AESA 2012 Presidential Address “What My Community Means To Me”: Reimagining Civic Praxis With Latina/Chicana Feminisms

Abstract

This article invites imaginings of democracy and education with and through “other” knowledges. It argues for the possibilities of working across difference as articulated in the transnational, border, and decolonial perspectives of Chicana/Latina feminisms. Specifically, it explores Gloria Anzaldúa's notions of nos/otras (we, we/they, us/them), and conocimiento (knowledge with wisdom) as an example of thinking with other knowledges in civic praxis. Notions of community and civic engagement are then examined through a personal testimonio stemming from early memories of participation in a civic organization's sponsored essay contest, “What my community means to me.” Testimonio is used to critique civic exclusions but also to reimagine and animate other knowledges in the development of conocimiento for redefining community and civic participation. Lastly, this article briefly explores one example of how local activists are building communities of civic praxis for racial justice. Latina/Chicana feminisms are useful for reflecting on practices of community and coalition building across difference in a cross-race, cross-class coalitional context.

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