This autoethnographic article illuminates my journey as a critical scholar through Chicana feminist epistemologies and Borderlands theory. My academic awakening manifested during the pandemic, a period of nepantla, as I transitioned from classroom teaching to doctoral studies in critical theory, art education, and Ethnic studies. Chicana feminist epistemologies deeply resonated with my lived experiences, offering theoretical language for intuitive educational practices. Mentorship deepened my engagement with conocimiento, Feminista epistemologies, and Xicana safe spaces pedagogy. My positionality as a Chicana scholar-artist fundamentally shapes my methodological approach, particularly through image and illustrative-based reportage, positioning artistic expression as embodied practice. Analyzing dialogic journals where theoretical engagement, personal reflection, and creative expression converge, this work contributes to expanding academic methodological possibilities while embodying a commitment to advancing liberatory educational practices.
Nora E. Rodriguez (Tue,) studied this question.