Critical Race Theory By Tara Ana Yosso Summary And Analysis

1033 Words5 Pages
In this book, author Tara J. Yosso demonstrates how institutional power and racism affect the Chicano/a educational pipeline by weaving together critical race theory and counterstories. Critical race theory is a framework used to discover the ways race as well as racism implicitly and explicitly shape social structures, practices, and discourses(Yosso, pg.4). Counterstories refer to any narrative that goes against majoritarian stories, in which only the experiences and views of those with racial and social privilege are told. The counterstory methodology humanizes the need to change our educational system and critical race theory provides a structure for Yosso to base her research. This results in a beautiful hybrid of empirical data, theory, and fascinating narratives that works to analyze how forms of subordination shape the Chicana/o pipeline, while also exposing how institutions, structures, and discourses of education maintain discrimination based on gender, race, class and their intersections. Ideally schools would provide equal education and opportunities for all children, but in reality racism, sexism, classism, and other forms of discrimination still exist, albeit more hidden, in our schools today. Rather than stressing academic enrichment, the elementary schools that Chicanas/os attend to focus on academic remediation and a deceleration of the curriculum. The primary curriculum itself generally excludes or minimizes Chicana/o experiences, while also reinforcing