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Mary Amanda (Mandy) Stewart University of North Texas Mary.Stewart@unt.edu Living Here, yet Being There: Facebook as a Transnational Space for Newcomer Latina/o Adolescents Stewart, 2012 LRA Slide 2 Framework Diaspora Media Studies (Lam & Warriner, 2012) Transnationalism Technology Stewart, 2012 LRA Slide 3 Transnational Stewart, 2012 LRA Noun: Those who have "moved bodily across national borders while maintaining and cultivating practices tiedto their home countries" (Hornberger, 2007) Adjective: To depict social practices, political processes, and cultural phenomena among individuals who do cross geopolitical borders regularly as well as those who do not." (Warriner, 2007) Slide 4 Technology Stewart, 2012 LRA Technology uniquely affects the hybridization of cultures occurring in transnationalism. (Garcia Canclini, 1995) Digital media has sparked the greatest change in literacy since the printing press. (Warschauer, 2009) Slide 5 Technology and Immigrant Youth Stewart, 2012 LRA Extant research primarily focuses on how Asian immigrant youth in North America develop their multilingual and multicultural identities in digital spaces through the use of a variety of technology. (Black, 2006; Lam, 2000, 2004; McGinnis, et al., 2007; McLean, 2010; Yi, 2007, 2010) Slide 6 Research Questions 1) For what purposes do the participants use Facebook? 2) How does their transnational Facebook use challenge their label as at-risk students? Part of a larger study of newcomer Latina/o immigrants out- of-school literacies. High school: 2,000 students of many races with 13 in the ESL classes Stewart, 2012 LRA Slide 7 Participant Information as of Jan. 2012 Stewart, 2012 LRA Name *pseudonym AgeCountry of Origin Time in U.S. Grade in School Level of Education Completed in Country of Origin Level of L2 Acquisition as of today Valeria19El Salvador 20 months SophomoreIn first year of bachillerato = 10 th grade Beginner Alejandra (Valeria's sister) 17El Salvador 20 months JuniorIn second year of bachillerato = 11 th grade Intermediate Celia17Mexico18 months JuniorFinished secundaria = 10 th grade Beginner Miguel20Guatemala9 months JuniorIn third year of universificado = 12 th grade Beginner Slide 8 Methodology Interviews, n=5-8 for each student Observations in their ESL classes, n=15 Analysis of Facebook data: All posts from creation to June 2012 Facebook information as of June 2012 Stewart, 2012 LRA Date Started Page # of FB Friends All Post s by Participant All Posts to Participant ValeriaJanuary 2011241543965 AlejandraDecember 20107991364 CeliaAugust 2010693162 MiguelMay 2011831129 Slide 9 1) For what purposes do the participants use Facebook? Demonstrate sophisticated transnational literacies through Facebook in order to: 1) Connect to Home 2) Maintain their Latina/o Identities 3) Acquire English Stewart, 2012 LRA Slide 10 Connect to Home Stewart, 2012 LRA Why do you use Facebook? "For my sister and my mom. "Para mis hermanos y mis primos" For my brother, sister, and cousins. Vecinos neighbors Mother/daughter relationship: "El otro da me rega [mi mam] porque eso, haba una foto donde tena el cabello todo arreglado y me gusta que lise el cabello. Se enoj por eso." The other day she got onto me because there was a picture of me with my hair all done up and she likes my hair straight. She got angry because of that. Slide 11 Connect to Home "feliz cumple pollo happy birthday chicken "feliz cumple aki en guatemala lo qeremos muxo bndiciones muaa..!! cuidece. happy birthday here in guatemala we love you many blessings mwaaa..!! take care. Protect younger siblings: "Hey victor mucho respeto a mi hermana ok" Hey victor respect my sister ok Stewart, 2012 LRA Slide 12 Maintain Latina/o Identities Stewart, 2012 LRA soy puro chaplin Slide 13 Latina/o Identities: FB Likes Stewart, 2012 LRA Latin American Music Artists, TV Shows, and Soccer Teams Slide 14 Youth Codes in Spanish Stewart, 2012 LRA TQM Te quiero mucho/ I love you a lot X Por For XK Porque Because Slide 15 >they are Hilda's baby" Stewart, 2012 LRA"> Acquire English "Aqu en la escuela casi no tengo amigos de americano, as que los tengo en Facebook." Here in school I really don't have American friends, so I have them on Facebook. "i love" "me too" "what up" "They are sooo precious!" "yes i know >>they are Hilda's baby" Stewart, 2012 LRA Slide 16