Transfronterizo Women Educators: Trauma, Sexuality, and Identity in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

• In Event: Rethinking and Imaging Futures Within and Beyond Intersectionality, Patriarchy, and the Borderlands

Abstract

This ethnographic study explores the experiences of transfronterizo women educators in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands through the lens of Avgi Saketopoulou's theory of traumatophilia. Focusing on three participants - Sonia, Luz, and Elena - the study examines how traumatic experiences related to border-crossing, gender violence, and societal expectations in their youth have shaped these women's identities and can inform trauma-informed pedagogy. Applying concepts of limit consent and the erotics of overwhelm, the analysis reveals how participants have harnessed traumatic experiences for personal and collective transformation. The findings challenge dominant trauma paradigms and suggest new approaches to trauma-informed education that recognize the transformative potential of distressing experiences. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of trauma, sexuality, and identity in borderland and education contexts.

Author

• Lee O'Donnell, Texas State University