Literacy as Liberation and Belonging

Sor Juana fought relentlessly for access to education in a society that denied it to women and marginalized castes. For mixed-race individuals historically excluded from institutional spaces, literacy becomes both personal liberation and social assertion of belonging. Education creates the capacity to articulate one's own narrative rather than accepting externally imposed definitions. Sor Juana's vast learning—theology, philosophy, mathematics, literature—positioned her as indispensable despite her mixed heritage and gender. This concept applies directly to mixed-race belonging: pursuing knowledge and developing expertise becomes a pathway to claiming authority over one's identity and place in community. Literacy here means not just reading but intellectual authority—the right to think, question, and define oneself.