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Identity Construction in Latina Students

This chapter illuminates a literacy educator's efforts in engaging Latina adult university students with writing authentic texts in which they critically reflect on their life experiences. The study describes how critical autobiographies—by providing engaging opportunities for the writing process—also served as an initiator to articulate aspirant's difficult life experiences. The autobiographies are analyzed utilizing Howard and Alamilla's (2015) perspectives on gender identities (essentialism, socialization, social construction, and structuralism). The findings help connect with prior research that when students are allowed to write about their cultural experiences, they are (1) able to express their inadequacies and struggles using life experiences within their families and communities, and they (2) reveal multiple aspects of their cultural identities as Latina.