Journal Article — Nepantlera-Activism in the Transnational Moment: In Dialogue with Gloria Anzaldúa’s Theorizing of Nepantla — by Kavitha Koshy

Through this article I wish to stress the criticality of transnational encounters. I use the word “criticality” to underscore the pivotal role transnational experiences play in a globalized world, for they can frame and challenge international politics. When in transnational encounters the (mis)interpretations and (mis)understandings of “others” are not addressed, positive social transformation is pretty much negated. Most often, such limited encounters perpetuate the negative or positive stereotypes projected by the dominant western, Eurocentric ideology and thus help to maintain systems of power and privilege, i.e., an unjust status quo. In a search for solutions in what I see as a critical moment in transnational theorizing, I engage with the work of Gloria E. Anzaldúa, who offers a different approach to activism that can be effectively applied to transnational spaces.