Professor takes up fight for bilingual and multilingual learners in national leadership role

As a high school student in Southern California, Margarita Machado-Casas could never seem to shake the feeling of not belonging. She felt stigma as an undocumented immigrant and English Language Learner. And as a multilingual Creole Afro-Indígena, she even felt a sense of invisibility among her Spanish-speaking classmates

Now a professor in San Diego State University’s Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education, Machado-Casas says the difficult memories drive her to make a difference for those following in her footsteps.

“Everything I’ve accomplished so far really stems from growing up in a multiethnic community, migrating to two different countries and experiencing school in the U.S. as an immigrant English language learner,” she said. “When I visit schools and step into classrooms, I look at the students and think, ‘That was me.’”

That’s the lens Machado-Casas brings to a new leadership role as president of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE), which has more than 5,000 members across 20 state, regional and international affiliates. For the past 50 years, the organization has advocated for educational equity and academic excellence for bilingual and multilingual students.

Now, at a moment of uncertainty in K-12 education — particularly for students from immigrant families — she’s determined to meet the challenge. 

“I’ve always believed that things happen when they are meant to,” Machado-Casas said. “I know where my heart lies, and I know what is right for our communities. I’ve been placed in this position, I will give it my very best.”

A member of NABE for more than 20 years, Machado-Casas helped expand the National Bilingual Education Student Organization (BESO) nationally through the co-creation of a special interest group at NABE while serving on the faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has served on the organization’s board for the past three years and was vice president last year.

Upon her elevation to the presidency in June, Machado-Casas didn’t exactly have time to settle into the role. 

On July 1, $6 billion in federal funding was frozen for education programming nationwide, a large portion of those dollars were intended to support English Language Learners. The very next day, Machado-Casas and NABE joined partner organizations in hosting an emergency national press event to advocate for the release funding, which the federal government ultimately did on July 25.

“More than ever, advocacy is an important aspect of this role,” Machado-Casas said. “It’s about fighting for the right to have programming that supports our multilingual learners and their families. As an immigrant, teacher and advocate, I feel a deep sense of responsibility toward every single student, family, teacher, and administrator that we represent as an organization.”

At SDSU, Machado-Casas has secured millions in grant funding to address statewide shortages of bilingual educators. She is an expert in immigrant, indigenous and bilingual/multilingual education and minority agency in education — topics that are very personal for her.

Born in Bluefields, Nicaragua, Machado-Casas still carries the trauma of a perilous desert border crossing she made with her family when she was 13. It’s an experience that she said gives her empathy and an understanding for the young people whose lives are impacted by immigration and bilingual education policy.

“It took me 17 years to become legalized in this country, and I lived as an undocumented immigrant during that time,” she said. “The migration process is not an easy one, and it deeply impacts education. That’s why having schools that are supportive, that understand you, that recognize that language and culture cannot be separated, that accept students’ and communities’ bilingualism and multilingualism, and that serve as safe spaces is critical. 

“People need to feel a sense of belonging — that somebody’s got your back,” she added. “And this is the very work that NABE has been committed to for more than 50 years.”