ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author introduces the narrative studies featured in this volume addressing the question, “How is erasure manifested and resisted in Latinas’ lives as expressed through their narratives?” The book is situated within theoretical concerns regarding individuals’ agency as enacted within social forces, drawing on Latinx scholarship and on the sociocultural critical theory of mind and development described by Anna Stetsenko as a Transformative Activist Stance; a theory that puts forth a dialectical view of agency and theorizes commitment to change as the formative co-constituent of human development and society. The author proposes that while most of the narratives are identification stories, these contribute to collaborative transformative practices. Key concepts that frame this argument are presented, namely, erasure, agency, testimonios, and identity, followed by a discussion of four ways in which the authors and narrators contribute to a transformative activist agenda: a) the narrators author themselves as they mobilize funds of identity; b) the authors situate their testimonios within larger historical practices of marginalization and advocacy; c) they use writing to develop networks of solidarity; and d) lastly, each chapter addresses implications of their narrative for education. The author of this chapter and editor of the volume offers an overview of the three sections that organize the book.
