Fostering Latina's Ethnic-Racial Identity at the Intersection of Race and Gender

• In Event: The Development of Anti-Racism Among Ethnically and Racially Diverse Children and Youth

Abstract

Growing up in a society that promotes eurocentrism, repudiates Latinx communities, and gaslights those who challenge these norms, can cause distorted views Latinx youth have of themselves and their ethnic-racial community (Ginwright & Cammarota, 2002; Cammarota, 2011). How youth of color form attachments to and the feelings they have towards their ethnic/racial group (i.e., ethnic-racial identity) have been associated with a host of academic, social, and psychological outcomes (Rivas-Drake & Umaña-Taylor, 2019), suggesting that youth who express strong feelings of affirmation towards their ethnic/racial group can better adjust within multiple contexts (e.g., Cross et al., 2018). As such, it is necessary to ensure Latinx youth have access to the tools and resources to reimagine and redefine what their ethnic/racial group memberships mean to them. Failing to challenge misrepresentations of communities of color can also put Latinx adolescents at risk of internalizing and acting in accordance with the beliefs, values, and structures that uphold white supremacy (Rivadeneyra et al., 2007; David et al., 2019). This makes it imperative to create counterspaces where Latinx youth can explore their cultural heritage whilst interrogating how individual and collective experiences are shaped by broader social, political, and economic forces. Although conversations surrounding intersectionality are often muted within a homogeneous portrayal of “Latinidad” (i.e., shared attributes and geopolitical experiences by people with Latin American roots), Latinx youth must have access to spaces where they can interrogate what it means to be Latinx at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and social class. Using a qualitative case study approach, this study explored how Critical Inquiry Groups (CIGs), small youth facilitated forums, facilitated the ERI development of Latina adolescents. Specifically, we will highlight how CIGs to positioned Latina youth as active agents and knowledge keepers of their lived and learned experiences as they make meaning of their ethnic/racial memberships. Data for this study were drawn from a pilot study of an educational intervention known a ¡Orgullosas y Poderosas!, a 14 session youth participatory action research program designed to nurture the identity development and strengthen the civic/political capacity of Latina adolescents. A total of 9 Latina high school youth (Mage = 16.5) participated. Findings will speak to (a) how CIG lent themselves as a vehicle for Latina youth to explore their cultural practices, histories of resistance, and tensions within the broader Latinx community; and (b) how CIG encouraged Latina youth to develop identities that express cultural pride, an awareness for the social injustices their group have faced, and a desire to enact social change for their ethnic/racial community. This study centers the experiences of Latina youth to give further insight into how youth negotiate and reconcile their ethnic-racial identity at the intersection of multiple forms of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism). By centering the experiences of Latina youth, the field will be encouraged to (re)imagine how to design transformative learning and community spaces that operate from a frame of intersectional justice.

Authors

• Bernardette Pinetta, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Deborah Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor