When I discussed with Lisa the feedback of my concept testing, she introduced me to the concept of Intersectionality, coined by black feminist scholar KimberlĆ© Williams Crenshaw, and there it was. The AHA! Moment! This was the last piece that would make it all come together: my journey, what I want to do, what I want my impact to be. Turns out it was all about identity, how itās built not only on what we think of ourselves, but also on how other people think about us, how it changes, and the effect it has on how we see other people and interact with them.
Before, I didnāt want to be identiļ¬ed as Latina, but people in the US identiļ¬ed me as Latina. Back in Colombia, it was not a relevant form of categorization, but here in the US, it is. It was hard for me to empathize with the Latino community in the US because I saw them as different from me and, in a way, harmful for my interests. Back in Colombia, this wasnāt very important, because my main classiļ¬cation characteristic was social class, and I was part of the elite. But here in NYC, I couldnāt do that anymore. I got out of my comfort zone, I met new people, I learned from them, I questioned what I believed, and that is why my percepcion about all of this has changed. That is why today I identify as Latina, Iām proud of it, I celebrate my culture, and I advocate for us.
IDENTITY
My identity changed, and I acknowledge how important it is to understand how other people see me, not using that to try and ļ¬t in, but as a way to advocate for me and for an inclusive society.