Latina Feminist Agency: Manifestations of a New Mestiza Consciousness in Gloria Anzaldúa’s Children’s Books

Abstract

Abstract:In this article I explore how Anzaldúa’s “new mestiza consciousness” theory manifests itself in her two children’s books, Friends from the Other Side and Prietita and the Ghost Woman, focusing on three particular elements: a) healing from various forms of oppression represented by the curandera figure; b) reclaiming and rewriting past cultural histories through the refiguring of the legend of La Llorona; and c) creating bridges of solidarity across multiple borders.