The Role of Educational Institutions in the Development of Critical Literacy and Transformative Action

Encountering the Affective in Latino Immigrant Youth Narratives

“…The merging of the community and school spaces opens up a venue for challenging social inequalities and facing their stories in powerful ways. Johnson and Rosario-Ramos (2012) explored how an organization's community literacy practices, such as addressing political issues, writing histories, and participating in critical dialogue, showcased how these spaces can enable immigrant communities to reclaim their dignity through counterstorytelling that is set apart from public comments that slander their communities. This communitybased work can open a space for immigrant students to bring in the histories and experiences of their families and communities to create "interconnected processes of reflection and action" (Johnson & Rosario-Ramos, 2012, p. 55) that include schools, after-school programs, and family services.…”

“…Literacy scholars have also noted the important work of community‐based organizations as sites that center emotion, affect, and youth experiences through the use of counterstories (Johnson & Rosario‐Ramos, 2012; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002). These spaces encourage students to be with and in their communities (Kinloch, Larson, Orellana, & Lewis, 2016), particularly as they grow a literacy practice together.…”

A Case for Disciplinary Literacies That Support Civic Engagement and Social Justice

“…I have seen how historically dispossessed communities are particularly well positioned to engage in these forms of critical analysis and problem solving, as they have always been keenly aware of the ways in which social structures create and perpetuate injustice (Johnson & Rosario‐Ramos, 2012; Rosario‐Ramos & Sawada, 2019; Rosario‐Ramos, Tucker‐Raymond, & Rosario, 2017). These communities also have long legacies of collective action to improve the livelihoods of community members.…”

¿Usted Va al Capitolio También?: Adult Immigrants’ Positioning in Response to News and Digital Media about Immigration Policy

“…In such locations, individuals feel safe to engage in creative endeavors, nurturing a sense of belonging and consciousness, mobilized into social and political participation (Flores ). Laura Ruth Johnson and Enid Marie Rosario‐Ramos () theorize the merging of advocacy and educational goals as “counter‐storytelling communities,” where critical literacy practices are central to challenging master deficit narratives via text analysis and text production. A critical literacy stance aligns with some of the purposes in cultural citizenship work, with an explicit focus on the role of reading and writing in the analysis, critique, and transformation of dominant ideologies and institutions (Luke ).…”

“…The analysis also illustrates the challenges in educational settings where social justice and citizenship projects become central in the curriculum. Educational ethnographers who engage in participatory projects point to the potential of community spaces to engage in civic education, where students can craft texts that challenge master narratives (Abu El Haj ; Johnson and Rosario‐Ramos ). Implications of such work invite practitioners to connect with the struggles of immigrant youth and to engage in innovative praxis and critical literacies (Allexaht‐Snider, Buxton, and Harman ; Paris ).…”