Mestiza Identity and Cultural Belonging

Sor Juana inhabited a mestiza position—intellectually embedded in European scholasticism while culturally rooted in New Spain's indigenous and colonial reality. This concept addresses how individuals of mixed heritage develop identity not through singular belonging but through navigating contradictions. Across cultures, mestizaje represents both marginalization and creative synthesis. Rather than viewing divided identity as fragmentation, this framework sees it as a position of unique insight and negotiation. Sor Juana's work draws simultaneously on Aristotle, Catholic theology, and Spanish Golden Age literature while addressing New Spanish concerns. For name and identity work, this suggests that cultural hybridity need not resolve into one coherent self but can remain productively plural, creating knowledge from the space between worlds.