ABSTRACT
Marches illustrate the importance of the concept of intersectionality in United States (U.S) feminism and this chapter reviews the intellectual history of the concept and the contemporary claims of an “intersectional feminist” identity. The chapter focuses on Chicana feminisms as a case study to assess how women of color have conceptualized and practiced intersectional feminism. Chicana feminisms flourished during a period of cultural and political movements in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. Chicana feminists were working within a cultural context and were concerned with sexism, racism, and classism. Chicana and Latina organizing and activism are important sites for Chicana feminisms. Chicana feminists theorize about a collective liberation because they understand that their subordination cannot be overcome without an intersectional analysis. Theorizing “outsider” (Collins 1986), “mestiza”, and “transgressive” (hooks 1994) knowledge’s can “value the presence of people of color, and can re-envision the margins places empowered by transformative resistance”.
