Writing as Birthright

Sor Juana wrote constantly—poetry, theology, plays, letters, defenses—creating an archive of her own voice, thought, and self-understanding. She refused to let others be the only authors of her story. For adopted individuals, many of whom have experienced narratives written about them by social workers, adoption agencies, families, or therapists, this concept is particularly powerful. Claiming the right to write—literally or metaphorically—is reclaiming authorship of your own narrative. This might mean documenting your own experiences, telling your story on your terms, creating art or writing that articulates your understanding of your life, or simply refusing to accept others' definitions as final. Sor Juana's prolific writing insists that your voice matters, your thoughts deserve record, your interpretation of your own life is valid data. In the context of adopted identity, writing becomes both practice and claim: by articulating your experience, you assert that it exists, that it's worth witnessing, and that you—not your circumstances or others' judgments—are the expert on your own becoming.