Testimonio

A testimonio is
a first-person account by the person (narrator) who has faced

instances of social and political inequality, oppression, or any specific form of
marginalization.
Testimonio, a Spanish term understood as “witness account”, embodies a

narrative research methodology rooted in Latin American history.
Testimonio, is directly translated to the English word “testimony,” but there are
important differences between the two words. “Testimonio” is a literary genre and is
not bound by the same legal obligations to “truth” which are equated with “testimony”.
Testimonio is generally considered a fact-based first person narrative of injustice,
seeking to represent the experiences of a larger social group, with the aim of rallying
support to create more just future. While there may be similarities, testimonio is not
the same as other non-fiction genres such as biography, autobiography, and historical
texts.
As opposed to other forms of creative non fiction, in testimonio it is usually the

narrator her/himself who is the research tool, with an interest in telling the story from
that individual perspective which, in turn, represents a larger, collective story that
took place in the community that the narrator inhabits.
The goal of testimonio as a form of narrative inquiry, then, transcends awareness and
gravitates toward political intention, questions about institutional power, the need to
speak for justice, the creation of stronger pockets of resistance, and the importance of
solidarity and coalition as keys to building more equitable social frameworks
It has the same characteristics with personal essay because it is written in the first-
person point of view. But unlike personal essay, which primarily revolves around the
personal development or experience of the author, a testimonio recounts personal
experience of an author being oppressed or has experienced and witnessed the
lives of the people in the socially impoverished state and has become a victim of
human rights violation. Testimonio is different from academic papers since its main
purpose is to call the attention of leaders to hear a plea. Read this example.
Who uses the concept?
A myriad of fields in human and social sciences have adopted testimonio as

their methodological tool of choice. Scholars from Chicana/o Studies, feminist studies,
multicultural education, and indigenous studies have integrated testimonio into their
first- hand accounts of issues of marginalization and oppression.
Testimonio becomes relevant for intercultural dialogue because it seeks organic

intellectuals that help outsiders learn about the local history of the communities that
have suffered marginalization. Testimonio provides an open invitation to engage in real
dialogue with cultures and individuals.
Testimonio, as one of the truest indigenous research methodologies, has
potential to highlight stories from marginalized communities.
For students within academe, there is a limited comprehension of the expansive ethnic
genres for writing and reading, simply that traditional genres of prose and poetry exist.
In “Voices for the Voiceless,” Gugelberger and Kearney explain the major
proponents of testimonio that separate it from similar genres: testimonio is concerned
with the future, not the past; it is concerned with the collective society, not the
individual; and there is a learning process involved that inspires readers to act for
justice and aims to destabilize authority.
Three different kinds of testimonio: forensic, epideictic, and deliberative.
Forensic speech asks decision-makers to categorize past actions as just or unjust.
Epideictic speech is addressed to spectators, whom it asks to categorize present

actions as noble or shameful; its means are praise and blame.
Deliberative speech asks decision-makers to determine whether or not to undertake a

future action; its means are persuasion and dissuasion.
A Bird in the Cage
Published by: Shacyne Mondano
This testimonio is from my mother’s story of her life.

I was born in the province of Bohol. I was the fifth child of twelve. My parents are both
farmers. We were living in a simple house at a top of the mountain. And as the eldest
among my sisters, I was responsible for all the household chores and serve as the
mother of my younger siblings by taking care of them while my parents are on the
farm. It was so hard for me to study because our school is about 4 kilometers away
from our house and it was located at the bottom of the mountain. So, I must walk
every day before and after class. Every time I got home, I was so exhausted wanting to
sleep but my mother always forced me to do the household chores or else I will be
punished. So, I have no choice but to do what she asked me. My everyday life is so
tiring and difficult. My mother always treated me so badly. I never feel the love of a
mother. And my father, he always came home drunk but even though he’s drunk he
never laid his hands to us not like any other drunks who always messing around
violently. There are times that we don’t have food to eat because he spends the money
in drinking and in the cock fighting. Every time he went home my mother scolded him.
Almost every day there is a war in the house. But despite all those happenings in my
life, I was so proud of myself.
Since elementary to high school, I was a consistent honor student. My medals
and achievements are my precious possessions. Every day and every time I received
awards, I always thank God for always staying with me in times of trial and
happiness. My faith in God will never ever disappear. And I also have faith that I will
enter to college despite of our poverty. It is the only way that I can see to escape from
this way of living.
But my mother told me no, “you can’t go to college. We don’t have money for your
expenses, and you should help me feeding your siblings. You should go to work!”. My
heart broke and shattered. I cried and cried when I got home. I can’t accept that I
can’t go to college. I really want to go to college. Any course is fine for me I just want to
go to college. But no matter how many times I beg she never listened but instead she
shouted at me forcing me to do the work.
I was hired as a helper at a Chinese convenient store for two months and I
eventually went to Mindanao because my Uncle promised me to help me finished my
education. But when I get there, he made me as his child’s babysitter. I thought I
could continue my study. I was so disappointed and upset.
How long should I endure this terrible cage of mine? How long do I have to
wait before I get my freedom? It’s been FOUR YEARS of working in different stores and
houses! Does my right in education have already been forgotten? I can’t accept this. I
don’t want to stay in this kind of life forever! I must do something.
Then, my older cousin heard my complaints. She offers me her help; she is
willing to pay for my enrollment and expenses for just a year. But the problem is, will
my mother allow me to return to school? Knowing that it can affect my work?
I was so desperate. I must tell my mother that I really want to enter college. I was so
nervous and scared. What if she rejects the offer? What will happen to my future? I
was completely shocked. My mother has given the permission to accept the offer. My
heart is overflowed with joy. I was so happy after FOUR YEARS finally I can truly go to
college.
I take the vocational course, nursing aid. And as promised I finished it in a

year. After that, my cousin brought me to the brother of her master who is a doctor to
assist him on his clinic because his wife is on abroad. But I never expect that he is the
person who can help me finished the college.
And now I am a licensed registered midwife who is currently working at the Hospital of
Carmona, Cavite.
Source: https://shane176.wordpress.com/2017/11/02/review-paper/
STEPS IN WRITING TESTIMONIO
 Keep the “personal” in testimonio. We want to know what you have

witnessed. Tell us something we don’t know about the reality of life.
 Find for more input. Research about people and place involved.
 A good testimonio should contain an introductory paragraph, body
paragraphs, and a conclusion. The standard length is about five paragraphs,
but essays can be longer or shorter, as long as they contain all three basic
sections.
 Create an essay outline. Drafting an outline first can help you lay out the
main points and tone of the message you are trying to share. Your outline will
help you figure out early on if this specific moment is worth writing about.
Whichever topic you choose for your essay, it must have had a strong emotional
impact on you or have taught you a lesson in some way.
 Use sensory details about the sequence of events surrounding your thesis to
guide the reader through your personal essay. Build up your personal story
here to eventually lead the reader to your main point.
 Be specific. Provide the details necessary about real life characters, place or any
particular feelings experienced.
 Proofread your work. Aside from checking spelling and grammar. No matter
how good your writing skills are, it’s always helpful to reread your own work
and ensure you’ve solidified your story.

Testimonio

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Read this document in other languages

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Testimonio

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

A testimonio is

a first-person account by the person (narrator) who has faced

Testimonio, a Spanish term understood as “witness account”, embodies a

As opposed to other forms of creative non fiction, in testimonio it is usually the

Who uses the concept?

A myriad of fields in human and social sciences have adopted testimonio as

Testimonio becomes relevant for intercultural dialogue because it seeks organic

Three different kinds of testimonio: forensic, epideictic, and deliberative.

Forensic speech asks decision-makers to categorize past actions as just or unjust.

Epideictic speech is addressed to spectators, whom it asks to categorize present

Deliberative speech asks decision-makers to determine whether or not to undertake a

A Bird in the Cage

Published by: Shacyne Mondano

This testimonio is from my mother’s story of her life.

I take the vocational course, nursing aid. And as promised I finished it in a

STEPS IN WRITING TESTIMONIO

 Keep the “personal” in testimonio. We want to know what you have

You might also like