Un Mejor Futuro: A Phenomenological Study of Being Latiné and Learning Mathematics during Times of Crisis

Sandra Zuniga Ruiz

Un mejor futuro. For many immigrants, when asked why they immigrated, their response is "para un mejor futuro." This "un mejor futuro" is tied to their children obtaining educational opportunities they would not be able to attain in their home country. These opportunities include pursuing dreams and a career, and living a more dignified life. Yet, the current climate has heightened the tensions and stress that many immigrant and other marginalized communities are experiencing. Given such context, we must ask, what about the children? How are children entering our classrooms and "learning" mathematics within the current educational system in a racially-structured society? In this project, I seek to investigate how Latine children in a predominantly immigrant community are navigating, existing, and thriving in this moment in time. Where is mathematics in their livelihoods, and how can we cultivate solidarity, hope, and love for our community? How can mathematics become a site of learning, resistance, and possibility for young people to thrive and flourish? In this project, I merge feminista pláticas as a methodological approach with phenomenology to understand the lived experiences of elementary-aged children. The project seeks to authentically capture a counterstory, a critical engagement with the stories of young people, recognizing and honoring their full humanity.

About Sandra Zuniga Ruiz

Sandra Zuñiga Ruiz is an Assistant Professor of K-12 Emancipatory Education in the Teacher Education Department at San José State University. She is a Mexicana daughter-sister-motherwife, scholar, maestra who grew up in an immigrant agricultural community in California. Her love for learning and educacion emerged from her mother's enseñanzas, who taught her to see and imagine a world in which people could thrive and live dignified lives. Her work is grounded in a commitment to justice that centers on creating mejores futuros for young people and honoring the hopes and dreams of immigrants who come to the US for a better life. Drawing on her experiences, Chicana/Latina feminist perspectives, and critical approaches to learning, Sandra's research aims to understand how teachers of color develop understandings of race and justice in and with mathematics. Recently, she has engaged in projects centered on storytelling, learning, and disrupting harmful narratives that reduce people's complex personhood into single storylines. Her most recent project was funded by the Equity in Math Education Research Grants (EMERG) Program, which has led to this project. Sandra dreams of a world in which young people and our/their communities can flourish in mathematics in their full humanity. Sandra earned her Ph.D. in education from UC Berkeley, where her dissertation was recognized by the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship and the 2025 AMTE Dissertation Award.