Revealing Our Work, Their Stories, and Historical Contexts Through Composite Counter-storytelling

• In Event: Trenzando Chicana Latina Feminist Perspectives into Mathematics Education

Abstract

Anzaldúa (1990) stressed how the experiential knowledge and ways of knowing of Latiné communities are not welcomed in academic spaces:
Some of these knowledges have been kept from us—entry into some professions
and academia denied us. Because we are not allowed to enter discourse, because
we are often disqualified and excluded from it, because what passes for theory
these days is forbidden territory for us, it is vital that we occupy theorizing space,
that we not allow white men and women solely to occupy it. By bringing in our
own approaches and methodologies, we transform that theorizing space. (p. xxv,
emphasis in original)
Anzaldúa reminds us of the importance of the voices and experiences of Latiné communities to be heard and considered in all spaces. Delgado (1989) described using counter-stories to account for alternate ways of knowing, living, and thinking about the world. Counter-stories not only seek to “document the persistence of racism from the perspectives of those injured and victimized by its legacy…[and] bring attention to those who courageously resist racism and struggle toward a more socially and racially just society” (Yosso, 2006, p. 10), but they also provide a space of healing and solidarity among those who are oppressed (Solórzano & Yosso 2001; 2002).
In this paper I use a composite counter-story of elementary age Latiné learners to reveal how language as a racialized weapon as well as a source of resistance plays a role in learning and doing mathematics. Composite counter-stories are a type of counter-story where composite characters are developed from various forms of data (i.e., empirical data, literature, the researchers’ personal and professional experiences, and legal accounts, such as laws, policies and judicial court cases) and placed in social, historical, and political situations to reveal a more holistic understanding of the lived experiences of Communities of Color (Solórzano & Yosso 2001; 2002; Yosso, 2006). Using the composite counter-story, Their Silence Spoken Out Loud, I reveal the multiple and rich data sources, research, and reflective work that goes into the construction of composite counter-stories. Figure 1 shows examples of the data and evidence used across all four components of composite counter-stories. The empirical data was collected from semi-structured interviews with 46 third, fourth, and fifth grade Latiné students across three predominantly white schools in the south-eastern U.S. Quotes from the empirical data, literature, personal and professional experiences, and court cases and laws show a more comprehensive understanding of how Latiné students must learn to navigate white spaces that silence and erase Latiné culture. The composite counter-story also reveals the asset of multilingualism, especially in learning mathematics, and the work Latiné communities do to preserve their culture. Composite counter-storytelling provides access to grapple with the experiences and knowledge from diverse communities. I argue we must continue to occupy white dominant spaces with our own ways of knowing, revealing our experiences, methodologies, and theories that not only challenge dominant narratives and uncover racism embedded within our society, but also provide a space for healing and creating solidarity.

Author

• Stacy Jones, University of Texas - San Antonio