Coalition Building for an Asset-Based Bicultural Continuum¹: Breaking Down Silos in La Zona de Promesa

This chapter contributes to the understanding of how silos can be effectively broken down for the improvement of community well-being through the processes and structure of La Zona de Promesa (ZdP). The ZdP framework intentionally challenges the normative ways that pressing social issues are addressed at the intra- and inter-organizational levels by leveraging resources and building on strengths toward community transformational resilience (Romero, 2016). The formation of the ZdP yields insight into what steps can and should be taken to ensure that collaboration can be scalable, sustainable, and horizontal in its administration and stewardship. Through participatory action research (PAR), the ZdP recognized all collaborative members as producers of knowledge and agents for social change. Embracing the ZdP’s ecological context facilitated the incorporation of the ideals of personalismo and community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005). The work led to the Asset-Based Bicultural Continuum model such that the focus was on assets in the community and among bicultural/bilingual immigrant children and families that could help build a continuum of educational opportunities.