Becoming a Woman of Color

Abstract

Social and biological scientists agree that race and ethnicity are social constructions, not biological categories (Wade, 2015). Social constructs, such as race, are fluid systems that take on different forms and nuances depending on social context (Anzaldúa, 1987). Living in two social contexts makes the distinct definitions of racial construction apparent. The author shares encounters with colleagues, students, and the local community that transformed her understanding of the construction of race in social contexts, her racial and ethnic identity, and her role as faculty in art education. Becoming a woman of color is a continual process of learning/understanding a social construction of race through and within varied social contexts.