Language has the power to connect people, to move hearts, and to do good in the world.
David Nungaray is a co-founder of Gente Empowerment Network but is actually a forever dual language teacher and principal at heart no matter what his current work title is. The children and families he worked with as an educator are one of his guiding forces in the work he continues to do in education. As a son of Mexican immigrants, a native Spanish speaker, a gay educator, and a first-generation college graduate, he felt on his skin the lack of the system.
David’s story begins with his family’s immigration from Tijuana, Mexico, to the U.S., where they faced challenges due to being undocumented. After a car accident at a young age that left David in a coma, his family’s struggles continued. Despite these obstacles, David excelled in school, thanks to the support of key teachers. He is very passionate about the importance of bilingualism as an asset, not just for students like him who grew up speaking Spanish and struggled during Proposition 227. It is very sad to see that nothing changed for generations in the USA and that 92% of our students are still experiencing programs that are not going to help them.
David hopes to continue making an impact on multilingual education policy and practice, advocating for increased access to bilingual education programs and helping students like him thrive.
Language brings cultural exchange, understanding, and power to the community. We should all respect different cultures and the enrichment they are brining to our lives.
Show notes:
🪄 David is a magician of LinkedIn: he is destined for big things.
1:11🧒🏻 He is the first child of an immigrant family from Tijuana, Mexico: a car accident completely changed his life.
03:45🗣️ Learning English was hard for him: he grew up during Proposition 227.
05:34😎 Teachers who poured faith, learning, and patience into David.
08:52⭐ The value of bilingualism and languages other than English:
12:13🤯 Political nature of language: some people were punished for speaking other languages besides English.
15:41🏆 Circle of champions around David: his parents, his husband, and various mentors and friends who have supported him throughout his career.
19:27😇 Learn to be direct with people: help from his amazing family and leveraging direct talk from them.
21:33🏡 Moving from San Antonio to California: harnessing time with his parents and family.
27:01👔 David’s coaching work around navigating job searches, interviews, and salary negotiations: Latiné often underestimate themselves.
31:07⚡ Power in asking for what you need: understanding advocacy for yourself.
35:36🆚 Job hopping and the negative attitude towards it: blaming the individual rather than looking at the system.
37:36🤓 Shifted to a leader role at 17, becoming a principal at 25: David took all opportunities given to him.
40:37🌈 Take that leap: being a queer man in Texas without protection.
46:06💎 David’s RONdering: You can’t pour from an empty cup – take care of yourself and find balance.
54:48
Episode 52
