Reaching for El Mundo Zurdo: Imagining-creating-living Latinx decolonial feminist geographies in Toronto

Abstract

This paper explores how a multiracial network of women and non-binary Latinx Community Workers (LCWs) envision and enact social change in Toronto, Canada. I demonstrate how LCWs articulate and implement an intersectional feminist and decolonial politic in their community organizing practices, from remaking a non-profit organization and creating spaces of mutual support, hope, healing and love. I argue that these social-spatial struggles collectively form Latinx decolonial feminist geographies that reach for Gloria Anzaldúa’s El Mundo Zurdo. I situate El Mundo Zurdo as a Latinx decolonial feminist and geographical theory of social change and bring it into conversation with feminist, Black and Indigenous geographies. Overall, this paper deepens understandings of Latinx geographies in theory and practice and demonstrates how Latinx geographies can work toward decolonial feminist futures.

Keywords:

• Community organizing
• decolonial futures
• Latinx geographies
• Latinx feminisms

Acknowledgements

I am deeply grateful to mis compañerxs who shared their political imaginations, deseos and stories with me. Thank you for pushing me to dream and reach further. Without you this research would not have been possible. I am also thankful to the Bodies and Borders Group at the University of Minnesota for your thoughtful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. My sincere thanks to Katherine Brickell and the four anonymous reviewers for their rigorous feedback, patience and care as I revised this manuscript. Special thank you to mi gran amiga y Latinx geographies madrina, Lorena Muñoz, for your support on this manuscript and creating the space in the discipline that makes my work possible.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Madelaine C. Cahuas

Madelaine C. Cahuas, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, Environment & Society at the University of Minnesota. She is a critical human geographer and Latina feminist scholar who explores Latinx urban politics, place-making and decolonial feminism in Canada. Her work has been published in various journals including, Antipode, Journal of Geography & Higher Education and Environment and Planning D: Society & Space. She is the co-founder and co-Chair of the Latinx Geographies Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers.