This article recounts a narrative of professional transformation inspired by the works of Paulo Freire and Gloria Ladson-Billings and advanced by a participatory action research (PAR) project. The PAR team for this case study, consisting of the university teacher educator as a "coach" and a high school classroom teacher along with her students, examines the use of community-based knowledge in a form of "corrido" (ballads) studies. In this process, the ballads become the basis for learners' engagement with literacy activities in the context of what is known as a "heritage language" Spanish class. The analysis focuses on the process of designing a culturally relevant pedagogy and ensuring its effectiveness through the examination of pre- and postwriting samples and students' fluid identification with various ethnic labels.