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In this chapter, we analyze and reflect on how our cultural identities and educational experiences as international students who pursued a doctoral degree in the United States affected and influenced our teaching philosophy and praxis as professors and educators. In this sense, we examine how our cultural identities and experiences help us define and shape our teaching praxis in the contexts in which we teach. We both are professors of color – Latino and Latino-Japanese – who graduated from doctoral programs in the United States. Currently, we work and serve culturally and linguistically diverse students, including first-generation students, in public higher education settings in Chile and the United States. We used a collection of narratives to delve into the significance of these events in our praxis. As theoretical lenses, we analyze these narratives using cultural identity and the reflecting teacher to examine our practices and identities as educators. We both conclude that our reflections, experiences, and cultural identities have been instrumental in the process of developing a professional identity that guides our teaching praxis in ways that are critical and social justice oriented.

Mexico is a large, culturally and linguistically diverse country. More than half of its population lives below the poverty line, a fifth is of indigenous origin, and 5% have a disability. This chapter offers a brief description of the general characteristics of the country and the legislative changes toward inclusion and presents the status and progress toward the 2030 Agenda educational goals toward inclusive education. Although efforts have been made to improve the quality of education and inclusion, the country's complexities: poverty, cultural diversity, and political adjustments, among others, have held back progress, as will be explained in this chapter.