Literacy as Consumer Resistance

Sor Juana lived in a time when literacy itself was restricted—especially for women—and understood reading and writing as fundamental acts of liberation and resistance. Modern consumers face a different but parallel challenge: the deliberate obfuscation of supply chain information, misleading labels, and corporate greenwashing designed to prevent understanding. Developing literacy in these systems—learning to read labels critically, understanding certification standards, decoding marketing language, researching corporate structures—becomes a form of resistance. This literacy is not merely individual self-protection but collective power. When consumers can read supply chains, they become harder to manipulate. When communities understand the true costs hidden in prices, they can demand change. This requires making information accessible—not assuming only privileged consumers can decode complexity. Sor Juana would advocate for transparent labeling, independent certification, and consumer education as justice issues. Literacy itself—the ability to read and understand what you consume—is a right that currently exists only for those with time, education, and resources to pursue it. Ethical consumption includes expanding this literacy as a form of democratic participation.