Abstract
“I am from…” is a tool for analyzing the social construction of intersectional identity that addresses racism and other inequities in the classroom. “I am from…” helps students recognize their own constructed identities, enhances their ability to articulate the complexities of their identities, and encourages them to engage in a more critical analysis of power and privilege from the plural standpoints of intersectionality. The reflective time afforded for students to consider responses to the phrase “I am from…”, and the context of an academic class, seem to promote positive self‐identifications. Typical first‐class‐meeting formulaic introductions ask students to identify themselves by narrow and abstract parameters. They often reduce students' identities to the names given to them by parents or guardians, even if an allowance is permitted for nicknames or name preferences. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, “I am from…” frames the course within the overall project of critical thinking.