“Latina and Smart”: Negotiating the Complexities of Identity Within Oppressive Spaces

• In Event: Poster Session 16
  In Poster Session: Transformative Social Justice Practices in Diverse Contexts

Abstract

This presentation documents the findings of a year-long ethnographic study that explored educational experiences of a group of Latina females. Narrative analysis was used to analyze multiple forms of data gathered from various contexts stemming from the students’ participation in a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project. Data sources included in-depth interviews, writing samples, multimedia projects, observations, and informal interactions. The findings suggest that through participation in YPAR, the students found spaces that allowed them to enact identities as “Latina Scholars,” a departure from their typical positioning in the school. Data analysis also indicated evidence of a non-linear renegotiation of identities among the Latina students, namely their racialized and gendered selves. Implications for K-12 education and teacher preparation are explored.

Authors

• Aja E. LaDuke, College of Saint Rose

• Jason G. Irizarry, University of Connecticut