Navigating Borderlands in Education: A CHamoru’s Journey through Nepantla in U.S.-Colonized Guam and “Beyond”

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 1
  In Paper Session: Relational Futures: Borderlands, Belonging, and Reimagining Education

Abstract

This paper explores the transformative potential of Gloria Anzaldúa’s conocimiento framework for decolonizing educational aspirations and identity formation. Through narrative inquiry, three pivotal life moments (el arrebato) are analyzed using Anzaldúa’s seven stages of conocimiento (el arrebato, nepantla, the Coatlicue state, the call to action, putting Coyolxauhqui together, the blow-up, and spiritual activism), Lugones’ decolonial feminism, and Galarte’s dolor to illuminate the challenges of navigating diasporic CHamoru identity within colonized educational and professional systems, revealing how rupture, reflection, and relationality foster transformation.
The importance of embracing liminal spaces to reimagine identity and challenge colonial paradigms are highlighted. The study emphasizes the power of dolor and spiritual activism in bridging personal growth and collective liberation, offering a model for others seeking cultural reclamation and systemic resistance. This work advocates for culturally responsive pedagogy and institutional accountability, contributing to broader conversations on equity, decolonization, and integration of Indigenous ways of knowing into education.

Author

• Roberto Jacob C. Laanan, University of Utah