Counter-storytelling Across Varying Youth Contexts and Intergenerational Work in YPAR Settings

Abstract

This article underscores healthy tensions of navigating youth participatory action research (YPAR) and writing in an academic and intergenerational context. Counter-storytelling (Solórzano & Yosso 2002) is used as a method to unveil parallels across two different geographic contexts. Echoing the words of Gloria E. Anzaldúa, while we may be scared to write, we are more scared of not writing (Anzaldúa, 1981). This paper unveils experiences of displacement across two different geographic contexts among high school youth and the tensions embedded in the writing process across an intergenerational collective. In the words of Mr. Gar from OK K.O.!: Let’s be heroes: “sometimes it is the things we are ashamed of that are worth being proud of.” Thus, we begin by revealing what it means to write as youth, as adults afraid to write for the youth. It is here in this space that we, an intergenerational collective, make the choice to write together.