Self-Definition Against Imposed Identity

Poor and marginalized people face constant external definition: undeserving, lazy, criminal, less-intelligent. Sor Juana refused these imposed narratives, insisting on her intellectual authority and defending her right to study despite critics calling her vain or unseemly. Self-definition is an act of identity reclamation. This concept recognizes that poverty often comes with stigmatizing narratives; liberation includes rejecting internalized shame and authoring counter-narratives. Sor Juana wrote herself into existence as a brilliant theologian, philosopher, and poet—categories her society wanted to deny her. For those in poverty, this practice means articulating who you are beyond economic metrics: your expertise, creativity, values, and aspirations. Writing, speaking, creating art, and testifying become tools of self-definition. The framework suggests that identity work—deliberately narrating yourself—is essential resistance to dehumanizing poverty frameworks.