In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, Teen Vogue has created a series of pop culture-related stories to highlight the complex narratives within the community that’s contributed to the fabric of American culture.
Latinx people — like other people of color — have not been spared from the systemic violence and oppression of white supremacy in the United States. Add intersectional dimensions like gender, class, disability, or sexuality to the equation, and that violence has the potential to become tremendously exacerbated.
Despite being repeatedly “Othered” by a presidency and society that operates on the hegemony of white heteronormative patriarchal power, the Latinx community is resilient against these oppressive constructs and forces. For women specifically, intersectional feminism has been a valuable tool for resisting. Banding together in times of difficulty has been their biggest strength.
As such, unity for Latinx women has meant creating safe spaces where they can partake in their interests, art, advocacy, and activism without fear of being questioned, judged, attacked, or silenced. These safe spaces provide fostering environments for individuals who are often marginalized or oppressed because of their positionalities — having a safe space with people who look like you or share your values can make a huge difference in your life’s trajectory.
All across the U.S., numerous radical Latinx groups are empowering women, from rock camps teaching them to play instruments, to wellness organizations centering on the health of indigenous bodies. Below, we pulled together a list of radical organizations that vary in their goals and areas of interest, but which are united by their ultimate mission: to improve, nurture, and support the lives of Latinx women and women of color, trans women, non-binary people, and LGBTQ+ communites around the country.
1. Turn it Up!
In the late 1970s, Alice Bag made a name for herself as a Latinx frontwoman spearheading the budding punk scene in Los Angeles with her band, The Bags. Fast-forward to 2019, and not only is she still touring and making powerful new music, but she’s also using her platform to fiercely advocate for Latinxs and other marginalized identities in the punk scene. Alice has started a national collective called Turn it Up, which aims to champion women in the male-dominated music industry. Turn it Up advocates for gender parity and is increasing visibility for women in music through workshops, showcases, fundraisers, and other events.
2. Odiosas
Based in the Bronx borough of New York City, this artistic collective is led by self-described “queer Latinegrxs” Zulema Tiburcio and Mia Smalls. Odiosas is an avenue for creatives to make art, zines, and gatherings based on their Afro-Latinx experiences: “I know as an Afro-Dominicana, I felt like I lived my life in a strange limbo — never quite belonging, never seeing myself, never feeling good enough or pretty enough or loved for my raw self,” Zulema says. The group also focuses on making feminism more accessible for non-academics with their “hood feminism” teachings, and takes a break from heavier issues by collaborating with the Bronx-based HydroPunks collective to host a recurrent party called “The Woes of Being a Weirdo of Colour.” The next event takes place Oct. 18 in New York and the theme is “Emo Nite.”