Counter-Storying Lives and Literacies: Narratives of Transformational Resistance

ABSTRACT

This article employs counterstorytelling to present a layered, nuanced rendering of two bilingual, bicultural Latinas’ school leaving. Data were taken from an ethnographic narrative inquiry into the literacy identities of five women who participated in a women’s literacy initiative. Situated within a critical race feminista praxis, we interpret linkages between participants’ school experiences and transformational resistance. Findings indicate the women experienced a history of microaggressions and apathy, affecting their soul, mind, and spirit and moving them to take action. The women’s stories illuminate transformative ruptures that empowered them to refashion their lives and literate identities.

KEYWORDS:

• Literacy
• LatCrit
• Chicana feminism
• counterstorytelling
• transformational resistance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ We use the term Latina to be inclusive of ethnic groups in the Latin American diaspora and use the terms participants used when they self-identified.

² The term Chicanx/Latinx is used to recognize gender fluidity.

³ Sally cared for a paraplegic woman who she greatly admired and respected and took the name of her patient as her pseudonym. It is less clear as to why Melissa chose her pseudonym other than stating she always liked the name.

⁴ Sally’s pastor survived an auto accident that left him paralyzed. Although she spoke at length about her pastor, she did not mention or discuss his ethnicity.