Superhero Mathematics: Immigrant Youth Creating Counter-Narratives of Mathematical Power

• In Event: Global Perspectives on Digital Storytelling for Identity, Justice, and Community

Abstract

This study examines how immigrant youth used superhero storytelling frameworks within Digital Mathematics Storytelling (DMST) workshops to create counter-narratives that position themselves as mathematically powerful while processing collective trauma and challenging dominant mathematical discourses. Participants, primarily recently arrived involuntary immigrant youth, explored how superhero narratives honored their migration histories while envisioning mathematical futures grounded in agency, resistance, and community solidarity.
Drawing from an evolving DMST framework developed across multiple international studies, this research focuses on newcomer immigrant youth ages 8–14 in the midwestern United States. Many participants had recently experienced involuntary migration, navigating complex cultural, linguistic, and educational transitions while confronting anti-immigrant sentiment and systemic barriers to access. The majority were from Ukraine, and their stories addressed themes related to the ongoing war in their home country.
Theoretically, this study is grounded in counter-storytelling (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002), which highlights how marginalized communities use narrative to challenge dominant discourses and reclaim identity. It also draws from community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005), which recognizes forms of capital—aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial, and resistant—that are often ignored by dominant institutions but are vital for educational success and community empowerment.
The one-week DMST camp followed a five-stage protocol: (1) exploring mathematics in participants’ daily lives and communities, (2) developing and sharing story ideas in supportive storycircles, (3) revising stories based on peer feedback, (4) creating collaborative videos using accessible digital tools, and (5) hosting community screening events that centered youth voices. Within this structure, superhero storytelling emerged as a powerful entry point for identity exploration—what Krone and Enciso (2025) describe as a “less vulnerable” mode for narrative expression. Telling stories about superheroes, rather than directly about themselves, gave youth the space to engage in meaningful identity work.
Data sources included participant-created digital stories, storycircle recordings, pre- and post-workshop surveys, field notes, and community discussions. Analysis focused on how superhero frameworks enabled youth to construct mathematical identities that resisted deficit narratives, challenged stereotypes like the model minority myth, and critiqued colonial and capitalistic framings of math achievement.
Findings revealed that superhero storytelling allowed youth to: (1) create mathematical narratives centered on resilience, power, and community rather than individual performance; (2) process trauma related to displacement and anti-immigrant violence through imaginative problem-solving; and (3) build critical digital media literacy skills to counter toxic online representations of immigrant communities.
Youth created vivid and often absurd stories featuring mathematical superheroes who tackled issues such as migrant worker exploitation, preservation of cultural knowledge systems, and social isolation. These narratives repositioned mathematics as a tool for justice, community protection, and cultural survival rather than a sterile academic subject.
This research positions storytelling as both pedagogy and methodology for engaging immigrant youth in humanizing mathematics. It offers actionable insights for educators committed to inclusive learning environments and affirms the power of superhero mathematics storytelling as a form of cultural resistance that enables immigrant youth to reclaim their mathematical narratives.

Author

• Theodore Chao, California State University - Fullerton