ERIC Number: EJ995431
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Cultivating a Guerrera Spirit in Latinas: The Praxis of Mothering
Guzman, Bianca
Journal of the Association of Mexican American Educators, v6 n1 p45-51 2012
In this article I argue that mothering in the home is an educational tool for creating positive self-agency in Latina girls. This essay articulates the ways in which my lived experiences as a Latina mother informs the socialization of "guerrera" girls. I engage in a process of "testimonio" to demonstrate how mothering, by using tools such as stories--"cuentos", advise--"consejos", conversations--"platicas" can create instances where learning can occur for both mother and daughter that disrupt the racist discourses Latinas face in their everyday lives. I discuss how the use of a decolonial imaginary process provides both mothers and daughters ways to re-create the daily lived experiences of marginalization so that they become instances of regenerative resistance. As a tool of Latina mothering, I propose the use of suspended spaces within moments of everyday life where individuals simultaneously suspend the social hierarchies that constrain personas to have "platicas" that promote a "guerrera" spirit. Finally, this essay is testament to the strong "guerrera" spirit Latina mothers carry and share for future generations of "guerreras". (Contains 3 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Hispanic American Culture, Daughters, Mothers, Hispanic Americans, Self Concept, Socialization, Females, Racial Bias, Disadvantaged, Futures (of Society), Cultural Traits, Praxis
Association of Mexican American Educators. 634 South Spring Street Suite 908, Los Angeles, CA 90014. Tel: 310-251-6306; Fax: 310-538-4976; e-mail: executivedirector@amae.org; Web site: http://www.amae.org. Journal is at
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A