¿Quién Soy Yo? Voces Poéticas as Poetic Inquiry

Abstract

In this article, we share the results of a year-long project (a poem) and the process by which we created the poem, which we term voces poéticas. The poem is the result of 11 pláticas held over the course of nearly one year and is composed of words, phrases, and sentences that represent our experiences and identities as Chicanas/Latinas/Mexicanas in the academy. Our pláticas provided a safe place where we shared and held space to reflect on our experiences at predominantly white institutions (PWI) and theorized our experiences in relation to other Chicanas/Latinas in the academy. At the heart of this process was a type of poetic inquiry we call voces poéticas that was used to analyze and share our findings. We describe this process of creation that we also view as an act of resistance.