UC Santa Barbara

This dissertation explores Latina identity formation through three interconnected studies examining how young Latinas navigate, construct, and redefine their ethnic-racial identity across various contexts. Drawing from both traditional developmental frameworks and Chicana feminist epistemology, particularly Gloria Anzaldúa's concepts of mestiza consciousness and borderlands, this research provides insights into identity development in transborder contexts. Through critical ethnographic methods and narrative analysis, the study examines identity formation in three distinct yet interrelated spaces: a dual immersion middle school, adult life transitions, and youth softball participation.The first study follows young Latinas in a dual immersion school, revealing how they develop sophisticated cultural dexterity while navigating multiple linguistic and cultural spaces. Findings demonstrate that the dual immersion environment facilitates unique identity-relevant experiences that support ethnic-racial identity development. The second study traces one adult Latina's identity journey through college, marriage, and motherhood, illustrating how ethnic-racial identity development continues well into adulthood. This narrative challenges traditional developmental timeframes while highlighting the role of intergenerational dynamics in identity formation. The third study examines how Latina youth in softball create what Anzaldúa terms "third spaces," where physical movement becomes cultural expression and family presence provides spiritual grounding. Together, these studies illuminate how Latinas transform historically exclusionary spaces into sites of cultural celebration and identity affirmation. The research contributes to both theoretical understanding and practical applications: for developmental psychology, it suggests frameworks must expand to capture spiritual and embodied aspects of identity; for Chicana feminist thought, it demonstrates how theoretical concepts manifest in everyday spaces; and for educators and community leaders, it provides insights into creating environments that support rather than suppress complex identity work.