Creating a Homeplace: Young Latinas Constructing Feminista Identities in the Context of a Single-Sex Catholic School

Utilizing phenomenology and a Chicana feminist epistemological lens (Delgado Bernal, 1998), this study explores the experiences of three Latinas at an all-girl urban Catholic high school and examines how the context of an all Latina learning environment helped the girls construct strong border identities (Anzaldúa, 1987) as they negotiated conflicting notions of gender in their homes and communities, while making difficult decisions about college. Findings reveal that attempts to introduce gender issues into the curriculum by Latina teachers and other school agents provided opportunities for a critical examination of traditional female roles and helped create a “homeplace” (Pastor, McCormick & Fine, 1996) where the girls came together to question and critique oppressive positionalities and develop counter narratives (Yosso, 2005) and alternative identities.