Learning World War II Through Counternarratives: Jewish American Students Confronting Asian and Asian American Perspectives

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Shifting Perspectives on Identity, Ability, and History

Abstract

This teacher research study examined the beliefs of 39 sixth-grade social studies students as they learned world history through Asian and Asian American counter-narratives. The researcher analyzed student work, interviews, classroom observations, and her teacher journal through the lens of Solórzano and Yosso’s (2002) framework of counter-storytelling. Findings revealed that students (1) developed solidarity with oppressed peoples but fixated on differences between the groups rather than potential for collective action; (2) changed their settled beliefs when confronted with multiple counter-narratives together; and (3) experienced guilt for their White identity but did not call for transformative change. This study highlights the need to teach with counter-narratives to challenge students’ settled knowledge, build solidarity among oppressed peoples, and work toward justice.

Author

• Jennifer Chalmers-Curren, Boston University