To Romanticize or Not To? Collective Struggles of Marginalized Youth and the Politics of Representation

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

The panel features four qualitative studies that embrace different methodological and theoretical approaches in hopes of illuminating a more nuanced understanding of how marginalized youth fight for a more humane educational experience. This panel includes presentations on the production of knowledge through Black girls’ stories, the political consciousness of suburban Latina/o youth, undocumented Korean youth activism for immigration reform, and remaking race and class of Korean international students at a community college. In doing so, we offer a detailed discussion on how marginalized youth respond to the institutions they traverse (e.g. schools, community, nation-state) along with examining myriad ways youth attempt to enact change.

Sub Unit

• Division G - Social Context of Education / Division G - Section 2: Education in Mulitcultural Contexts Within and Across Subject Areas

Chair

• Yoon K. Pak, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Papers

• The Education of a Storyteller: Exploring the Knowledge Production of Stories in Black Girl–Centered Spaces - Porshe Renee Garner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• I'm Proud to Be a Chicano! Understanding the Political Consciousness of Suburban Youth - Gabriel Rodriguez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Activism of Resignation: Challenges of Undocumented Korean American Youth Activists and Their Compromise - Ga-Young Chung, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Remaking of Race and Class: Internationalization of Community College and Politics of Korean Students' Belonging - Sujung Kim