Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

James Jupp

Second Advisor

Laura Jewett

Third Advisor

Pauli Badenhorst

Abstract

This qualitative, synoptic text inquiry examines how fourth-grade Texas history social studies textbooks portray Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and the U.S-Mexico border, specifically the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). This research sought to answer the following questions: How do Texas history social studies textbooks portray Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and the US-Mexican border in three South Texas school districts? Within these portrayals, what historical representations/content are included, diminished, or excluded regarding the vast majority of the Mexican or Mexican American community?

Guided by the conceptual framings of Miller and Almaraz and Valerio-Jiménez (consensual history), Garza and his colleagues (critical histories), Anzaldúa’s geography of selves (critical histories), Gruenewald (critical place based education), and Paraskeva (curriculum epistemicide), this study identified what is included, diminished, or excluded from the narrative using the following keywords; Mexican, Mexican American, Rio Grande Valley, Borderland, U.S. border, and mestiza. I employed synoptic text inquiry to analyze three commonly adopted fourth grade Texas social studies textbooks; Pearson myWorld Texas: Social Studies We Are Texas, Scott Foresman social studies: Texas edition, and Studies Weekly—across school districts in Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, and Starr counties.

This synoptic text inquiry was unveiled in three phases. Phase one involved the selection of specific social studies textbooks that met the criteria for this study. Phase two consisted of the data collection of relevant text narrative based on the keywords utilized. The final phase is the analysis of the text universe. This synoptic text inquiry revealed nine thematic patterns within the narrative; (1) The Land, (2) Vanishing Indians, (3) Explorers, (4) Settlers, (5) Mexican Independence, (6) You Lost Half Your Country, (7) Anglo Texan Heroes, (8) Mexicans Heroes in “Gringo Wars,” and (9) Mexican Celebrations.

The study concludes that these narrative texts represent a form of curriculum epistemicide, limiting students’ ability to identify themselves and their histories not only within their community, but within the curriculum. Implications highlight the need for a more critical-place-based pedagogy to supplement the diminished and excluded narrative. Overall, this synoptic text inquiry reveals the urgent need for educational justice for the students in the Rio Grande Valley.

Comments

Copyright 2026 Ana Fuentes. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371456703

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