ABSTRACT
This qualitative inquiry presents the testimonio of a Mexican American scholar whose identity is contested in educational spaces. The testimonio reveals the multi-generational underpinnings of her identity, the collective and dynamic nature of it, and the reclaiming of its strength. In particular, the intersections of her identity as a Mexican American, first-generation college graduate, single mother, and Chicana Feminist scholar are documented as locations of strength on her educational journey. The testimonio is written under the exigency of knowing marginalized communities are powered by the telling and re-telling of stories that ground a collective struggle in the securing of educational futures. This work concludes by discussing the ongoing process of reflecting on the importance of intentionally choosing to recover, express, and renew one’s identity knowing it is both a practice of freedom and a collective struggle.
