Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Liberal Studies

Advisor

Celina Su

Subject Categories

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Queer, Youth, POC, Oral History

Abstract

The collection of oral histories presented in this project explores the variety of ways that multiply marginalized people interpret their existence within larger systemic structures of oppression. Through of lens of intersectionality, resistance, and queerness, I argue that only through personal interpretation, how one chooses to explain themselves, can we genuinely understanding the experiences of the multiply marginalized. While traditional frameworks like anti-racism and feminism help us to understand single-identity politics, they fall short in capturing the totality of an individual who exists on multiple margins. With the help of the storytellers for this project, four self-identified queer youth of color, we begin to understand that a person is more than the sum of their parts: being queer means that sometimes you must chart your own path; connectedness to chosen family matters; and lastly, while your multiple marginalities may compound your challenges, you can draw strength from them.

Share

COinS