The Path Toward Spiritual Activism: Queer Latinx/a/o College Student (Muxerista) Activism as Sites of Resistance, Hope, Joy, and Futurity

Authors

Roberto C. Orozco, University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesFollow
J. Audra Williams, Arizona State UniversityFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5399-4390

Abstract

This study examined collaborators’ engagement in activism as sites of resistance, hope, joy, and futurity. We answer the following research question: In what ways do Muxeristas (Revilla, 2012), or queer Latinx/a/o college student activists, envision and act on kinship and liberation in their activism? We conceptualize our response to this question through Anzaldúa’s (2002, 2015) concept of spiritual activism. Our data analysis articulates three main components of a spiritual activism practice for Muxeristas (Revilla, 2012), which include: 1) engaging in forms of resistance through a queer and feminist world-making, 2) centering joy and love with and for each other as Muxeristas, and 3) sustaining a queer familia through liberatory and humanizing practices. Lastly, we provide a thorough discussion on the ofrendas that spiritual activism creates for a futurity rooted in the knowledge and experiences set forth by Muxeristas, which can inform the experiences and knowledges of the broader queer Latinx/a/o community and student activists in higher education.

Methodological Approach

Qualitative

DOI

https://doi.org/10.60808/rqdq-3z12

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Orozco, R. C., & Williams, J. (2025). The Path Toward Spiritual Activism: Queer Latinx/a/o College Student (Muxerista) Activism as Sites of Resistance, Hope, Joy, and Futurity. Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.60808/rqdq-3z12