New tribalism is a
theory
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...
by
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
Chicana feminist
Chicana feminism is a sociopolitical movement in the United States that scrutinizes the historical, cultural, spiritual, educational, and economic intersections impacting Chicana identities. Chicana feminism is empowering and demands women within ...
Gloria E. Anzaldúa
Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa (September 26, 1942 – May 15, 2004) was an American scholar of Chicana feminism, cultural theory, and queer theory. She loosely based her best-known book, ''Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza'', on her life ...
to disrupt the matrix of imposed
identity categories that the
hegemonic culture imposes on people in order to maintain its power and authority. Anzaldúa states that she "appropriated" and reused the term from
David Rieff
David Rieff (; born September 28, 1952) is an American non-fiction writer and policy analyst. His books have focused on issues of immigration, international conflict, and humanitarianism.
Biography
Rieff is the only child of Susan Sontag, who ...
, who had "used it to criticize
erfor being 'a professional Aztec' and for what he saw as
ernaive and nostalgic return to
indigenous
Indigenous may refer to:
*Indigenous peoples
*Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention
*Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band
*Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
roots." Rieff stated that Anzaldúa should "think a little less about
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
and a little more about
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
* Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...
." In response, Anzaldúa developed the concept in order to form an inclusive
social identity
Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.Compare ''Collins Dictionary of Sociology'', quoted in
In sociology, emphasis is placed on collective identity, in which ...
that "motivates subordinated communities to work together in coalition."
New tribalism has been referred to as "a provocative alternative to both
assimilation and
separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...
" by building identity on affinity-based terms which keeps the formation of alliances against
oppression
Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power, often under the guise of governmental authority or cultural opprobrium. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. Oppression refers to discrimination w ...
in mind. Anzaldúa also developed the theory in response to critics who referred to her imagining of ''
mestizaje
(; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...
'' "as narrow
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
or
essentialism
Essentialism is the view that objects have a set of attributes that are necessary to their identity. In early Western thought, Plato's idealism held that all things have such an "essence"—an "idea" or "form". In ''Categories'', Aristotle sim ...
," and instead urges readers to think about existing categories differently so that new language may be repeatedly formed and reformed. Scholars acknowledge that this work may be uncomfortable, confusing, and chaotic, but argue that this cannot be a reason to abandon the path forward.
Although developed from her own perspective, the theory was not created to only contextualize the Chicana or Latina experience.
Application
Anzaldúa states that new tribalism is a way to think ''forward'', that is to acknowledge:
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
existing language is based on the old concepts; we need a new language to speak about new situations, the new realities. There's no such thing as pure categories anymore... categories contain, imprison, limit, and keep us from growing. We have to disrupt those categories and invent new ones. The new ones will only be good for a few years and then somebody will come along and say, 'These categories don't work, you didn't take into account this other part of reality.' Someone will come up with their own concepts. To me these categories are very much in transition. They're imperament, fluid, not fixed. That's how I look at identity and race and gender and sexual orientation. It's not something that's forever and ever true.
While the theory may be read as a critique of identity politics, Anzaldúa recognized the importance of naming specific axes of oppression. Scholar Meredith Miller describes new tribalism as a theory which "would allow people to name their oppression in groups without seeing those categories as exhaustive or limiting and without playing into the hands of
capitalist
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...
nation-building enterprises."
What concerned Anzaldúa was the prevalence of "dualistic thinking in the individual and collective consciousness," which she understood as the root of violence against women, humans, and the Earth.
For Anzaldúa, new tribalism challenged this binary-focused thinking of us/them. As summarized by Cinthya M. Saavedra and Ellen D. Nymark, new tribalism "is about how we/you/they can witness how we are in all each other," in which we are all dependent on one another for the prosperity of the larger unit. They describe the theory as avoiding "essentialist notions of who we/they/us are and constantly challenges who we are, critiquing others as a way to reevaluate ourselves."
Bridging
New tribalism has been compared to the idea of building bridges between people "who are feeling and living the historical and contemporary effects of
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
hegemonic politics, juridical discourses, and economic disenfranchisement."
The concept has been compared with
Chela Sandoval's discussion on bridging:
The bridge means loosening our borders, not closing off borders, not closing off to others. Bridging is the work of opening the gate to the stranger, within and without. To step across the threshold is to be stripped of the illusion of safety because it moves us into unfamiliar territory and does not grant safe passage. To bridge is to attempt community, and for that we must risk being open to personal, political, and spiritual intimacy, to risk being wounded. Effective bridging comes from knowing when to close ranks to those outside our home, group, community, nation—and when to keep the gates open.
References
{{Chicano/Mexican-American
Chicana feminism
Identity (social science)
Tejana feminism