37.3587, Reviews: Alianzas Familiares in Multilingual Education: Eric J. Johnson and Luz A. Murillo (ed.) (2026)

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Subject: 37.3587, Reviews: Alianzas Familiares in Multilingual Education: Eric J. Johnson and Luz A. Murillo (ed.) (2026)

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Date: 02-Nov-2026
From: Laura Dubcovsky [lauradubcovsky at gmail.com]
Subject: Applied Linguistics: Eric J. Johnson and Luz A. Murillo (ed.) (2026)


Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/37-1739

Title: Alianzas Familiares in Multilingual Education
Series Title: Bilingual Education & Bilingualism
Publication Year: 2026

Publisher: Multilingual Matters
           http://www.multilingual-matters.com/
Book URL: http://multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/?K=9781836682370

Editor(s): Eric J. Johnson and Luz A. Murillo

Reviewer: Laura Dubcovsky

SUMMARY
Johnson and Murillo use the introduction to lay out the two major
themes of the book, around minority speaking students and their
families, and equity and fair quality of the alliances, respectively.
The editors explain that the seventeen chapters that compose the book
are set in different educational contexts and states, and express
opinions derived from different disciplines and perspectives,
including experts in educational laws, community leaders, researchers,
parents, teachers and stakeholders. However, authors share the common
goal of seeking innovative ways of strengthening the relationship
between families and multilingual education, and they all draw from
asset-based approaches that value the cultural and linguistic capital
brought by the vulnerable population.
The first part, “Supporting families and students,” considers three
kinds of implications. As part of the pedagogical implications, Moran
and Catalano investigate the incorporation of the quiché language in
the daily routine of a bilingual Spanish/English Kindergarten. The
authors explain how the kindergarteners of Guatemalan descent were
pleased to use familiar expressions of greetings, giving thanks and
congratulations in their indigenous language, while the rest of the
children were curious and eager to learn the unfamiliar words. The
incidental teaching of quiché triggers vivid conversations both in the
classroom and in the students’ households. The trilingual teacher was
aware of his students’ linguistic and cultural background and
consequently, he created opportunities to increase minority parents’
participation. For example, he nominated parents and older siblings as
“experts” of the quiché language, consulted them for colloquial
expressions, exchanged sayings and cultural references, translated
popular stories into English, Spanish and quiché, and sent home
messages in the mother language, etc. Chapter 1 claims that these
strategies were beneficial for all the students in and out of the
classroom, especially for minority family members, who usually remain
inaudible and invisible.
Chapter 2 centers on biliteracy practices as another pedagogical
implication. Hernández and her colleagues recognize the value of
“cultural wealth” (Yosso, 2005) and “funds of knowledge” (Moll et al.,
1992) brought into the classroom. They focus on two literacy programs
that incorporate engaging activities, such as the creation of
bookmarks, accordion books, and posters, which became very successful
among minority families, provoking enthusiasm and involvement (Figures
2.1-2.6, pp 27-29, and pp. 31-33). The authors emphasize the positive
shift from teachers’ unidirectional way of instruction to the adoption
of a bidirectional route, where immigrant parents, with little or no
presence in traditional classrooms, were able to provide ideas,
express opinions, and propose solutions to problems. Moreover, the
concept of literacy as a linear development was surpassed by an
integrated conceptualization of aspirational, cultural, and linguistic
literacy.
Murillo and her colleagues explore home visits paid in minority
speaking households as a different possibility of pedagogical
implications. Drawing from foundational constructs of “organic
intellectual” (Gramsci, 1971) and “epistemic disobedience” (Mignolo,
2009), the authors value the home visits as positive encounters,
establishing respectful and meaningful relationships with the family.
Chapter 3 describes the household environment, filled with family
photographs hung on the wall, bibles set on the night table, drawings
on the fridge, and Christmas trees standing at the corner, offering
rich literacy resources in the domestic domain. Therefore, the
researchers expanded traditional notions of literacy based on simple
sets of reading and writing skills to a vast repertoire of visual,
aural, and digital literary material. In addition, home visits brought
about noticeable increases in parents’ confidence, as they started to
feel more confident sharing personal ambitions and dreams during
casual conversations at home, and expressing their needs and
expectations in public, during school and district meetings. While
multilingual students demonstrated significant progress in their
literacy development, teachers also benefitted from reflecting on
their own misconceptions and negative attitudes toward minority
speakers.
Chapter 4 closes the pedagogical implications with a teacher’s travel
that honors cultural and linguistic knowledge of diverse families.
López and Gumina collect memories, anecdotes, and personal journals
from the students’ families that provide relevant clues to learn more
in-depth about, from, and with their students and families (Orozco,
2008). The personal project informs about the richness of knowledge
contained in family fables, proverbs, popular tales, and colloquial
expressions, all of which counters the traditional depiction of
“disengaged” or “uninterested” minority parents with respect to their
children’s education. The authors evaluate that the wealth of the
family material needed to be included in school lessons to enrich
formal and social educational experience. More importantly, López and
Gumina claim that authentic home-school alliances are possible when
teachers are ready to praise minority parents, trust in their life
experiences, and listen to their voices attentively, hence paving a
path for a “more just educational system from the inside out” (p. 63).
The next two chapters address administrative implications. In chapter
5, Escalera declares his commitment to increase Latino engagement in
academic, social, and structural decisions. The author and educator in
Washington state follows a co-designed framework, composed by
principles of solidarity, agency, and equal representation (Ishimaru &
al., 2018). He applies the framework in his practicum to improve
synergy, mutual respect, and balanced use of power and control.
Escalera shows that sensitive teachers attempt to accommodate working
parents’ needs, for example by arranging the parent-teacher conference
at convenient times, propose short meetings that contain narrow
agendas with clear goals and essential items, and offer precise
explanations and translation to ensure effective communication.
Moreover, collaborative projects foster a safe and welcoming
environment and encourage Latino parents to give comments and feedback
openly. Escalera explains that the co-designed framework is intended
to offer abundant opportunities to practice shared responsibilities,
listen to different voices, and accept new ways of solving problems.
Minority members start to learn how to express their strengths and
weaknesses and advocate for their community. Consequently, the
framework highlights a shift from conventional and superficial
associations to equative cooperation, creating more meaningful and
relevant home-school relationships,
Similarly, Valauri examines factors that contribute to building a
sturdier partnership. Despite the consensus on the relevance of
parents’ participation, schools are still attached to traditional
models, whereby teachers demand immigrant families to learn and adapt
to the school’s expectations, schedules, and prescribed ways of
learning. Conversely, the author proposes innovative and
multidirectional models, where practitioners know and respect
students’ families, assign active and responsible roles to the
parents, and teach them to advocate for their children’s rights.
Chapter 6 shows how in a diverse kindergarten classroom, composed by
Mexican, Pakistani, Guinean and Syrian children (Table 6.1, p. 84),
parents and teachers fight together to defend students’ academic,
cultural, and social achievement. The two chapters underline that the
administrative implication for a good home-school relationship is
grounded in mutual respect, legitimate interest in understanding
parents’ fears and concerns, and sincere recognition of home’s values
and background.
The first part of the book finalizes with community implications.
Foulis and Pérez-Caraballo describe the impact of two non-profit
organizations set in the state of Ohio. While Esperanza, Inc. is a
group that aims to reach out all Latino students, Proyecto Mariposa
spotlights Latino female students and their mothers, specifically.
Both associations offer successful programs, helping students navigate
and succeed in the educational system. Chapter 7 highlights the
importance of relying on effective leaders, who belong to the same
community they advocate, are knowledgeable of their needs and
aspirations, and have long experience in negotiating the numerous
daily challenges, such as lack of resources, migratory status, and
difficulties to access higher education. Based on sociocultural
premises, the two thriving organizations constitute models for other
grassroot groups across the nation that also struggle to improve the
fragile home-school connection.
Chapter 8 complements the community implication by presenting two
other associations from Rio Grande Valley, in South Texas. Flores,
Carranza, and Montemayor describe ARISE (Adelante) and IDRA
(Intercultural Development Research Association), which support
minority children and their families, promote legitimate leaders in
the community, and encourage individual and social networks of
communication. The non-profit organizations propose to elevate the
educational quality of the curriculum, setting goals, content, and
activities that meet and exceed standards for all.  For example, ARISE
has a reading program for early childhood intended to reach families’
cooperation. Parents and grandparents are asked to share folktales,
anecdotes, and historical episodes, so that they transmit relevant
events from their countries of origin. Similarly, IDRA provides
bilingual programs that pursue higher levels of proficiency and
accuracy, as well as solid content-based curriculum to maintain and
improve colloquial and academic skills in two languages. In
conclusion, the mentioned organizations rest on community implications
of validation and respect of minority students and their families.
The second part of the book analyzes diverse contexts from family,
university and policy perspectives. Chapters 9 to 12 target family
angles in various scenarios. Gallegos Buitron and Anthony-Stevens
examine women’s participation in rural Idaho. The authors study the
female intergenerational interaction and show minority mothers’
trajectory, from being silent and passive to assuming active and
assertive roles. Gradually, these women learn to find their voices,
express themselves in school meetings, and gain visibility and respect
from the educational institution. Chapter 9 suggests that innovative
ways of reaching minority speaking families allow them to take up
positions that represent their communities, develop resistance,
perseverance, and self-determination, and above all, becoming role
models for their daughters and the entire community
Chapter 10 describes an informal context of “pláticas” among minority
families that remain especially disconnected from the educational
system during the Covid years. Following a critical race theory
framework (Solorzano & Yosso, 2002), Osoria evaluates the impact of
casual conversations, as they help participants manage emotional
challenges and overwhelming stress. Considering that migrant families
felt even more isolated and excluded from the educational system
official during pandemic, the informal exchanges enabled them
communicate with others, share the scarce resources available, seek
for help to understand teachers’ instructions and schools’ forms, and
be better prepared to help students complete assigned tasks and
homework. On the one hand, the “pláticas” provided them novel tools to
co-construct knowledge, create spaces for comfort and healing, and
deposit trust in reciprocal relationships (Fierros & Delgado Bernal,
2016). On the other hand, the dire context represents a unique
teaching experience for staff and teachers to raise their awareness of
the prevalent, yet sometimes covert, racism and exclusion of Latinix
immigrants, shedding light on the disparity in the number of quality
of resources, as well as the unequal distribution of opportunities to
practice and develop educational goals between mainstream and minority
students.
Nieto, Hamm-Rodríguez and Sambolín Morales explore how educators have
shifted their standpoint toward minority language families over the
years. Aligned with previous studies, chapter 11 confirms that
multidirectional paradigms are more effective to account for inclusive
involvement and agency, where teachers, parents and students can
exercise self-determination and autonomy.  While top-down strategies
are centered on teachers and administrators, who assign parents a
passive role, letting them participate as “guests” in isolated events
or as occasional volunteers, bottom-up models are supported by
communities and grassroot organizations that promote leadership and
equity in mutual collaboration (Zeichner & al., 2016).  The authors
point out the importance of maintaining a critical position to
scrutinize the complex layers thread across schools, families, and
communities to accomplish a genuine home-school relationship (Delgado
Gaitán, 2012).
Chapter 12 moves into modern context of communication, focusing on a
popular podcast devoted to discussing educational concerns raised by
bilingual parents. Snow Balderas observes how the podcast’s founders
offer a relaxed space where parents feel free to confide their
worries, dreams, and fears about their children’s education. In
contrast to the language of schooling that tends to erase “the labor
of bilingual mothering” (Gal & Irvine, 2019), the podcast, set in a
safe environment, enables participants not to feel threatened or
judged, ensuring useful conversations and exchanging recommendations
to maintain and enrich the first language development. The author
suggests teachers should use the initial school surveys and
questionnaires to confront their own understanding of their students’
background knowledge and experiences to better build long lasting
connections between home and school.
For the university perspective, the book offers three distinctive
scenarios. Newcomer and Ernst-Slavit address socio-cultural aspects of
the bilingual teachers’ preparation, underlining the notion of
“joinfostering” (Faltis, 2006) to secure effective involvement during
parent-teacher conferences, school meetings, and home visits, as well
as elevating the quality of parents’ commitment, departing from
conventional, and moving toward cultural, and empowering levels of
participation (Delgado Gaitán, 2012). The authors corroborate the
significance of exposing future candidates to a variety of home-school
liaisons and propose activities that acknowledge families’ funds of
knowledge, such as the “Where am I” poem and the “College Bound
Night.” Above all chapter 13 stresses the creation of theoretical and
practical courses that expand teachers’ mindsets and prepare them to
accept other ways of living, thinking, and behaving.
Chapter 14 is embedded in special education services for minority
language students. Tejero Hughes, Mohammad and Abarca aim at assisting
Latino children with disabilities, grounded in principles of
equitability and fairness, so that families, communities, and schools
can work collaboratively to establish enduring partnerships (Teemant &
al., 2021). A balanced structure is only possible when professionals
have thorough understanding of minorities’ special education
uniqueness and the expertise to guide families through clear and
operational steps, so that they communicate their experiences and
advocate fiercely for their children. The bi-directional route between
experts and family members requires not only mutual respect, trust,
and sensitivity, but also specialists who relate emotionally and
practically, with care and commitment to find solutions and act
decisively (Gerzel-Short & al., 2019). Hughes and her colleagues
combine theoretical explanations with vignettes that illustrate the
interplay of power, positionality and collaboration through lively
situations.
Chapter 15 focuses on children with disabilities in the multilingual
context of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color children (BIPOC).
Santamaría-Graff and Aceves describe the family as faculty (FAF)
project, praising the transformative effect on the interaction between
the project’s participants. The authors detail the “essential
understandings” wherein minority families are considered “experts” who
collaborate in the creation of activities and in the making of
decisions, and therefore, they assume similar participatory roles as
the rest of the educational community.  The transformative project
also categorizes levels of commitment established between home and
school, tracing a relationship continuum from basic exchange of
information to substantial networks of communication, and from
building reciprocal solidarity to inciting a real transformation
(Cashman & al., 2014). Santamaría-Graff and Aceves support the
creation of courses that introduce future teacher to BICOP families,
offer strategies to handle their strengths and weaknesses, and
internalize FAF’s essential understandings and levels of
participations (Tables 15.1 and 15.2, pp.196 and 198, respectively).
Finally, the last two chapters of the book revisit policy
perspectives, specially directed to   bilingual, migrant, native
American, and multilingual families throughout the years. In chapter
16 Johnson and Rivas study the power of the family voice’s praxis
under the premises of “relationships” genuinely based on trust and
respect, “structures” that enable the circulation of knowledge in
multiple directions, “leadership” attainable for every member, and
“validation” of the entire community. Beyond efforts to raise
individuals’ voices, chapter 16 highlights the creation of educational
programs at the state level designed to bolster minority students’
voices in systemic manner. The authors claim to take policy actions at
the state level, so that stakeholders and task forces can oversee and
defend the existence of multilingual voices. Likewise, they promote
the hiring and sustainability of specialists in the migrant education
department, so that they can identify and recruit minority students,
and empower parents, by leading them to occupy central roles in
meetings and committees at school, district and state levels (Szech,
2021).
Chapter 17 is co-authored by leaders of the community with long
trajectories in the defense of the fundamental right to public
education in the state of New Mexico. Torres-Velásquez and her
colleagues focus on the engagement of multilingual families, opposing
the unfortunate topics of injustice, exclusion, and marginalization
with positive examples of advocacy and determination for equitable
education for present and future generations. The authors show how
Martínez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit (2014) was decisive to
transform the history of public education in the state (Graue &
Hawkins, 2010), paving the path toward other legal resolutions and
court cases, and foundation of brave associations. For example, the
Indian Education Act (2003) consolidates notions of identity and
belonging with notions of land, homeland and territory, while the
Hispanic Education Act (2010 helps decrease academic disparities and
increase graduation rate. Chapter 17 commends grassroot organizations
that advocate for minority students and envision culturally relevant
curriculum honoring home cultures and languages, compatible with
systemic changes.
EVALUATION
“Alianzas Familiares in Multilingual Education” is a collective work
that represents a broad range of points of view, segments of the
society, and locations, all of which opens the discussion to
innovative ways to transform the home-school connection. Johnson and
Murillo edited a balanced volume, not only regarding the content
selection, but also the structural choice. Thus, chapters alternate
between Spanish and English languages in almost equivalent number, and
comprise diverse states (Nebraska, Chicago, Colorado, Georgia,
California, Washington, etc.) and regions (urban, suburban, rural),
rendering a faithful representation of the different linguistic and
cultural contexts in the country. In addition, the different authors
contribute with specific areas of expertise and distinctive
backgrounds and paths. Chapters are also distinctive in tone and
styles, as some scholars write straightforwardly, exposing practical
strategies and listing effective activities, while others are more
theoretical and elucidate on abstract constructs and foundational
principles. Moreover, the well-organized introduction and Delgado
Gaitan’s emotional afterwords, together with anecdotes, exemplary
cases, and tables and figures inserted in the chapters, enhance the
book enormously.
The two parts of the book are woven around topics of respect to
diverse ways of being and doing, acknowledgement for family’s cultural
wealth, promotion of responsive pedagogies, and advocacy for
multilingual families. Likewise, authors share asset-based
perspectives, weigh issues of power, agency and control, and praise
safe spaces to ensure access and the wellbeing of marginalized
population. Among the numerous strengths, the book illustrates
indigenous languages, home visits, podcasts, and pláticas, as well as
examines transformative criteria, domestic and public spheres, and
general and specific programs. Despite space limitations to further
some concepts and explanations, the book is accessible to interested
readers as well as practitioners and researchers in the field of
multilingual education. It generates stimulating and insightful
conversations among disciplines, and therefore, “Alianzas Familiares
in Multilingual Education” becomes an appealing and useful reading.
REFERENCES
Cashman, J., P. Linehan, L. Purcell, M. Rosser, S. Schultz & S.
Skalski. 2014. Leading by convening: A blueprint for authentic
engagement. National Association for State Directors of Special
Education.
Delgado Gaitán, C. 2012. Culture, literacy, and power in
family-community-school- relationships. Theory into Practice 51(4).
305-311.
Faltis, C. 2006. Teaching English Learners in elementary school
community: A Joinfostering approach. Ohio: Merrill,
Fierros, C. & D. Delgado Bernal. 2016. Vamos a platicar. The contours
of pláticas as Chicana/Latina feminist methodology. Chicana/Latina
Studies 15(2). 98-121.
Gal, S. & J. Irvine. 2019. Signs of difference: Language and ideology
in social life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gerzel-Short, L., E. Kiru, Y. Hsiao, K. Hovey, Y. Wei & R. Miller.
2019. Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse families of
children with disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic 55(2).
120-126.
Gramsci, A. 1971. Selections from the Prison Notebooks. New York:
International Publishers.
E. Graue & M. Hawkins. 2010. “I always feel they don't know anything
about us”: Diverse families talk about their relations with schools.
In M. Marsh & T. Turner-Vorbeck (eds) (Mis)Understanding families:
Learning from real families in our schools, 109-25. Teachers College
Press.
Hispanic Education Act, chap 22, Public Schools 22-23B-2 (2010).
Indian Education Act, 22-23A-1 to 22-23A-8 NMSA1978 (2003)
Ishimaru, A., A. Rajendran, C. Nolan & M. Bang. 2018. Community design
circles: Co-designing justice and wellbeing in
family-community-research partnerships. Journal of Family Diversity in
Education 3(2). 38-63.
Martínez v. State of New Mexico, 1st Dist. New Mexico, No.
D-101-CV2014-00793 (2014)
Mignolo, W. 2009. Epistemic disobedience, independent thought, and
decolonial freedom. Theory, Culture & Society 26(7-8). 159-181.
Moll, L., C. Amanti, D. Neff & N. González. 1992. Funds of knowledge
for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and
classrooms. Theory into Practice 31(2). 132-141.
Orozco, G. 2008. Understanding the culture of low-income immigrant
Latino parents: Key to involvement. The School Community Journal
18(1).21-37.
Solórzano, D. & T. Yosso. 2002. Critical race methodology:
Counter-storytelling as an analytical framework for education
research. Qualitative Inquiry 8(1). 23-44.
Szech, L. 2021. How the funds of knowledge theory shifted teachers'
dominant narratives of family involvement. School Community Journal
31(1). 149-70.
Teemant, A., G. Borgioli Yoder, B. Sherman & C. Santamaría-Graff.
2021. An equity framework for family, community, and school
partnerships. Theory into Practice 60(1). 28-38.
Yosso, T. 2005. Whose culture has capital? A critical theory
discussion of community cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity, and
Education 8(1). 69–91.
Zeichner, K., M. Bowman, L. Guillen & K. Napolitan. 2016. Engaging and
working in solidarity with local communities in preparing the teachers
of their children. Journal of Teacher Education 67(4). 277-90.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Laura Dubcovsky is a retired instructor and supervisor from the
Teacher Education Program in the School of Education at the University
of California, Davis. With a Master’s in Education and a Ph. D in
Spanish linguistics/with special emphasis on second language
acquisition, her interests tap topics of language, bilingual
education, and bilingual children’s literature. She has taught
bilingual teachers to use and practice communicative and academic
Spanish needed in bilingual classrooms for more than ten years. She is
currently helping with professional development courses for bilingual
teachers, interpreting in parent/teachers’ conferences, and
translating for several institutions, such as Davis and Riverside
Joint Unified School Districts, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento,
YoloArts in Woodland, Davis Art Center, STEAC, and the Zapotec Digital
Project of Ticha.  Laura is a long-standing reviewer for the
Linguistic list Serve and the California Association of School
-University Partnerships (CASUP), and she also reviews articles for
the Elementary School Journal, Journal of Latinos and Education,
Hispania, and Lenguas en Contexto. She published “Functions of the
verb decir (‘to say’) in the incipient academic Spanish writing of
bilingual children in Functions of Language, 15(2), 257-280 (2008) and
the chapter, “Desde California. Acerca de la narración en ámbitos
bilingües” in ¿Cómo aprendemos y cómo enseñamos la narración oral?
(2015). Rosario, Homo Sapiens: 127- 133.


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