Cal State Long Beach Hosts the 2nd Annual Chicana/Latina Feminisms Conference

Last weekend, I attended an awesome free conference at California State University, Long Beach. With the help of the Gender, Women and Sexualities Studies Student Association, our FMF affiliate group, the Conciencia Femenil hosted the 2nd annual Chicana/Latina Feminisms Conference: Joteando Por Vida! Para Nunca Mas Nos Vuelvan A Borrar! This conference focused on intersectional identities and addressed issues like: sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, heteropatriarchy, transphobia, reproductive justice, access to education, colonization, ableism, and more. The Conciencia Femenil's goal of the conference was to "reclaim our lost stories and tackle our intersectional identities by building bridges in our communities and creating spaces for marginalized voices by entering our voces de joteria to resist our chronic erasure". The conference featured a panel of notable chicana feminists like Maylei Blackwell, Antonia Castañeda, and Dionne Espinoza to name a few.

The history panel was powerful as it told the stories of the Chicano Student Movement and the Chicano Power Movement from people who were there. The first panel laid a foundation to understand the history behind the chican@ movement. Chicana feminists shared their stories of learning to work for social justice in an egalitarian way as they confronted sexism in their fight for workers rights, immigrant rights, and access to education. The panelists shared personal stories about being feminists in a machismo culture; integrating the voices of women and queer folks was a struggle within the movement.

The conference had one too many awesome workshops to choose from that discussed sexuality, media justice, political art, gender based violence, and more. Among the workshops, organizations like Cucci, xQsí (Porque Sí) Magazine, Dignidad Rebelde, and The OC Dream Team were present.

I was able to sit in on an awesome workshop, "Distorted Images, Distorted Lives" with xQsí (Porque Sí) Magazine. The workshop was led by writers from the brand new Latin@ LGBT magazine. The workshop discussed the absence of a queer voice in Chican@/Latin@ culture in media and how to change that through media. One of my favorite moments from this workshop was when Porque Sí writers asked, "Where are the happy queers?" to point to the fact that queer people are almost never portrayed in a positive light. A majority of the queer faces and stories we get in the media are of upper class, white people. Much of the conference focused on issues of erasure and histories that have been silenced; the workshop made me think of the absence of queer voices in Chican@ history. This workshop was one of the few spaces that I've seen a dialogue about intersectional identities as young, chican@, immigrant, trans, poor, bilingual, queers with stories to tell. My mother sat next to me in this workshop and I know we definitely gained solidarity in talking openly about my queer identity as a Chicana person. I was proud that my mom spoke out and sat next to me as many of the attendees shared personal stories of their parents reaction to their coming out. Keep an eye out for the first issues of xQsí (Porque Sí) Magazine!

The second workshop I attended was called "I <3 Queer Doula-ing!". The discussion covered several topics including the history of queer birth, alternative birth options, and DIY gynecology. At the Feminist Majority Foundation, we care A LOT about reproductive justice and individual autonomy, and theres nothing more feminist than having a child through natural birthing methods. Certified sexological bodyworker, doula, and DJ Pati Garcia led the presentation about what it means to be a queer doula. I enjoyed this workshop so much because doulas, especially queer doulas, and queer families are radically challenging the heteropatriachical family structure. I left this workshop with a copy of A New View of A Woman's Body, a zine about DIY gynecology, and a zeal to become a doula.

Apart from the panels, workshops, and discussions, I also met a lot of great people. Check out this interview with CSULB student Gabriel as he talks about why chicana feminism is important to him!

What is Chicana Feminism?

Every true feminist is aware of the diversity that exists among all feminists. We come in all colors and from all walks of life. In theorizing Feminism and battling oppression, it is not possible to isolate our gender from our race, our culture, our sexuality, our age, our religion, or our class status. All these factors intersect and feed off each other to make us who we are.

I am a Chicana Feminist because I cannot separate my race and culture from my gender. This is because my race and culture have greatly impacted the woman I have become. I also refuse to rate those factors in terms of importance because one does not exist without the other. Being a woman and a feminist has impacted my life just as much as being a Chicana.

So what is "Chicana Feminism"?

"Chicana Feminism" is a complex concept and practice that incorporates a wide variety of ideas and theories and cannot be easily defined. However, my particular concept of Chicana Feminism incorporates intersectionality; the act of claiming your gender and race/ethnicity/culture simultaneously, without placing one identity over the other. Identifying as a Chicana means more than just identifying with Mexican culture, it is also a political stance that involves a political and social awareness of existing inequalities.

Similar to second wave feminism in the U.S. , "Chicana Feminism" seeks to achieve social, political, and economic equality among the sexes, as well as incorporating a political stance and direct opposition to the evils of patriarchy. Furthermore, Chicana Feminism analyzes and recognizes numerous other forms of dis-empowerment and oppression such as racism, homophobia, and class inequality, in hopes of giving a voice to the silenced.

Chicana Feminists seek liberation and emancipation from both sexism and racism. Chicanas and Chicanos belong to a race and culture that is constantly under attack because it is construed as negative and inferior in comparison to the dominant American culture. Chicana Feminists want to destroy this misconception of inferiority and achieve cultural integrity and dignity for all Chicana/os.

Chicana Feminism emerged in the mid 1960's, in the midst of an era categorized by radical organization and mobilization by many minority groups in the U.S. that felt un-represented and discriminated against. Following the Civil Rights Movement, many separate movements began to emerge, including The Chicano Movement and The Feminist Movement (also commonly known as the Second wave of feminism).

Although the Chicano movement included respectful aims for the Chicano community such as embracing their cultural nationalism, it remained largely a male-centered movement that ignored the importance and issues of Chicanas.

On the flip side, the Anglo Feminist Movement in the mid 1960's was comprised primarily of women whom were white American and middle to upper class. Although they fought for equality for women in government, employment and labor unions, their sole focus on gender inequality was erroneous because they failed to acknowledge the implications of other factors such as race/ethnicity, sexuality, class and how these factors can work together to further oppress certain groups of people.

Consequently, Chicanas felt excluded from both The Chicano Movement and The Anglo Feminist Movement. In response to this exclusion, Chicanas created their own branch of feminism that helped the "Chicana" become recognized as a valuable asset in her community. Chicanas could not rely on the men in the Chicano movement or the women in the White Feminist Movement. Each of these movements wanted Chicanas to sacrifice her needs for the larger movement. Chicanas were often told by both movements that they had to choose between being women and being Chicana. Which begs the question: Why can't we be recognized as both simultaneously?

Photo Credit:Ernestina Garcia

Hello Feminists!!!!!

Hello Feminists! My name is Laura Robles and this summer I will be a Choices Campus Intern for the Feminist Majority Foundation in Los Angeles! I am a senior at UCLA (will graduate this fall 2010) majoring in Political Science with a minor in Women's Studies, so the personal is very political for me! I am super excited to be here!

I grew up around strong super-women my whole life and I believe that women can change the world! I have a strong interest in protecting women's reproductive rights (specifically abortion) which are under attack at this present moment with the implementation of many restrictive policies and federal funding for CPCs (Crisis Pregnancy Centers). Women should have the protected right and access to safe and legal abortions.

I am a Chicana Feminist (see here and here) and I love to study women of color feminism! I analyze people and situations in regards to the concept of "Intersectionality" paying close attention to a person's race, gender, class, sexuality and how these factors intertwine. I am excited to be here this summer and contribute to this Blog (I have never Blogged before!!!)

Introduction to Feminism 101

I've been with FMF for about 2 months now, and I have to admit that while I've been cruising blogs, a lot of terms get thrown around that I have NO IDEA what they mean. Rather than sit around moping about my lack of feminist knowledge which I've discovered is boring by having done it for the last two months anyway I thought I'd compile a definition list of the terms that were new to me--and as fellow intern Cori in teacher-mode said, "if you have a question, someone else probably has one too."

Disclaimer: This being an attempt for me to understand previously unknown terms, its very likely I will screw up (Especially since Wikipedia is not necessarily a fool-proof source of information). If you see any mistakes or want to add anything, feel free to correct me in the comment section and I'll adjust the post and give you credit.

First-Wave Feminism: First-wave feminism refers to the feminist movement during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Feminists during this time period focused on "de jure" (legally proscribed or "official") inequalities such as gaining the right to vote and marital rape. Some of its famous leaders: Elizabeth Cady Stanton (US), Susan B. Anthony (US), Marie Carmichael Stopes (Scottland), Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells(US). [Note: Wikipedia forgot to mention Sojourner Truth and Ida B. Wells. Could it be because they were women of color? Not knowing who the editor was, its hard to say, but it reminded me of a thoughtful, well-written post at Womanist Musings]

Second-Wave Feminism: also known as the Women's Liberation Movement, refers to US feminism in the 1960's and 1970s. Focused not just on de jure inequalities, but also "de facto" (not legally perscribed or official, but real or true conditions), such as inequalities in family, the workplace, sexuality, legal inequalities and reproductive rights. Some of the victories in the movement included the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII, the Griswold v. Connecticut Supreme Court ruling, Titles IX and X, Reed v. Reed, Roe v. Wade, the criminalization of marital rape, and legalization of no-fault divorce. (PS: I highly recommend checking out all those links--I definitely learned something from them.)

Third-Wave Feminism: Feminist philosophy that origninated in the 1990s that focuses more on individual empowerment as an agent in societal change rather than political activism (though doesn't reject political activism.) It places importance on diversity, encourages traditionally "unfeminine" emotions and activities (such as anger and playing extreme sports), and reclaims traditionally insulting words such as "slut" and "bitch." Also celebrates women's sexuality and choices in forming their own identity. Some prominent third-wavers include the Guerrilla Girls and the Riot Grrrl movement

Post-Feminism:Post-Feminism is basically the idea that there is no need for feminism because women are already equal to men. According to Alternet, Post-feminism is "invention promoted most vigorously by the right, and aided and abetted all along the way by the corporate media." It argues that because women got equal pay with the Equal Pay Act of 1963 [which we here at FMF know is a completely bogus premise], are happier than they used to be (also not true, and live longer anyway (but igoring that they may live sicker), that there is no need for feminism anymore--women won! (Obviously it was difficult to keep a neutral tone on this definition.) Post-feminism also asserts that women should view the world and align themselves as human, because any exclusion of the sexes would be sexist.

Eco-Feminism:According to the Green Fuse, coming up with a precise definition of Eco-feminism is complicated because many eco-feminists disagree on the exact details. One of the main tenets is that subjugation of women and subjugation of nature are directly related. Through much of the development of human societies, women were considered closer to nature due to their ability to give birth and their monthly period that seemed to be tied to the phases of the moon; but in western ideology, humans are seen to have been "pitted against nature," or have needed to "tame nature"--and because women were considered more in tune with nature, their subjugation was also seen as important for survival. (A part of this ideology includes the concept that humans are separate from and superior to nature, rather than part of nature.) Ecofeminists argue that traditional "women's activities" have been devalued because they have been done by women--but that they are in fact, valuable to society and should be extolled and valued.

Intersectionality:[direct quote from wikipedia:]"theory which seeks to examine the ways in which various socially and culturally constructed categories interact on multiple levels to manifest themselves as inequality in society. Intersectionality holds that the classical models of oppression within society, such as those based on race/ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, class, or disability do not act independently of one another; instead, these forms of oppression interrelate creating a system of oppression that reflects the "intersection" of multiple forms of discrimination."

Womanism: is a term coined by the fantastic writer Alice Walker. Its a reaction to the denial of non-white voices within the feminist movement, (i.e. feminist racism.) Womanism fights classism and racism within the feminist movement, as well as separatist ideologies (which I'm guessing means either splintering of movements or movements that are non-inclusive). It includes the word "man" to recognize that men of color have an important part in womanists' lives. Womanism supports intersectionality and is does not directly relate to a specific political party/system/point. It values women of color's sexuality and recognizes the centuries of sexual violence directed against them. [p.s. this is an abbreviated definition; the link connected to the word "Womanism" has a much more comprehensive definition that mine. I also urge checking out the original definition because as a white woman, I probably don't have the best perspective regarding which points are most pertinent to include. I also think its really important to read this blog post regarding whether or not white women can be womanists.

Post-Colonial Feminism/Third World Feminism: Post-Colonial Feminism asserts that traditional (i.e. "Western") feminism, while claiming to be universal, actually ignores the factors of racism, colonialism, and the long-term consequences of colonialism on women's rights worldwide--in other words, that western feminists--though perhaps inadvertenty--take part in the continuation of a form of colonialism through enjoying their relative privelege. Some prominent post-colonial feminists include: Gayartri Chakravorty Spivak, Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Gloria Anzaldua.

Liberal Feminism:Liberal Feminism focuses on safeguarding the freedoms of women through political and societal reform. There are various types of Liberal feminisms:

Classical/Libertarian Liberal Feminism [which is split into the further subcategories of equity feminism and cultural libertarian feminism]: "conceives of freedom as freedom from coercive interference. It holds that women, as well as men, have a right to such freedom due to their status as self-owners. It holds that coercive state power is justified only to the extent necessary to protect the right to freedom from coercive interference."

Egalitarian Liberal Feminism: "conceives of freedom as personal autonomy — living a life of one's own choosing — and political autonomy — being co-author of the conditions under which one lives. Egalitarian liberal feminists hold that the exercise of personal autonomy depends on certain enabling conditions that are insufficiently present in women's lives, or that social arrangements often fail to respect women's personal autonomy and other elements of women's flourishing."

Radical Feminism: Radical feminism asserts that the most fundamental form of oppression is oppression against women. It proposes that patriarchy is "a system of power that organizes society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption of "male "supremacy" used to oppress women. Radical feminism aims to challenge and to overthrow patriarchy by opposing standard gender roles and what they see as male oppression of women, and calls for a radical reordering of society."

Post-Modern Feminism: asserts that gender is constructed through language

Did I leave anything out? Are there any terms you think feminists should look into and be aware of?

Photo Credit: Oberazzi on flickr.com

West Coast Interns Visit UCLA for Global Affirmative Action Seminar

Last Friday, FMF and Ms. interns traveled to UCLA for the 2009 Global Affirmative Action Praxis Project (GAAPP) Transnational Seminar: Critical Race Theory and the Struggle for Equality in Brazil, India and the United States. The seminar ran June 7 - 16. While we were only there for a day, we were overwhelmed with new information!

The seminar, which focuses on racial and caste inequalities and their social, political, and economic consequences in Brazil, India and the US, is structured around workshops and panel discussions enabling conversations and the exchange of ideas. Bringing together Afro-Brazilians, prominent human rights activists, and critical race theorists, the hope of this semiar is to create new ideas and actions for anti-discrimination and inclusion guidelines.

So why were FMf and Ms. magazine interns afforded this amazing opportunity? Because visionary Kimberle Crenshaw, moderator of the entire seminar, is a strong FMF ally and frequently publishes in Ms.! She invited us to participate in the open 2-day portion of the seminar designed for public participation.

The day began with Professor Crenshaw introducing the concept of intersectionality. The basis of intersectionality is prism of various social factors (race, class, gender, sexual identity, etc.), which must be addressed as one, instead of looking at each factor exclusively.

As an African American woman, Crenshaw has experienced various encounters with intersectionality. During her time at Harvard Law School, Crenshaw and a black male classmate were invited to a finals club party, a prestigious all-male social club. They agreed before they entered the party that they would not "take any mess".

As soon as they knocked on the door, a friend quickly opened the door and closed it behind him. Crenshaw and her friend were ready to stand strong against any opposing forces. The man quickly explained that Crenshaw had to enter through the backdoor because of her gender!

Crenshaw waited to hear her friend speak up on her behalf, instead all she heard was silence. Crenshaw realized that her male counterpart would exclusively defend her when it came to race, but gender was another story....

After the introduction, Manjula Pradeep, Jurema Werneck and Russell Robinson gave examples of intersectionality from the US, Brazil and India. Each provided a fascinating account of how intersectionality is played out within their country.

Manjula Pradeep explained the Indian caste system and its effects on Dalit women. The caste system divides society into four principle castes. The Dalits are not even a part of the system and are the most ostracized group in society. Within the Dalit society, women are often of the lowest rank. They are sexually abused by higher caste members and must perform large amounts of manual labor.

Women are so devalued that they will do anything to not have a daughter. One woman, who already had seven girls, really wanted a son. She went to an astrologer who told her to fast three days a week, while pregnant, in order to gain a son. To no avail, her baby daughter was born without bones, and sadly, died three weeks later. Women are forced to undergo these extreme lifestyles because they live outside of the caste.

Jurema Werneck explains that Brazil is still "a racist society". Afro-Brazilians are still seen as inferior and face lower social conditions. While affirmative action began in 2001, there is still enormous struggle to include non-while Brazilians in the top universities. Afro-Brazilian women face additional barriers in this patriarchal society. PBS provides its easy to read report of race and affirmative action in Brazil.

Within the US, Robinson focused on the stereotypes of commonly ostracized groups reinforced by media images. Robinson explained that media images of black women are divided into two typical categories: sassy sidekicks or overweight, older mammies. Whenever someone turns on the TV they are bombarded with these typical messages. Black female actors often cannot create new images for themselves; rather, they are forced to give in to the stereotypes.

These three themes were carried out through the day, each providing a foundation of how intersectionality affects us. We learned so much and would like to thank the GAAPP, UCLA and Vassar for providing us with this informative event!

UCLA is the only school in the country that has a Critical Race Studies within its Law School. Professor Kimberle Crenshaw is one of the founding members of this incredible program.

-Jessica Little and Anita Lederer, FMF Choices Campus Leadership Program Interns

NYWLC '09 Poem

Written during FMF's 2009 National Young Women's Leadership Conference by Eleanore Wieland, of Portland Community College:

CEDAW

Women, stand together.
Stand up for each other.
Fight.
Love.
Win.

I am a poor woman,
A queer woman,
A disabled woman,
A student.

My sisters are women of color
Mothers, daughters, grandmothers
All over the world

The struggle, the oppression
of ONE woman
hurts ALL women.
It hurts me.

Women, stand together.
Invest yourselves in each other's success.
Lead, follow, love.

Women are the beating heart of this world.
When women win, the world wins.

---

Eleanore, thanks for sharing your poem with us. I know we and a lot of the other feminists in the room really enjoyed it.

If anyone else has feminist artwork or prose they want to share with us, hit us up at campusteam@feminist.org. Good night and good luck!