Guerreras y Puentes: the theory and praxis of Latina(x) activism

Abstract

ABSTRACT Latinas have long played a vital but under-acknowledged role in US social justice movements. The complexity of their hybrid racial and multi-faceted identities shapes but also obscures their activism, placing them at the juncture of or in the space between movements. Like others at the intersection of multiple marginalities, they have pushed back against marginalization in mainstream movements, forging their own way in hostile environments. Using their positional assets as the translators and bridge builders between movements, they have developed insights and practices for working across difference and addressing the multiple and interlocking forms of oppression that impact their communities. In this article, we first theorize Latina(x) activism in regard to their intersectional location and the development of a mestiza consciousness, placing the insights of Chicana feminism in conversation with the growing literature on social movement intersectionality in order to propose indicators of intersectional praxis. We then use a structured focused comparison of four distinct social movement organizations to examine Latina(x) intersectional praxis, illustrating its contributions to and its potentials for social justice organizing.