Rooted in history, rising with community: Youth-led community workshops as counterspaces of intergenerational learning, affirmation of belonging, and racial solidarity

Theoretically framed by counterspaces and methodologically grounded in community-based research, this study explores community participants’ experiences in an Asian American and migrant youth-led community workshop on Asian American histories held in a predominantly white midwestern town. It asks: How do community participants experience a youth-led community workshop on Asian American histories and in what ways does the workshop function as counterspaces? The findings show that the youth-led community workshop serves as intergenerational and cross-racial counterspaces where participants reclaimed marginalized histories, cultivated belonging and pride, and forged commitments to solidarity in pursuit of racial justice. The findings offer implications for expanding counterspace theory to center youth-created counterspaces that engage broader communities across generations and backgrounds. The study also calls on educators and community practitioners to cultivate epistemic justice and intellectual activism through youth-driven, community-based, and justice-oriented collaborations.