Inherited Names and the Work of Reclamation

Sor Juana's name itself was given to her through systems beyond her control—her family origins, her entry into religious life, her positioning within colonial society. Yet throughout her life, she worked to redefine what 'Sor Juana' meant, what authority and knowledge it carried, what intellectual traditions it represented. This concept addresses the reality that many people inherit names laden with histories of oppression, colonialism, displacement, or family trauma. The work of identity across cultures often involves reclaiming these inherited names, not by erasing their history but by transforming their meaning and weight. Indigenous peoples reclaim names banned by colonizers; diaspora communities reclaim names anglicized or abandoned; women reclaim names stripped of authority. This is not a one-time act but an ongoing practice of redefining and resisting the meanings imposed by history. Sor Juana's life demonstrates that intellectual work, creative expression, and strategic positioning can gradually reconstruct what a name means—transforming it from a marker of limitation into an assertion of distinctive identity and power. Reclamation is the work of centuries, but each individual contributes to it.