From here and from there with Zitlali Morales: What does belonging look like as a daughter of immigrants?
Introduction
In this episode, Grace Khachaturian sits down with Zitlali Morales, a professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Education. Morales reflects on her journey as a daughter of immigrants and shares her experience of growing up bilingual in a predominantly English-speaking environment, the challenges she faced and how her experiences inspired her work supporting multilingual students. She explains the importance of curiosity, participation and creating inclusive spaces. Morales talks about her work at UIC with teachers of inclusive language practices that value students’ cultural and linguistic strengths. She emphasizes how recognizing diverse perspectives can strengthen learning and help build a sense of community.