Chingona: Owning Your Inner Badass for Healing and Justice

In a world where women continue to experience marginalization based on societal expectations and norms, there can never be enough affirmation of feminine power and agency. Scholar and activist Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty discusses her experiences straddling identities as a first-generation Mexican-American with solid roots in Acapulco and Los Angeles to invite Brown and Black women to own their “inner badass” in Chingona, her inspiring debut.

In Spanish, the term holds derogatory connotations about a woman’s place, frowned-upon behavior, and existence in patriarchal spaces. Zaragoza-Petty explains her journey through defining her faith, exercising leadership, and reclaiming the word for empowerment to champion justice and equity and embrace her destiny to serve others.

Reading the book from my perspective as an immigrant woman of color, I found Zaragoza-Petty’s words encouraging and uplifting. Her writing is raw and powerful and appeals to the hearts of women who have experienced and internalized messages that diminish one’s self-worth. I appreciated learning about the cultural nuances of the term “chingona” and the rising movement among women-identified Latina/e/x who strengthen their resolve by overcoming personal and collective trauma.

As a social justice advocate whose influences include bell hooks, Gloria Anzaldua, and Pablo Freire, the author helps us understand how courage and badassery can create change to benefit communities.