The goal of this self-study is to share the process of a first-year, White, middle-class, female teacher adopting a pedagogy and writing curriculum that speaks to the lived realities of her Mexican American students. This paper argues how "testimonio" as curriculum and pedagogy advises critical pedagogy and calls to challenge the present definitions of power and literacy in traditional secondary English Language Arts classrooms. Data from classroom curriculum are paralleled to practitioner notes and student work to show that students respond to this curriculum and pedagogy, which together create a classroom space where discussions of society as students experience it are welcomed.