Analysis of the life stories of three activists involved in the 2011 student mobilization in Chile reveals a particular articulation of the painful memories of their parents, who had been political radicals before or during the Pinochet dictatorship, that allowed them to build a perspective on their own struggle and develop effective narratives that fueled their activism. The research sheds light on the nature of postmemory and political subjectivation in transitional societies. El analisis de las historias de vida de tres activistas involucrados en la movilizacion estudiantil de 2011 en Chile revela una particular articulacion de los dolorosos recuerdos de sus padres, quienes fueran radicales politicos antes o durante la dictadura de Pinochet. Esto les permitio construir una perspectiva sobre su propia lucha y desarrollar narrativas efectivas para alimentar su activismo. La investigacion se enfoca en la naturaleza de la posmemoria y la subjetivacion politica en las sociedades en transicion.