Methodological origins, ruptures, and futures: an intergenerational epilogue on critical race feminista methodologies

Abstract

This epilogue serves as a concluding article to the Special Issue, “Critical Race Feminista Methodologies in Educational Research.” The co-editors of the special issue, Lindsay Pérez Huber, Verónica N. Vélez and Maria C. Malagón have joined with Daniel Solórzano and Dolores Delgado Bernal to reflect on the methodological origins, ruptures, and futures of Critical Race Feminista Methodologies. We engage in these reflections through an intergenerational epilogue across three generations of scholars who have worked collectively to (re)imagine our research processes, and specifically our qualitative methodologies with and for Communities of Color.

Keywords:

• Critical race theory
• chicana feminisms
• critical race feminista methodology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We will use a collective, first-person standpoint to honor the collaborative, reflexive process we engaged in the development of this epilogue, referring to “us,” and “ourselves” as co-editors.

2 This is not to suggest that other scholars have not played an equally significant role in bringing these theoretical perspectives into the field, there have been many. For example, Gloria Ladson-Billings and William Tate were the first education scholars to write about CRT in the field (see Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). See also the contributions of scholars in the “Foundations of Critical Race Theory” reader, edited by Taylor et al. (2023). Several education scholars in the edited book “Chicana/Latina Education in Everyday Life” theorize Chicana feminist frameworks for educational research (Delgado Bernal et al., 2006).

3 The use of the terms Femtor, femtorship, and femtee follows the example of Chicana/Latina feminist scholars who explain the political significance of language that challenges the male-centered etymology of the word “mentor.” The use of femtor as a both noun and verb creates liberatory images that give visibility and empowerment to women in academia (Gonzalez et al., 2015).

4 Today, this institution is Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.

5 Dolores explained that around 1996, Danny first introduced her to CRT scholars in the law such as Derrick Bell (1992, 1995), Mari Matsuda (1988), Richard Delgado (1984), Adrienne Wing (1997), Margaret Montoya (1994), Kimberlee Crenshaw (1990), and collections such as Words that Wound (1993) and Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge (Matsuda et al., 1993), which shaped her intellectual and methodological origins. It was several years later as a faculty member at the University of Utah, that she began to delve deeper into CRT scholarship.

6 Dolores acknowledges the work of Black feminist scholars like bell hooks (1984; Hooks, 1989), Patricia Hill Collins (1990), Audre Lorde (1983), and Maya Angelou (1969, 1978).

7 MALCS (Mujeres Activas en Letras y Ciencas Sociales) is a professional organization for self-identified Chicana, Latina, Native American/Indígena mujeres and gender non-conforming academics, students, and activists. MALCS values and recognizes the multiple ongoing contributions of Chicana, Latina, and Native American/Indígena women and gender non-confirming academics and activists; actively works to create, promote, and support an inclusive education pipeline; and supports and recognizes that scholarly, and activist endeavors are not separate but rather part of a holistic approach for Chicana, Latina, and Native American/Indígena women and gender non-conforming peoples. See https://malcs.org/.

8 The Tomás Rivera Center (TRC) was founded by Dr. Arturo Madrid in 1985 as the nation’s first institute for policy studies on Latina/o issues at Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California. The Center was named for Tomas Rivera, the first Latino Chancellor (for UC Riverside) in the University of California system (Solórzano, 2022). Danny described how the support of this center was crucial in his dissertation work and beyond (Solórzano, 1986).

9 Dolores discusses that the following articles were also published around this time: Adrien Wing’s (1997) Critical Race Feminism Reader, and Margaret Montoya’s (1994) Mascaras, Trenzas, y Greñas.

10 Some of those scholar-activists who offered their time, hearts, and intellect to the community work as graduate students at the time include: Dra. Judith Flores Carmona, Dra. Judith Perez-Torres, Dra. Nereida Oliva, Dra. Sylvia Mendoza, Dra. Socorro Morales, Dra. Liliana Castrellon, Dra. Monica Gonzalez, Dra. Sonya M. Alemán, Dra. Andrea Garavito Martinez, Dra. Tanya Gaxiola Serrano. Ms. Laura Zavala, and Ms. Cinthia Cervantes-Castañeda.

11 We discuss Danny’s RAC (Research Apprenticeship Course) in the School of Education at UCLA later in this epilogue. See also Solórzano (2022) where Danny explains how the RAC was created and has evolved over the years that he has offered it.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel G. Solórzano

Daniel G. Solórzano is a Professor of Education and Chicana/o Latina/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and a Member of the National Academy of Education. Solorzano works at the intersection of Critical Race Theory and Race and Ethnic Studies.

Dolores Delgado Bernal

Dolores Delgado Bernal is Professor of Educational Leadership at Loyola Marymount University and an American Educational Research Association Fellow. She’s a scholar-activist whose scholarship bridges the fields of education and ethnic studies and whose passion is in femtoring students.

Lindsay Pérez Huber

Lindsay Pérez Huber is Professor of Equity, Education & Social Justice in the College of Education at California State University, Long Beach. Her research specializations include race, immigration and education, racial microaggressions, and critical race feminista methodologies and epistemologies. She is a Ford Foundation Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the UCLA Center for Critical Race Studies in Education.

Maria C. Malagón

Maria C. Malagón is Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Fullerton. Her research interests examine various segments along the Latina/o educational pipeline, specifically by using feminist analysis to interrogate how discourses of racialized femininities and masculinities manifest in educational policy and practice.

Verónica N. Vélez

Verónica N. Vélez is Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in Woodring College at Western Washington University. Most recently her research advances critical applications of digital mapping (GIS) and computational methodologies to explore the spatial dimensions of educational (in)opportunity. Verónica also serves as a consultant for grassroots, non-profit, and educational organizations in Washington State.