonschool-related interpersonal stressors impact their ability to engage and participate in their child’s education. This paper also draws connections between public health issues and parental engagement. Finally, implications for policy, practice, and research are shared.