Transitioning From Doctoral Study to the Academy: Theorizing Trenzas of Identity for Latina Sister Scholars

Abstract

This article focuses on multiple truths pertaining to doctoral education as expressed by three Latina doctoral recipients. These scholars successfully navigated various educational processes with the support of one another, their families, faculty, and their chosen discipline. The authors, as sister scholars, retell their educational journeys through testimonio and analyze how their trenzas de identidades multiples (multiple strands of identity, that is, motherhood, social class, and public intellectual) now inform their work. By interrogating the extent to which intersections of identity affect educational and career pathways, the authors use plática (dialogue) to theorize their doctoral experiences and examine how their challenges and successes manifest in their professional lives in academia.