This anthology explores the relationships between Chicana/o students, families, and communities and the various school settings that comprise the education pipeline, from Kindergarten classrooms through postsecondary programs and postgraduate experiences. The essays, which appeared in Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies between 1970 and 2015, present a historical overview that spans the 1880s to the present. It brings together the work of scholars who have elucidated Chicana/o education, and the resulting collection simultaneously historicizes current education research and bolsters our understanding of Chicanas/os’ multifaceted relationship to schooling in the United States.

Among the topics considered are bilingual education and cultural relevance, teacher expectations and student achievement, racism and sexism in postsecondary education, the Chicano movement and the high school walkouts, anti-ethnic studies legislation, school finance and governance, and Joteria identity. Together, the essays reveal how educational institutions have operated in contradictory ways for Chicana/o students: they have depressed and marginalized as well as emancipated and empowered them. The Chicana/o Education Pipeline presents the story of the struggle and perseverance of Chicana/o students, families, and communities as they have fought for a more equitable education.