Through Their Eyes: A Latina Mother's Struggle Against Systemic Inequities

Abstract

Latino students face long-standing inequities in gifted education, from underidentification to exclusionary classroom environments. In addition, the voices of their families, who often shoulder the burden of advocacy, remain largely unheard. Through a testimonio centered on a Latina mother's experience navigating New York City's gifted and talented program, this praxis article illustrates how structural inequities shape access and retention. The first author, a Nuyorican practitioner and friend of the parent, reflects on her positionality as both insider and outsider—culturally connected yet professionally adjacent—to interrogate how systems demand resilience from families they routinely exclude. The article highlights how a lack of information interferes with parents’ ability to advocate for their children, while racial microaggressions in the classroom undermine students’ sense of belonging. Recommendations include improving transparency on the part of local educational agencies (LEAs), establishing alignment between schools and LEAs, and ongoing professional development.