A New Space for Ethnic Studies Pedagogy—And a Call to Contribute

A New Space for Ethnic Studies Pedagogy—And a Call to Contribute

by

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

At a moment when Ethnic Studies faces growing political scrutiny and legislative attack in many states—including here in Texas—it is encouraging to see new intellectual spaces emerging to support the field and the educators who sustain it. One such space is Ethnic Studies Pedagogies, a new open-access online journal devoted to critical race, decolonial, and Ethnic Studies teaching and scholarship, particularly in K–12 classrooms and community educational spaces.

The journal brings together scholars, teachers, organizers, and students who are working to understand and transform the ecologies of power and resistance shaping education today. You can view the members of the Editorial board here, of which I am one. Dr. Miguel Zavala from the School of Education at the University of California Riverside makes it sing.

Rather than limiting itself to traditional academic articles, Ethnic Studies Pedagogies welcomes a wide range of contributions, including scholarly research, action research pedagogies, archival histories, testimonios, photo essays, and artistic work. In doing so, it reflects the movement roots of Ethnic Studies itself—born from community struggle, student activism, and demands for more truthful and inclusive knowledge.

Since its launch in 2023, the journal has produced several themed issues exploring topics such as Ethnic Studies as living archives, creative justice pedagogies through art and digital media, and the role of organizing and resistance within Ethnic Studies movements. The most recent issue, Re-Rooting Intersectional Ethnic Studies: Racial Capitalism, Coloniality, and Resistance, continues this tradition by examining how structural power shapes education and community life.

Importantly, the journal’s editorial philosophy is collaborative and community-centered. Submissions are reviewed by scholars alongside educators and community members, and contributors outside traditional academic spaces are supported through a guided editorial process designed to strengthen and nurture emerging voices.

A Call to Contribute

If you are a teacher, graduate student, scholar-activist, organizer, or community educator, this journal is for you.

Ethnic Studies Pedagogies is currently inviting submissions of 2,000–5,000 words (APA 7th edition) as well as creative and arts-based contributions. The editorial board is especially interested in work that explores how Ethnic Studies pedagogy confronts racism, colonialism, and systemic injustice while illuminating the knowledge, resilience, and creativity of communities of color.

At a time when Ethnic Studies is being challenged politically, it is more important than ever that educators and scholars document their work, share their pedagogies, and contribute to the intellectual future of the field.

If you are doing this work—in classrooms, schools, communities, or movements—consider sharing it. The field grows when we write, document, and build together. A listing of special issues appears below and here are the submission guidelines. Enjoy!

Volume 1, Issue 1 (June 2023)

Lead Editor: Ezekiel Joubert III

Theme: Ethnic Studies Pedagogies as Living Archives

[Download Entire Issue]

Volume 1, Issue 2 (December 2023)

Lead Editor: Lani Cupchoy

Theme:Pedagogies for Creative Justice: Artivism, Digital Media, and Filmmaking

[Download Entire Issue]

Volume 2, Issue 1 (July 2024)

Lead Editor: Lani Cupchoy

Theme:Pedagogies for Creative Justice: Artivism, Digital Media, 

and Filmmaking

[Download Entire Issue]

Volume 2, Issue 2 (December 2024)

Lead Editors: Marisol O. Ruiz & Nancy Perez

Theme:"Struggle Builds on Struggle": Resistance and Organizing Through Ethnic Studies

[Download Entire Issue]

Volume 3, Issue 1 (June 2025)

Lead Editors: Marisol O. Ruiz & Nancy Perez

Theme:"Struggle Builds on Struggle": Resistance and Organizing Through Ethnic Studies II

[ Download Entire Issue]

Volume 3, Issue 2 (December 2025)

Lead Editors: Enrique C. Ochoa and Gilda L. Ochoa

Theme: "Re-Rooting Intersectional Ethnic Studies: Racial Capitalism, Coloniality, and Resistance"

[Download Entire Issue]

SPECIAL ISSUES

 

RE-ROOTING INTERSECTIONAL ETHNIC STUDIES: RACIAL CAPITALISM, COLONIALITY, AND RESISTANCE

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 

Publication: December 2025

Lead Editors: Enrique Ochoa and Gilda Ochoa

 

TEACHING ETHNIC STUDIES IN THE HEART OF COLONIAL RESISTANCE: PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS ON PEDAGOGIES OF ETHNIC STUDIES FOR WHITE-DOMINANT CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITIES, AND SCHOOLS 

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1 [call for submissions]

Publication: June 2026

Lead Editors: Michael Dominguez and Suneal Kolluri

 

REMATRIATING BILINGUAL EDUCATION THROUGH ANCESTRAL EPISTEMOLOGIES AND ETHNIC STUDIES PEDAGOGIES

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 [call for submissions]

Publication: December 2026

Lead Editors: Michelle Soto-Peña, Patricia D. López, and Cueponcaxochitl Moreno Sandoval

 

REVOLUTIONARY LOVE: ANTI-COLONIAL APPROACHES IN ETHNIC STUDIES

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 [call for submissions]

Publication: June 2027

Lead Editors: Enrique G. Murillo Jr., Gabriel A. Orosco, and Véronica X. Valadez