San Angelo native featured in 'Latina Leadership' book
Contributing author Christine Garcia
Willimantic, CT (09/22/2021) — Christine Garcia, a faculty member in Eastern Connecticut State University's English Department, is a contributing author in the book "Latina Leadership: Language and Literacy Education across Communities." The book features stories of activism, oppression, community ties, family connections and more with stories from Latina leaders in k-16 educational settings.
Garcia, of San Angelo, wrote the chapter "The Chingona Interviews" and co-authored the chapter "Afterword: A Letter of Solidarity for Junior Latina Scholars" with three other Latina authors.
The "Chingona Interviews" was inspired by scholar Gloria Anzaldua and Women's Studies Professor AnaLouise Keating. The chapter analyzes more than 10 years of Anzaldua's interviews. "Much of the interview portion of the article is rooted in story, myth and tradition, creating a unique experience for someone expecting a typical scholarly article," said Garcia.
The co-authored chapter, "Afterword: A Letter of Solidarity for Junior Latina Scholars," Garcia said "is very personal to me. It recalls a painful period in my Ph.D. when a 'mentor' attempted to undermine my success on the job market by convincing me that no one would respect me because of the way I looked, regardless of my intelligence or ability to teach well," said Garcia.
"Beyond the racism and classism embedded in the way I was treated, was the pernicious act of gatekeeping that all too often makes it impossible for Latinas and other BIPOC to succeed in academia. By telling my story in this afterword, with the profound support of my co-authors, the doubt instilled in me by this 'mentor' of potentially not being good enough to be considered a 'real academic' was lifted and the shame that makes gatekeeping so effective was gone."
Specializing in rhetoric and composition, some of Garcia's teaching interests include Gloria Anzaldua composition theory and pedagogy, Chicana/Latina feminism and community-based learning.
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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 4,600 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations. In addition to attracting students from 161 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 31 other states and 17 countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 65 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked as the top public regional university in New England by U.S. News & World Report in its 2020, 2021 and 2022 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 11 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.
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