Homegirls Navigating the Barrio to Academia
The literature on gang formations in the United States center on men's experiences, leaving women's narratives on the margins. Today, women participate in gangs and adolescent subcultures similarly to that of their male counterparts. Society assumes that gang-involved women serve as auxiliaries to men and are subservient to a patriarchal barrio order. However, women represent social transformation and empowerment. An organization that supports former and active female gang members, Chola Vida, inspires homegirls to go to college and to disseminate knowledge by creating barrio frameworks that promote consciousness and symposiums to reach a broad audience. The panelists will discuss pressing topics that focus on Chola solidarity, education/scholarships, economic development/entrepreneurship, and social justice work.