Navigating the Sexual Politics on the High School Campus: Testimonios of Young Chicana/Latinas
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LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations 2018 Navigating the Sexual Politics on the High School Campus: Testimonios of Young Chicana/Latinas Mayra Alejandra Lara Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Lara, Mayra Alejandra, "Navigating the Sexual Politics on the High School Campus: Testimonios of Young Chicana/Latinas" (2018). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 527. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/527 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY Navigating the Sexual Politics on the High School Campus: Testimonios of Young Chicana/Latinas by Mayra Alejandra Lara A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the School of Education, Loyola Marymount University, in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education 2018 Navigating the Sexual Politics on the High School Campus: Testimonios of Young Chicana/Latinas Copyright 2018 by Mayra Alejandra Lara Loyola Marymount University School of Education Los Angeles, CA 90045 This dissertation written by Mayra Lara, under the direction of the Dissertation Committee, is approved and accepted by all committee members, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. Date Dissertation Committee Antonia Darder, Ph.D ., C mmittee Member ttee Member Dolores Delgado Bernal, Ph.D., Committee Member ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work exists because of the unconditional love, support, and mentorship I received from individuals inside and outside of academia. My journey began when, as a graduate student at Long Beach State, my professor Michael Dumas said I needed to pursue a doctoral degree. He reminded me that my voice is important and necessary. It was the first time I felt I belonged in academia. Michael, thank you for gifting me the sense of belonging, I carry it with me always. To Antonia Darder, I lack the words to express my gratitude. What follows is an attempt to thank you for your guidance, love, and mentorship throughout this journey. I could not have completed this work had it not been for your words of encouragement and reminders to be patient with my process. From you, I learned the importance of being in harmony with my body, trusting myself, and listening to my intuition. All of which are things academia had forced me to forget; thank you for offering the space that allowed me to remember. I also want to thank you for building a community of Darderian scholars, for reminding us to construct knowledge together, and for opening the doors to your home which helped create a space for collective healing. Gracias, mil gracias. To the other mujeres who completed my committee, thank you for your time, feedback, and encouragement. Dolores Delgado Bernal and Deena Gonzalez, thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, for pushing my analysis, for engaging with me. The day of my proposal defense I was in awe of you all. I remember sitting in front of you, listening to you speak about my work, listening to you share your own stories, and I recall it being an out of body experience. It was the first time I had ever been in a room of only women in academia and I wanted to absorb iii it all. Gracias for those moments, for showing me that it’s possible to be a strong Chicana/Latina in academia. I want to thank my parents, Miguel e Irene Lara, for encouraging me, for believing in me, and for the many sacrifices they made for our family. Dad, you once said, “I don’t know where you get your intellect from, your love for learning.” To this, I answered, “I get it from you, from both of you.” You always filled our home with reading material and for that I am eternally grateful. Dad, every day you read the newspaper, La Opinion, and kept us abreast with what was going on around the world. Mom, you have always loved books. Reading was your calm and it became mine too. You both spoke to us openly, acknowledged our opinions, and together we pushed each other to continue learning. That is where I get it from, from both of you. You taught me to be myself, to hold my head high, to show by example and together we did it: we survived academia. From you I received the strength to speak my truth, to hold space for others, to build community, to take risks, and to follow my dreams. You filled our home with love, you taught us how to love each other unconditionally, I will never be able to fully thank you. I don’t think the words exist. All I can say is I love you, I hope I have made you proud, and that this is the life you envisioned me living. I dedicate this work to my siblings: Cynthia, Natalie, Miguel, y Alyssa. Thank you for your love, honesty, and space to be unapologetically myself. Each of you inspires me in different ways and has fueled my entire self. Cynthia, thank you for always taking care of me. From the time I was an undergraduate student at Long Beach State you always called and asked if I was okay. On the days that I wasn’t, on the days that academia was breaking me, you were there to lift me up. Gracias, mil gracias. Natalie, thank you for asking questions, for telling everyone iv about my work, and for keeping me grounded. You are the social butterfly that I wish lived within me and I regularly try to channel my inner you. Miguel, you challenge me in ways that you may be unaware. Thank you for pushing me to think of things differently and for being open to engaging with me, even when we disagree. Thank you for traveling with me, for taking risks, and for your morning messages. Te quiero mucho. Alyssa, this dissertation is especially for you. From a young age you saw the world in ways I wish I could have when I was young(er). I admire how in tune you are with your entire self and the fearlessness with which you use your voice to resist. You embody strength and I hope that you get to experience academia free from violence. You all are my rock, my village, I am thankful that I get to experience life with you. Los quiero. To my friends Jessica, Martha, and Mandy, thank you for your unconditional love and support. You are the mirrors that help show parts of myself I often forget or refuse to see. Thank you for being patient with me, for the laughs, the critiques, but most importantly I am grateful to build a community of strong women with you. Through this process you helped me breathe, see clearly, and stay true to myself. Las quiero mucho. I am appreciative and indebted to the Darderian scholars who encouraged and supported me during the most challenging moments of the doctoral program. Bibinaz Pirayesh, Emily Bautista, Frederick Smith, Kahlil Almustafa, Nadia Despenza, and Russell Castaneda Calleros, I’m thankful for your friendship, honesty, and scholarship. It has been an honor to grow alongside you all and I consider it a privilege to call you my colleagues. Thank you for the writing sessions, the happy hours, the critiques, and the love we have for one another. While in high school, as an undocumented student, there were times when accessing academia seemed like an impossible feat. A special thank you to Carlos and Thelma Valverde, v my high school mentor and college counselor, who guided me and did not allow my undocumented status to act as a barrier for academic success. Thank you both for being an instrumental part of my personal and professional growth. My academic journey would be incomplete without you. Mil gracias. To Farima Pour-Khorshid, you have been such an incredible friend and sister. The stars aligned to bring us together; I thank our ancestors for making it happen. Thank you for your willingness to build community with me, for the countless writing sessions, for getting me to the finish line. I am inspired by your wisdom and strength. Te quiero mucho. I want to thank the six young women who privileged me with their stories, who ventured to co-construct knowledge with me, and without whom I wouldn’t have completed a doctoral degree. Gracias for your strength and for trusting me with your stories, I carry them with me always. Lastly, to all of the mujeres in my life, gracias. I carry your strength, wisdom, and passions. I hope I’ve made you proud. vi DEDICATION Para mi abuelita Irene. Gracias por guiarme a través de este proceso. Hago este trabajo en su honor. Espero algún día conocer su historia completa. To my abuelita Irene. Thank you for guiding me through this process. I do this work in your honor. I hope to one day know your full story. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iii DEDICATION............................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... xii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem