Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), I witnessed firsthand how rhetoric serves as a powerful tool for empowerment and resistance in marginalized communities. This region, shaped by its unique cultural and geographical position along the U.S.-Mexico border, demonstrates how communication shapes identity, fosters solidarity, and mobilizes advocacy. Latiné leaders in the RGV have long employed rhetorical strategies to confront systemic inequities and advocate for issues such as immigration rights, labor justice, and educational equity. These formative experiences, thus, inspired my academic trajectory and my commitment to studying how Latiné leaders utilize rhetoric to advance systemic change.
Research Problem and Significance
Public discourse surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border is often dominated by narratives of crisis, illegality, and surveillance. These portrayals dehumanize border communities and obscure the rhetorical agency of those working to challenge such depictions. Latiné leaders in the RGV resist these dominant narratives through rhetorical strategies that emphasize resilience, dignity, and collective empowerment. Despite their significant contributions to advocacy and public discourse, their rhetorical practices remain underexplored in academic scholarship. My research addresses this gap by examining how Latiné leaders construct counter-narratives to challenge dominant discourses and advocate for systemic change.
Rhetorical Methods and Approach
I employ various rhetorical methodological approaches to analyze the strategies used by Latiné leaders in advocating for systemic change. Using ideological criticism, I study how leaders like Juanita Valdez-Cox disrupt entrenched narratives about labor and farmworker advocacy. Her use of testimonio, a form of personal and collective storytelling, positions farmworkers as agents of change rather than victims of systemic oppression. Additionally, I examine how Dr. Juliet García uses personal narratives to reframe educational inequities as broader civil rights issues. By analyzing patterns of narrative and embodiment, I uncover how these Latiné leaders emphasize cultural affirmation and solidarity.
Research Contributions and Scholarly EngagementMy research contributes to the field of rhetoric by amplifying the voices of Latiné leaders and documenting their innovative use of rhetoric to challenge power structures. It expands the study of border rhetoric and feminist rhetorical practices while offering practical applications for educators, policymakers, and advocates. The significance of my work is reflected in my forthcoming article, A Nun Honors the Sacredness of Life at the Southern Border: Sr. Norma Pimentel’s Campaign Against Stigmatizing Immigrant Narratives in the Media, which will appear in the Journal of Communication and Religion. This article analyzes how Sr. Pimentel constructs counter-narratives to challenge dehumanizing portrayals of immigrants in the media, illustrating the transformative potential of rhetoric in shaping public perceptions.