Chapter 24: Latina/O Leaders in Espacios De Confianza: Creating Spaces Where Cultural Capital and Community Wealth Permeate

Maintaining a work–life balance in the academy is a constant struggle. This is especially true for Latina/o graduate or doctoral students, professors, and administrators. The authors of this chapter represent various stages of Latina/o educational leaders in the public school and higher education pipeline. We succeed and persist in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and filter our scholarship through critical paradigms and lenses. We know this is second nature to us. The scholarship and academic work we advance is focused on the positive aspects which come from the intersection of culture and Latina/o leadership; it is framed by strengths-based practices rather than deficit-based thinking in educational leadership. Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth framework and Santamaría and Santamaría’s (2012) applied critical leadership represent two examples of Latina/o leadership and community assets and strengths that inspire our continued work in the field. For example, during our conversations about writing this chapter, we were frequently able to identify specific experiences as familial capital or linguistic capital as well as the other capitals in Yosso’s framework. We use these frameworks as essential conceptual frameworks and components for the effective preparation of public school and higher education leaders. These works provide reflective spaces to grow and confirm the need for Latina/o leadership frameworks.