This study explored the experiences of five Latinx Spanish teachers who worked in schools in rural North Carolina and South Carolina. Using data from 25 semistructured interviews and publicly available school/community demographic information, this qualitative multiple‐case study sought to answer the following questions: (a) How do Latinx Spanish teachers in the rural South perceive experiences that help or hinder retention? (b) In what ways are Latinx Spanish teachers navigating their role as advocates for linguistic and cultural diversity in their rural schools and communities? Findings showed that participants were constantly balancing the benefits and challenges of their work in a rural area. Due to the racialized nature of the Spanish language, participants reported instances of Spanish being conflated with immigration which resulted in hostility from both students and adults. Nonetheless, participants felt a sense of responsibility in providing their students with exposure to cultures outside of their own cultural setting. As working conditions can have a profound effect on a teacher's decision to stay in the classroom, the findings suggest that emphasizing the positive aspects of teaching in a challenging context may encourage teacher retention.

中文翻译：

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Pueblo Pequeño, Infierno Grande：转移南部农村保留拉丁裔西班牙语教师的负担

本研究探讨了在北卡罗来纳州和南卡罗来纳州农村学校工作的五名拉丁裔西班牙语教师的经历。使用来自 25 次半结构化访谈的数据和公开的学校/社区人口统计信息，这项定性的多案例研究试图回答以下问题：(a) 南部农村的拉丁裔西班牙语教师如何看待有助于或阻碍保留的经验？(b) 拉丁裔西班牙语教师在农村学校和社区中如何发挥其作为语言和文化多样性倡导者的作用？结果表明，参与者不断平衡他们在农村地区工作的好处和挑战。由于西班牙语的种族特性，参与者报告了西班牙语与移民混为一谈的情况，这导致学生和成年人都怀有敌意。尽管如此，参与者感到有责任让他们的学生接触他们自己文化环境之外的文化。由于工作条件会对教师留在课堂的决定产生深远的影响，研究结果表明，在具有挑战性的环境中强调教学的积极方面可能会鼓励教师留任。