How names themselves carry power dynamics, colonial history, and cultural ownership, and how reclaiming or reinterpreting your name is political.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz—a Spanish religious name imposed by colonial Catholic tradition—existed alongside her birth name Juana Ramírez and her Indigenous heritage. This concept examines how names are never neutral; they carry the politics of who had the power to name. Colonial naming practices, slavery, immigration, and assimilation have all used the power of the name to erase identity and assert dominance. Across cultures, reclaiming ancestral names, choosing new names, or hyphenating to honor multiple heritages is an act of resistance and identity assertion. Some Indigenous communities are reclaiming languages and names suppressed by colonizers. LGBTQ+ communities choose names that reflect authentic identity. Immigrants navigate whether to keep or change names for safety or belonging. This concept frames naming as inherently political: every time someone names you, a claim of power is being made. Understanding this allows you to recognize naming not as a neutral fact but as a site of potential resistance, creativity, and justice in how you present and claim your identity.
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