The Name as Political Act

Sor Juana chose her monastic name, and throughout her life, she insisted on how she would be known and addressed—as 'Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz,' anchoring her identity in her intellectual and spiritual work. The act of naming is profoundly political, especially in colonial contexts where imposed names erase origins and assert domination. Across cultures, reclaiming, choosing, or preserving names is an act of sovereignty. This concept explores how names carry history, identity, and power—and how the right to name oneself is inseparable from justice and dignity. From indigenous peoples reclaiming traditional names to individuals choosing names that reflect their authentic identity, naming is where personal and political identity intersect. Sor Juana's model shows that the name you claim and defend is a statement about who you are and who you refuse to be. In our multicultural world, understanding names as political acts illuminates struggles over representation, recognition, and self-determination across all communities.