91涩漫

Dear Members of the 91涩漫 Bilingual Education Research SIG and the Bi-/Multilingual Education Academic Community,

Warm greetings from Texas Tech University!

First and foremost, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to those who have made it possible for me to assume the role of Chair of this organization (2025-2026), sponsored by the 91涩漫 (91涩漫). Given that this position is not the result of a self-nomination, the responsibility it entails is even greater, requiring a form of leadership deeply rooted in the needs and aspirations of our tireless academic and professional community.

The leadership entrusted to me would not be possible without听the collective support of those who sustain this organization each day through their dedication, vision, and hard work. I am especially grateful to the many individuals who have generously shared their time and expertise through exemplary volunteer service across the SIG, including on the Award Committees, Executive Team, and Working Groups.

With deep appreciation, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Magdalena Pando (Southern Methodist University) and Dr. Zhongfeng Tian (Rutgers University鈥揘ewark), who have served in multiple leadership capacities鈥攊ncluding Program Chair/Chair-Elect, Chair, and, in the case of Dr. Pando and now Dr. Tian, Past Chair鈥攆or their outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment during their respective terms. At the same time, we warmly welcome the newest members of the SIG Executive Team:听Dr. Suzanne Garc铆a, Program Chair/Chair Elect (California State University Monterey Bay), and Dr. Susana Ibarra Johnson, Communications/Social Media Chair (New Mexico State University). We are also deeply grateful for the continued dedication and service of our returning Executive team members: Dr. Rouhollah Aghasaleh, Parliamentarian (Cal Poly Humboldt); Dr. Cori Salmer贸n, Historian (Georgia State University); and Dr. Minhye Son, Secretary/Treasurer (California State University 鈥� Dominguez Hills).

As we move forward into this new phase, we acknowledge the ongoing and emerging challenges before us. The current political climate鈥攕haped by ethnocentric听rhetoric and anti-immigrant sentiment听and actions鈥攈as already begun to affect the very institutions that have long supported our mission to advance bi-/multilingualism in听public听education and across听broader听U.S. society.听In this context, we are called to reaffirm our commitment to defending the human, educational, and linguistic rights of听students and community members who, in the words of the renowned anthro-political linguist, , "do not dream 'the American Dream' in English-Only."

Yet not all challenges arise solely from restrictive political or ideological contexts. As an academic field, it is essential that we create spaces for courageous, critical, and collective self-reflection on significant听issues affecting the realization and ongoing development of our mission and vision in light of contemporary听exigencies.听To support this process, and in alignment with 听2026 91涩漫 Presidential Program Theme, "Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures:听Constructing a New Vision for Education Research,"听we could听begin听by considering the following preliminary听guiding questions:

1.听How can we build听a more inclusive academic and professional community at both national and international levels?

2.听What role can research in educational innovation play in promoting strong and high-quality bi-/multilingual education?听[1]

3.听What innovative research methodologies and new听lines of inquiry should be explored for the continued advancement of听the field?

4.听What roles can languages other than English play in听(a) the production听of scholarship听in bi-/multilingual education,听[2]听(b)听the preparation of bi-/multilingual teachers, and听(c) the development of instructional materials for PK鈥�12 classrooms?

5.听What new spaces and approaches for accessible and democratic dissemination of knowledge and research findings in our field鈥攂eyond the traditional academic journal article鈥攕hould we prioritize as committed 21st-century scholar-researchers and advocates?听[3]

6.听What new models of advocacy and听activism could we develop? Is this a timely moment for 鈥渃onsciousness-raising鈥� and 鈥渕ovement-building,鈥� as Kumashiro (2020) invites us to consider?听[4]

7.听What transformations are needed in PK鈥�12 bi-/multilingual teacher education听and professional development听to听advance the field in听regionally, nationally, transborder, and internationally-globally听relevant and sustaining听ways?

8. What transformations are necessary in听bi-/multilingual education doctoral education听to听ensure our听programs听remain relevant and responsive to the complex demands of the 21st century, particularly in preparing graduates to navigate the challenges of becoming multilingual, internationally-globally engaged, and critically conscious scholar-researchers?

9.听Should we look beyond our borders for inspiration from successful practices in the implementation and treatment of bi-/multilingual education?听

10.听How could the 91涩漫 Bilingual Education Research SIG become a radically humanizing, authentic, non-competitive, and ethical space for dialogue, action, and 'inter-being' transformation in our field?听[5]

In light of this, I warmly invite us to participate in two important activities designed to spark collective dialogue and help shape the BER SIG鈥檚 programming for the 2025鈥�2026 academic year: (a) please take a moment to complete the , and (b) register for the , scheduled for Friday, August 22nd at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

As we look ahead to the 2026 91涩漫 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, I encourage us听to take time to read the "" thoughtfully (and mainly) crafted by our Program Chair/Chair Elect, . Her vision provides a strong foundation for what promises to be a timely and impactful gathering.

In this same spirit,听I also invite state and national organizations that support bi-/multilingualism in education and U.S. society to join us in shaping the path forward. [6] With open doors and open hearts, we welcome your collaboration. Together, our goal is to continue strengthening our field in ways that are collaborative, meaningful, relevant, and intentionally responsive to "the signs of the times."

With appreciation and a continued听commitment to fostering inclusive and shared leadership-governance,

c.a.s.

Cristian听Aquino-Sterling, Ph.D.
Chair, Bilingual Education Research SIG (2025鈥�2026)

[1]听See Klein, E. (Host). (2025, May 13). We have to rethink the purpose of education []. In The Ezra Klein Show. .听(Suggested by Staci Tharp, Doctoral Candidate听in Language Diversity and Literacy Studies at听Texas Tech University).听 听 听

[2]听(a) Arbuckle, A., Adema, J., & Ortega, 脡. (2024). Editors鈥� gloss: The problem with monolingualism in academic knowledge production. . (b) Adema, J., Arbuckle, A., & Ortega, 脡. (2024). Glosa de las editoras: El problema del monoling眉ismo en la producci贸n de conocimiento acad茅mico. (1).听(c) Adema, J., Arbuckle, A., & Ortega, 脡. (2024). Glossaire de l'茅diteur: Le probl猫me du monolinguisme dans la production du savoir universitaire. (1). (d) Neylon, C., & Kramer, B. (2022, June 28). Language diversity in scholarly publishing. . (e) See other works in:听Adema, J., Arbuckle, A., & Ortega, 脡. (Eds.). (2024). Special issue: Multilingual publishing and scholarship.听.听

[3]听See Paul Gorski - 鈥溾�� -听LinkedIn.

[4]听Kumashiro, K.听(2020).听. Teachers College Press.

[5]听.

[6]听American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese () - American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages () - Arizona Association for Bilingual Education () - Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education () -听Austin Area Association for Bilingual Education () - Bilingual - ESL Education Association of the Metroplex () - Bilingual Schools Association () - California Association for Bilingual Education () - California Association for Bilingual Teacher Education () - Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition () -听Carolina Association for Bilingual Education () - Center for Applied Linguistics () -听Center for Equity for English Learners () - Center for Equity and Biliteracy Education Research () -听Colorado Association for Bilingual Education () - Color铆n Colorado () - CUNY-NYS Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals () - CUNY听Initiative on Immigration and Education () -听Dual Language Education of New Mexico () -Florida Association for Bilingual Education () - Graduate Association of Bilingual Educators (GABE) -听Idaho Association for Bilingual Education () - Illinois Association of Multilingual Multicultural Education ()听-听International and Comparative Bi-/Multilingual Education Research Group () - Intercultural Development Research Association () -听Iowa World Language Association ()听- Kansas World Language Association听() - Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages () - Minnesota TESOL (MinneTESOL) -听Monterey Institute for English Learners () -听Multilingual Education International () -听Multilingual Learning Research Center () -Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast ()听-听National Association for Bilingual Education () - National Association for Multicultural Education () - National Council of Teachers of English () -听New Jersey TESOL/NJ Bilingual Educators () - New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education () - New York State Association for Bilingual Education () - The Bueno Center for Multicultural Education () -听Teaching of听English to听Students of Other听Languages International Association () -听The WIDA Consortium () -听Texas Association for Bilingual Education () - Utah Foreign Language Association () - Washington Association for Bilingual Education ().

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