Latina Women Crush(ing the Patriarchy) 

When I started blogging back in 2010, there weren’t a whole ton of bloggers writing about Latina feminism. There were plenty of Latinx bloggers and Latina activists, but the feminist internet was still a pretty White space, and I sometimes struggled to find writing that got at the feminist intersections I thought were important. 

Baby blogger me would be so happy to come across Latina Magazine’s new series, Women Crush(ing the Patriarchy) Wednesdays, which features a different Latina feminist each week. Run by Raquel Reichard – a veteran of the Latina feminist internet herself – the WCW series includes Latinas who are fighting for reproductive justice, sex positivity, immigrant rights and against sexism, racism, and all other forms of oppression. Reichard has featured people like artivist Favianna Rodriguez, trans immigrant rights activist and Obama-interrupter Jennicet Gutierrez, Feministing’s own Verónica Bayetti Flores and myself. One of my favorite parts of each interview is to see which words the interviewee uses to describe their feminism, a theme Reichard touched upon when I asked about her inspiration for the series:

“I wanted to create a space where Latinas can see themselves represented in this movement and where we can recognize that feminist work doesn’t need to be explicitly called “feminist work” or “women’s rights,” where we can spot intersectional feminism in the actions of mujeres who are in mental health, immigrants’ rights, body positivity, criminal justice, trans justice, media and more. It was also extremely important for me to create a space that says “eff you” to respectability politics, where we praise the badass chicas who have been labeled “bad” immigrants, “bad” Latinas and “bad” feminists.”

For many interviewees, feminism developed as an intrinsic part of their experience as Latinas in a racist and sexist society. “Each of my WCWs credit their current social justice/feminist work to their upbringing, to the ways in which their cultural identities interlock with their gender, race, class, sexual orientation, disability, etc.” says Reichard.

“These are all women who see their work as life-saving and life-affirming, as they should. They recognize that they are helping to crush the patriarchy, and other oppressive systems, through their work and also by just existing unapologetically in their respected fields. These are the women I needed to see growing up. They’re dope-ass Latina feminists.”

Check out the full Women Crush(ing the Patriarchy) Wednesdays series here.