Melanated and Educated: A Scholarly Personal Narrative

Authors

  • Luis O. Curiel California State University Northridge

Keywords:

men of color, social work education, LatCrit theory, intersectionality, racism

Abstract

I apply Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) in this paper as the research method to reflect on my academic experiences as a Latino within social work education. The four major components of SPN—pre-search, me-search, re-search, and we-search—facilitate my discussions on the racist encounters I have survived throughout my academic journey. Grounded in Latina/o Critical Theory (LatCrit) and Intersectionality Theory frameworks, I apply LatCrit’s testimonio (narrative) approach to explain the four major themes that emerged: assimilation and acculturation, barriers to education, microaggressions and racial gaslighting, and cultural taxation. I conclude with recommendations for recruiting and retaining men of color in social work education and discuss the potential benefits of cultural resemblance between instructor and student.

Author Biography

Luis O. Curiel, California State University Northridge

Luis O. Curiel, DSW, LCSW is CalSWEC Consultant/Practicum Education Faculty, Department of Social Work, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA (luis.curiel@csun.edu).

Downloads

Published

2023-09-29

How to Cite

Curiel, L. O. (2023). Melanated and Educated: A Scholarly Personal Narrative. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 29(2), 13–31. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1976