Intersectional Oppression of Vulnerable Creatures

Sor Juana experienced multiple, overlapping oppressions: as a woman in patriarchal society, as a creole in a colonial hierarchy, as someone outside elite circles. Her writing reveals how power systems compound and interconnect. This lens illuminates how animals—particularly those already marginalized—face layered exploitation: poor communities rely on cheap animal protein produced through cruel systems; endangered species are threatened by both environmental destruction and colonial resource extraction; laboratory animals are subjected to experiments disproportionately affecting vulnerable human populations. The poorest humans and the most voiceless animals often suffer most from the same systems of domination. Sor Juana's intersectional awareness helps us see that justice for animals cannot be separated from justice for exploited humans. Addressing animal rights requires confronting the economic, racial, and class systems that enable both human oppression and animal cruelty, recognizing these as deeply interconnected struggles.