The fundamental claim that individuals living in poverty possess the inherent authority to define themselves rather than accept externally imposed identities.
Sor Juana's life exemplifies the assertion of self-definition in the face of multiple constraints: she was poor, female, illegitimate, and colonized, yet she insisted on her right to intellectual identity and creative authority. This concept emphasizes that poverty often comes with imposed identities—inferiority, incapability, unworthiness—that are external projections rather than internal truths. The right to self-definition means rejecting these imposed narratives and claiming the authority to articulate one's own identity based on values, capabilities, and vision. For people experiencing poverty, this practice is revolutionary: it separates economic circumstance from personal worth and establishes that identity is not determined by material lack. Through education, expression, and conscious reflection, individuals can construct identities rooted in their own understanding of who they are, what they value, and what they contribute to the world.
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