Open access PDF

doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa8

ISBN: 978-1-951414-14-6

November 2024

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ISBN: 978-1-951414-15-3

Print Edition Coming Soon

The wounds of the past often ripple through generations, yet healing and resilience can also transcend time and place. Part 2: Student Letters on Intergenerational Healing captures this duality, presenting letters that grapple with inherited trauma and the possibilities for restoration. Jasmine Carrillo’s “Papi and Grandma” reflects on her grandparents’ immigrant journey, exploring ethnic-racial identity and cultural assimilation as sources of both challenge and strength. Similarly, Adriana Barba’s “Dear Abuelito Ruben” examines her grandfather’s racialized experiences as a Mexican migrant worker and her privilege as a White-passing Latina, prompting reflection on dismantling oppressive systems. Julia Elise Childs-Heyl’s “Dear Dad” tackles anti-Blackness and her interracial family’s legacy of resistance. In Jocelyn Ibarra’s “To My Familia Querida,” she explores the tensions between patriarchal family expectations and her pursuit of justice and education. Letters like Adriana Ocampo Torres’s “Whom Will You Be?” and Pamela Valdez’s “Mi Niña” turn toward future generations, emphasizing advocacy, self-love, and dismantling systemic oppression to create a better world. Jasmin Pruitt’s “Dear Andrew” encapsulates the intergenerational fight for equity, urging her son to honor his legacy of Black resilience and activism. Together, these letters illuminate how inherited trauma and resilience intersect to inspire healing and transformation, offering hope for a more equitable future. 

Discussion Questions

  1. How do the letter writers transform intergenerational trauma into resilience and advocacy for social change? 
  2. In what ways do these letters reflect the interconnectedness between personal healing and systemic change? 
  3. How can we, educators or practitioners, create spaces for intergenerational healing and storytelling in our professional practice?