Theorizing Intersectional R(ac)esilience Through the Lens of Gay Latino Collegians

Abstract

ABSTRACT Within the literature, there is a lack of consensus on what resilience means, including whether it is a personal trait or a process, and a paucity of studies that have specifically focused on resilient gay Latino men within an educational context. Furthermore, there are limitations in waves of resilience research, particularly the overlooking of social identities and systems of oppression. This study constructively builds on and expands traditional conceptions of resilience by centering the lives of gay Latino collegians through an intersectional approach. Using data from in-depth interviews with gay Latinos, I propose the concept of intersectional r(ac)esilience. Intersectional r(ac)esilience provides a more nuanced and accurate way of theorizing about vulnerabilities and protective factors; yet, this theory relates them to students’ interlocking identities, highlighted as a contextual process that occurs over an indefinite period.