Intersectional Identity and Differentiated Vulnerability

Sor Juana occupied multiple marginalized positions simultaneously: woman, person of indigenous and African descent, intellectual, religious nonconformist, economic dependent. Her experience could not be reduced to any single identity, and neither could her resistance. This intersectional perspective transforms cross-cultural policing by revealing that communities are not homogeneous. A Latina trans woman experiences policing differently than a Latina cis woman or a Latino man; an undocumented indigenous person differently than a citizen of indigenous heritage; an elderly community elder differently than a young activist. Police systems that treat entire communities as monoliths inevitably harm the most vulnerable members and miss opportunities to partner with those experiencing greatest risk. Sor Juana's example suggests that effective cross-cultural policing requires mapping these intersections within communities, creating differentiated responses, and centering the voices of those experiencing multiple forms of marginalization. Police agencies must actively seek input from the most vulnerable community members, not just community leaders, to understand how their practices affect different people differently.