Henry Sales Hernandez

Henry Sales Leonel Hernandez is a third-year doctoral student and Graduate Student Instructor in the Language, Literacy, and Culture cluster at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Education. A first-generation college student from an Indigenous Maya Mam immigrant family from Guatemala, Henry’s life and scholarship are grounded in resilience, community, and a deep commitment to cultural revitalization. He lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and their daughter.

Growing up in San Juan Atitán, Guatemala, Henry developed a profound connection to his Mam heritage, which continues to shape his work as a researcher, educator, and community advocate. His research focuses on how the Maya Mam diaspora maintains its cultural identity through language and traditions while navigating the pressures of migration and assimilation. Using ethnographic and community-centered methods, Henry explores the dynamics of bi/multilingualism and translanguaging in the Oakland Unified School District and within the broader Maya Mam community in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Recognizing the rapid growth of the Indigenous Maya Mam population in the Bay Area, Henry’s work addresses the urgent need to preserve Indigenous language and cultural diversity. His research centers on three main areas: (1) theoretical frameworks for language revitalization grounded in community- and family-centered approaches, (2) digital strategies for expanding access to Mam language learning, and (3) the roles of schools, community organizations, and intergenerational practices in sustaining Mam language transmission.

Henry’s commitment to education and language revitalization began with the founding of Mam language workshops at Laney College (2019–2022), supported by Professor Arturo Dávila. These workshops emerged in response to the lack of visibility of the Mam people within broader Latino and Indigenous communities. Building on this foundation, Henry established Mam language electives at Oakland High School and Rudsdale Continuation High School, creating spaces where Mam-speaking students could connect with their heritage, strengthen academic engagement, and build leadership rooted in cultural pride.

Beyond academia, Henry has contributed significantly to Indigenous media, arts, and cultural exchange. As an interpreter and cultural organizer, he has represented the Maya Mam community in numerous local and international settings. Henry has facilitated cross-cultural exchanges between Indigenous communities in Guatemala and Mexico, including events in his hometown of San Juan Atitán that welcomed Indigenous guests from Mexico. He has also traveled to Tuxpan, Jalisco, Mexico, to participate in cultural gatherings that celebrate shared Indigenous identity, music, and dance traditions. These experiences reflect his belief in the power of art and movement as forms of language, storytelling, and diplomacy.

Currently, Henry collaborates with Trybe to design Mam language programs at San Antonio Park, integrating cultural practices that foster intergenerational relationships among Mam families. He also co-leads the LITTLE READERS program, a collaboration between Oakland’s Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) and the Mam community, where he incorporates Maya Mam cultural narratives intoearly literacy sessions to support language development and cultural pride.