Spiritual Mestizaje

Gloria Anzaldua's narrative innovations and theoretical contributions, particularly her concept of mestiza consciousness, have influenced thinking about colonialism, gender, history, language, religion, sexuality, spirituality, and subjectivity. Yet, as Theresa Delgadillo argues, in spite of this widespread attention, Anzaldua's theory of spiritual mestizaje has remained under-examined. Delgadillo contends that spiritual mestizaje was central to the queer feminist Chicana theorist's life and thought, and that it provides a critical framework for interpreting contemporary Chicana narratives. First mentioned in Anzaldua's pioneering book Borderlands/La Frontera, spiritual mestizaje is a transformative process involving a radical, sustained critique of oppression, and the cultivation of a life engaged with the sacred. Delgadillo analyzes the concept in Anzaldua's work and in relation to other forms of spirituality and theories of oppression. Demonstrating how contemporary Chicana narratives build on Anzaldua's theories of spirituality, she interprets novels by Denise Chavez, Demetria Martinez, and Kathleen Alcala; Norma Cantu's memoir Canicula; and the documentaries Flowers for Guadalupe/Flores para Guadalupe and Senorita Extraviada. In these powerful cultural critiques, Chicanas offer alternative visions of spirituality as they challenge normative categories of gender, sexuality, nation, and race.