Multilingualism, for me, has represented in a very literal way the crossing and disruptions of borders and the possibility for new understandings and ways of relating that comes from that process. My experience with multilingualism and the people with whom it brought me into relation has forced me to cross all kinds of borders: linguistic, national, political, socioeconomic, identity, etc. Multilingualism has put me in situations in which I was forced to confront so many attitudes, beliefs, and ways of being that seemed normal to me, but did not fit with the larger picture of the world that I was increasingly getting to know. It also gave the means to explore other kinds of attitudes, beliefs, and ways of being that better explained and fit with the world around me. And most importantly, it put me into relation with people whose attitudes, beliefs, and ways of being have profoundly influenced my own. I want to see the more multilingual-initiated change like that in the United States – more opportunities to cross all kinds of borders that come with an expanded ability to more deeply relate with people who would otherwise remain outside your linguistic world.

Why do I care about focusing on language borders and multilingualism? I think the whole multilingualism is the norm everywhere but the US is a myth – because the region currently referred to as the US has been vastly multilingual throughout its entire history, and continues to be. It is true, however, that the majority of places in the world more highly value and appreciate multilingual diversity than the US. Many countries recognize the importance of multilingualism and prioritize it throughout a student’s educational experience. I think it’s disgraceful that the US is one of the few places that has a fundamentally monolingual schooling system. We are just now starting to see the trend turn towards bilingual education in more and more elementary schools across the country – but we are still lagging behind. The change I want to see is the normalization of multilingualism and multilingual education; and a rejection of the assimilationist, anti-immigrant, anti-Latinx and nationalistic norms in which monolingual ideologies and English-only education practices are rooted. This requires pedagogical practices that are aimed specifically at disrupting the political-ideological language borders that shape multilingual classroom experiences for both teachers and students. 

My personal theory of change is based on my own personal experiences of change. My path towards multilingualism brought me into relation with people, places, and ideas that I would have never otherwise been exposed to. I engaged with and learned directly from people whose voices and experiences were most definitely not part of the dominant narratives in southern Kentucky. It is not so much that multilingualism shapes my identity or ways of thinking, but rather it expands the possibilities for coming into relation with people who will (re)shape my ways of seeing and being in the world. Multilingualism itself is not the cure for harmful forms of othering or marginalizing, but becoming multilingual can at least increase your chances to come across people, places and ideas that will challenge and disrupt your habits for seeing and being in the world, putting you in a position to change. But both context and individual purpose or intention play important roles in this. For example, I was intentional in taking the opportunity to study and live in Ecuador rather than more westernized countries like Argentina or Spain. I think a major implication of this would not just be the need for prioritizing the development of multilingualism in education across the US, but also the vital importance of the identities and experiences of the teachers that engage students along their paths to multilingualism. Schools MUST be critically conscious and intentional about who they hire and bring teachers who will disrupt and transform their students along the way. Bilingual programs also cannot be just uncritically implemented.