Moving from Complaints to Action: Oppositional Consciousness and Collective Action in a Political Community

This article analyzes the process of youth political activism and development by drawing on ethnographic research on Asian and Pacific Islander youth activists. Young people revealed that collective action begins with a critical analysis of their lived experiences with inequalities. Their actions also involved oppositional consciousness that was nurtured in social justice-oriented community organizations. Tracking youth's successful efforts for school reform, I show how oppositional consciousness is realized and what activism looks like in practice. [youth activism, oppositional consciousness, social–educational change, Asian and Pacific Islanders]